Cities like Mysuru can grow with metro: Modi’s big hint at Purple Line inauguration

Bengaluru: While “virtually dedicating” two sections of Namma Metro’s Purple Line, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hinted at building a metro in Mysuru.

“Today, in Uttar Pradesh, cities like Noida, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Meerut, Agra, Kanpur... metro is starting,” the Prime Minister said after inaugurating the Kengeri-Challaghatta (2.05 km) and KR Pura-Baiyappanahalli (2.1 km) Purple Line extensions.

“In some places, it is running, in others, they will start soon. Even in Karnataka, be it Bengaluru or Mysuru, cities with metro are expanding,” Modi said.

"There was talk about having a metro for Mysuru, but that has not made much headway,” the source said. “At least the more populated areas of Mysuru can benefit from metro connectivity,” a source said. 

The KR Pura-Baiyappanahalli section served as a crucial link connecting Baiyappanahalli and the rest of the Purple Line to the Whitefield extension, which was inaugurated on October 8 and opened to the public the following day. Earlier, this gap posed challenges to commuters, necessitating a feeder bus between the Baiyappanahalli and KR Pura stations.

The opening of both the sections bridged the geographical gap between the city’s far east and west. With this, the Purple Line’s total length now extends to 44 kilometres from Whitefield to Challaghatta.

This expansion had a ripple effect on traffic conditions along ITPL Main Road via Hoodi. Congestion during peak hours reduced by at least 20%, bringing much-needed relief to commuters.

The impact on metro ridership was equally impressive, with a surge to 6.8 lakh passengers on October 9, up from the previous daily average of 6.5 lakh. Daily ridership has steadily increased and now comfortably hovers above the 7-lakh mark, approaching the anticipated 7.5 lakh daily commuters, as envisioned by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy DK Shivakumar, State Institute for Transformation of Karnataka's vice-chairperson Rajeev Gowda, MLA ST Somashekar, and other dignitaries attended the inauguration.

CM provides metro updates

Siddaramaiah, while speaking on the occasion, provided updates on the two phases of the metro construction in the city.

He assured that work is underway to complete construction and open the 3.14-km Nagasandra-Madavara stretch of the Green Line and the 19-km stretch of the Yellow Line between the Rashtreeya Vidyalaya Road metro station and Bommasandra by April 2024. “The new line from Kalena Agrahara to Nagavara of 21.26 km is expected to be completed by March 2025. With the completion of these lines, the operational network will increase to 117 km and is expected to serve 12 lakh commuters per day,” he said.

Providing an update on the Outer Ring Road-Airport line, the chief minister said the construction is expected to be completed by 2026 and bring the city’s total metro network to 177 kilometres, serving 20 lakh riders daily.

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the metro rail Phase 3 project has been submitted to the Government of India for approval, Siddaramaiah said, adding that the DPR for Phase 3A (Sarjapur-Hebbal) is under preparation. He said the metro network will expand to 317 km by 2031 under the Comprehensive Mobility Plan.

‘Will speak only in Kannada’

Refusing to deliver his speech in English or Hindi, CM Siddaramaiah said: “I will speak only in Kannada. I am delivering my speech in Karnataka.”

In 2017, during his first term as chief minister, Siddaramaiah directed the BMRCL to remove Hindi from signboards across the city.