In what will be a major relief to the traffic woes of Bengaluru commuters, the six-km long Southern Extension line under phase-2 of Namma Metro was flagged off last week. The line from Yelachenahalli to Silk Institute Metro stations was inaugurated by Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri. The phase-2 covers a route length of 74 km with 62 stations and consists of extensions to both Green and Purple lines of phase-1 in all the four directions. The project is being implemented at a cost of Rs 30,695 crore. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) has awarded Rs 38.06 crore contract to Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) to supply rails for use on the Bengaluru metro phase 2 project's new under-construction lines. BMRC had invited tenders (bids) for the 60 E1 880-grade rails in July 2020 with a 12-month deadline. The much-delayed phase-2 had been sanctioned in 2014 and was to be completed by 2018. BMRCL had claimed that the line would open in August last year but was delayed due to the pandemic. The inauguration of the Metro extension line and the foot-over-bridges (FOBs) is a step towards the Bengaluru Mission 2022 goal, to enable faster commute and smart mobility options in the city, said the government. The extension has five new stations beyond Yelachenahalli Metro Station on the current operational line—Konanakunte Cross, Vajarahalli, Doddakallasandra, Thalaghattapura and Silk Institute. The metro corridor along the Kanakapura Road is set to connect residents with Majestic, MG Road, Yeshwanthpur, Vijayanagar, and Baiyappanahalli. Currently, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is operating 944 trips with 107 schedules towards Jambusavari Dinne/Anjanapura, 451 trips with 63 schedules towards Vasanthapura from Konanakunte Cross and 1,134 trips with 121 schedules on Kanakapura Road to different areas, said BMTC. Image Source: Namma Metro