The long purple Bangalore subway line on Mysuru Road opened on Sunday.
The 7.53-kilometer stretch was inaugurated by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
The Namma metro project has six stations under the line: Nayanadahalli, RR Nagar, Jnanabharathi, Pattangere, Kengeri and Kengeri bus terminal.
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Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) estimates that 75,000 people will travel on the line every day.
According to officials, to build the line, the BMRCL has spent 1.56 billion euros on infrastructure and 360 million euros on land acquisition.
Noting that Bengaluru is one of the main drivers of economic growth across the country, with a strong presence in research in information technology, biotechnology and applied sciences, Union Minister Puri said that “the city represents almost 38% of the country’s total IT exports … the opening of the Western Extension metro line today is a step towards faster travel and smart mobility options in the city. “
Noting that Bangalore subway operational punctuality is 99.8%, one of the best subway networks in the country, he said “since the inauguration of the first subway line in Delhi in 2002, there are operational about 730 km of metro lines in 18 different cities, and about 1,049 km of RRTS metro / railway projects are under construction in several cities “.
Affirming that Bengaluru is an international city and that one cannot imagine an international city without a metro, the minister in chief said that Metro is not just a lifeline of Bengaluru, but should be its “future line”.
“People’s connectivity and people’s travel comfort is very important for metropolises like Bengaluru ….. we need a very good public transport system like the metro for that,” he said, adding that has led BMRCL officials to complete Phase II subway works in 2024, a year before the current 2025 deadline.