Karnataka - Bangalore   

Metro not to wait for underground stretch to commence operations

— PHOTO: K. MURALI KUMAR

MILES TO GO: BMRCL Chairman M. Ramachandran (left) inspecting a metro work site in Bangalore on Monday.

BANGALORE: Notwithstanding the anticipated delay in completion of the underground stretch of Namma Metro that is critical for the full-fledged operations under Phase 1, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd., (BMRCL) is gearing up to operationalise the services on the elevated corridors by excluding the underground stretch.

M. Ramachandran, BMRCL Chairman and Secretary to Union Ministry of Urban Development, told presspersons here on Monday that Reach 1 of Namma Metro between Byappanahalli and M.G. Road will be commissioned by December this year or January next.

The metro cars should be ready for testing by October 2010 and the line could be thrown open for commercial operations after the Commissioner of Railway Safety certifies it, he said.

Similarly, Reach 3 between Hessarghatta Road and Swastik could be commissioned in September 2011. Because of the depot locations at Byappanahalli and Peenya, Bangalore Metro will not find any difficulty in servicing these reaches.

However, Reach 2 (Magadi Road to Mysore Road) and Reach 4 (K.R. Market to Puttenahalli) do not have depots and technically it is difficult to commence operations even if the elevated corridors and tracks are in place. To overcome this problem, Mr. Ramachandran said, Bangalore Metro is in discussions with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd., the prime consultant for Namma Metro. One of the possible solutions is to construct stabling yards at Puttenahalli and Mysore Road Terminal for maintenance of the Metro cars till the underground stretch is completed, he said.

Conceding that construction of the underground stretch between Cricket Stadium and Magadi Road and Swastik and K.R. Market, will be delayed, Mr. Ramachandran said the deadline might extend to mid-2013 from the original June 2012.

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