Bengaluru cheers as Namma Metro rolls on underground tracks

Around 300 passengers were on board for their first trip of Bengaluru’s Namma Metro that was flagged off from Baiyappanahalli to Mysuru Road at 6am on Saturday.

Excited passengers were sharing experiences of other Metro trains they had been on. “I have travelled on the London Underground,” said one, “and I have been on the Kuala Lumpur one,” said another, while yet another passenger piped in, “ I have been on the Delhi metro and the Kolkata metro.”

It was a family outing for some who had brought their children for their first underground Metro ride.

As the train chugged into the first underground station at Cubbon park, the thrilled passengers let out a whoop.

Pavithran, the loco pilot, who had driven the inaugural train on Friday was there with his children and other staff who had ridden the inaugural train yesterday.

“I was in the army before, and I am now serving BMRCL as a loco pilot. I was very happy to be driving the inaugural train that was flagged off by the Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah. Today, I brought my children to experience the first commercial trip,” he said smiling proudly.

All the underground stations were decked up with festoons and balloons as was the inaugural train on the East West corridor or the Purple line.

Read: Lessons from phase one: Can Bengaluru Metro beat deadline blues in underground trail?