1. Whitefield-Challaghatta Purple Line metro begins operations, connects East and West Bengaluru
Without any formal inauguration and celebration, the long-awaited Whitefield-Challaghatta Namma Metro corridor (Purple Line) quietly commenced operations on October 9 at 5 a.m., seamlessly connecting the eastern and western parts of Bengaluru. The direct link between the two ends of the city covers a total of 43.49 km with 37 stations in approximately 76 minutes, at a fixed end-to-end fare of ₹60.
Meanwhile, at around 10 a.m. on Monday, Majestic metro station witnessed an overwhelming crowd. Commuters complained that despite trains running every 3 minutes during peak hours, the metro crew struggled with crowd control. The much-anticipated launch also took on a political colour as the BMRCL did not allow photo journalists to take pictures at the stations. Sources said all fanfare would be saved for the grand official inauguration to be led by PM Narendra Modi and CM Siddaramaiah in two weeks.
