BENGALURU: The auspicious occasion of Janmashtami assumed additional significance for Bengalureans with the six new stations dotting the Mysuru Road-Kengeri Line launched on Sunday throwing open their doors for public travel. The attractively decked stations had Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) staff waiting at the entry gates to welcome passengers with roses, well before the first train’s scheduled departure at 7 am.
An interesting mix of passengers were on board the first train from Kengeri both on the onward and return trip. While the majority were students, homemakers, office goers and even a jogger and an outstation traveller figured among them. A general mood of cheer and relief was palpable.
An engineering student from Jain University was the first to make her entry into the Kengeri station. As soon as her doubts over whether trains would run today from this new station were cleared, Manisha told The New Indian Express, “I am really happy that Metro has been extended to Kengeri because it makes it very easy for students like me to travel to the City. It used to be a struggle to travel through BMTC and other modes. I stay near Kodipalya, which is 1.5 km away (from Kengeri),” she said.
Kamta Gupta, Regional Head, South Asia, of an MNC, is a relieved father. “It is the first day for my son at BASE College in Rajarajeshwari Nagar. We boarded at the new Pattanegere Metro station. I am dropping him there by train and will return home. The ticket fare at Rs 25 is very reasonable,” he said. Son Ayush said if it was not for the new Metro line, he would be changing three buses to reach his college. “It will take me just 25 minutes to reach my institute now, instead of 45 minutes by buses,” he added.
Taking the train to jog at Cubbon Park is Trilok Sankar, who boarded at Kengeri Bus Terminal Metro station. “I have always liked the spacious park when compared to my local parks. I plan to go daily to Cubbon Park using Metro,” he said.
Pratikha C S, another enginnering student who completed her internship in Bengaluru was on her way to her hometown to Coorg. “I waited to leave Bengaluru today as I knew the Metro line would start along this route. I will alight at Kengeri Bus Terminal Metro station and take a bus from there to my hometown,” she said.
Travel by Metro would cut his travel time daily by 30 minutes and he would allot that extra time to spend with his 3-year-old son, said T H Shashidhara, an officer at Canara Bank, who was heading to his workplace at Kengeri in a train heading in the return direction.
A couple of homemakers on board said they enjoyed their first ride.
N M Dhoke, Director, Systems and Operations & Maintenance, BMRCL was on board the first train to supervise smooth operations and to get passenger feedback.