Bengaluru: The much anticipated Green Line extension of Namma Metro, spanning 3.1 km is likely to open on November 7, according to a report by Deccan Herald. Even though the metro corridor had received all necessary operational approvals last month itself, the key metro corridor was awaiting its formal inauguration.
Talking to the DH, a senior Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) official said that the trial run on the Bengaluru Metro corridor will be conducted on Wednesday at 11:30 am. He added that Deputy CM DK Shivakumar will also be present on the occasion. The commercial operations on the metro stretch will start on Thursday (November 7).
Namma Metro Green Line extension: Length, stops, other details
The Green Line extension will span 3.1 km and will have three stations: Madavara, Chikkabidarakallu, and Manjunath Nagara. Once operational, this metro extension will ease traffic congestion on arterial Tumakuru road, which often witnesses massive jams. After the opening of this metro route, the city will have a metro network of 78.95 kms with over 60 stops. After Delhi Metro, Bengaluru Metro will be the largest metro network in India.
Delay in launch of Green Line extension
Bengaluru south MP Tejasvi Surya earlier raised concerns over the delay in the launch of the Green Line extension. He said that even after the approvals from the Commissioner for Metro Railway Safety (CMRS), the Karnataka government did not contact the Union government to start the metro operations.
To note, the Green Line metro extension took more than seven years to start operations and faced several delays. This is the most delayed metro stretch of Namma Metro. The BMRCL also faced massive pressure from the city residents to start commercial operations on the stretch after Nagasandra metro station witnessed massive footfall on Monday.
The BMRCL announced, “On Monday, between 6 am to 11 am, 15800 passengers entered Nagasandra metro station after festivities against normal 11000 passengers. Most of the passengers with baggage had to be frisked to ensure safety. We adopted manual frisking too and cleared the rush with the least delay.”
