Safety inspection of Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura metro line put off

Metro rail fans' enthusiasm turned into frustration as the statutory inspection of two sections was postponed at the eleventh hour. 

The Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) was scheduled to conduct the statutory inspection of the 2.1-km Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura section, which is on the Purple Line, on September 13. 

The inspection was to start at Benniganahalli and conclude at Baiyappanahalli after covering Baiyappanahalli. 

This small stretch is of crucial importance in linking the tech hub of Whitefield to the CBD and the rest of the city. The 13.7-km KR Pura-Whitefield line is operational, but cut off from the rest of the metro network. 

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had promised to open the line by June, but pushed the deadline to September. 

Metro rail fans' enthusiasm knew no bounds when news came in on Tuesday that the CMRS would inspect the Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura section on Wednesday. 

But things changed around 5.30 pm when the inspection was postponed by a few days. BMRCL Managing Director Anjum Parwez confirmed the postponement. 

Another official cited "an emergency" for the decision and insisted that the BMRCL had been "fully prepared" for the event. 

A new date could be finalised on Wednesday. The 1.9-km Kengeri-Chellaghatta line will be inspected at a later date. Both lines are expected to open by the end of this month.