Bengaluru Metro: Underground trial hits 60 kmph

Bengaluru: BMRCL without much fanfare started the trials at East-West underground corridor. Interestingly, Metro has crossed the critical speed limit of 60 kmph on Wednesday. In the next 3-4 days, they aim to reach 80 kmph.  Sources close to BMRCL say this underground section can be the fastest one in Phase 1 and has a capability to cross over 80 km per hour which BMRCL will seek to achieve.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle Vasanth Rao, General Manager of Finance, BMRCL says, “The rail has to burn and get synchronised and 60 kmph is a very critical speed. Every ten kilometers we are increasing the speed limit. By Thursday, it is expected to touch 70 kmph.”

Meanwhile, on the developments of metro work, Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola said, “By January, we want to open east-west line for public. As for North-South, after underground tunneling is through, tracks will be laid by January – February and by March we will complete this line as well.”

The underground tunneling of east-west corridor that consist of Cubbon Park station, Vidhana Soudha, M Viveshvaraya, Kempegowda and City railway stations have been ready for a while now.

In the meantime, Commissioner of Railway Safety has approved and given clearance certificate to Reach 2 that covers Magadi Road to Mysore Road. It is about to become operational anytime soon now.  With Reach 2 becoming functional, it is only the underground section in the east-west corridor that stands between connecting Byappanahalli to Mysore Road.

Bengaluru metro started construction in 2006 of 42 km Phase 1 and has only four stretches open for public so far out of the nine stretches. Started at a cost of Rs 5,400 crore in 2006, today the cost has tripled to a staggering estimated cost of Rs 13,845 crore. Failure in meeting the deadlines has become a perennial issue and four deadlines; December 2012, December 2013, March 2015, December 2015 have been missed. It will be interesting to see if the authorities will be able to meet mid 2016 deadline and Bangalore will finally witness Phase 1 completely ready for commercial purpose.

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