The Karnataka government and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) released a report on September 22 suggesting several measures to address traffic congestion in Bengaluru. One of the proposed measures is the construction of three new Metro corridors in Bengaluru: Old Airport Road – from MG Road to Hope Farm via Marathahalli and Whitefield, Old Madras Road – from KR Puram to Hoskote, Inner Ring Road loop.
The first corridor on Old Airport Road is aimed at improving the connectivity in the city's IT corridor which has businesses concentrated in the Whitefield area. The second corridor on Old Madras Road is aimed at improving the connectivity to the Narsapura industrial area.
"The objective of the Metro network is to provide Metro access to every citizen of Bengaluru within one to two kilometers of their place of work or residence by 2032,” the report said.
The aim was earlier stated in the action plan drawn up by the BJP-led Karnataka government in March 2023 with the idea of completing work on the lines by 2032. At the time, an idea for two new metro corridors were mooted. One of them, along Old Airport Road, is mentioned in the new FICCI report. The other, a 25 km long Nagawara - Kempegowda International Airport via Thanisandra /Bharatiya City, appears to have been excluded.
Bengaluru currently has a Metro rail network running 56 km. The Purple line connects Kengeri in the southwest with Baiyappanahalli in the east. The Green line connects Nagasandra in the north-west to Silk Institute in the south-west.
The missing link between KR Puram and Baiyappanahalli Metro stations on the Purple Line, which would connect the central parts of Bengaluru to Whitefield, is set to be operational soon. Bengaluru metro officials expect the footfall in the city's metro to increase from 75,000 to 1 lakh per day with the completion of the missing link.
While it was earlier stated that it would be operational by the end of September, there are still checks to be completed by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) and the line could be operational only in October.