Metro’s east-west link loses track
Trial run on corridor between cricket stadium and Magadi road unlikely before December
Namma Metro is all set to miss one more deadline. Officials of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), who hoped to start trial runs of the metro in the east-west underground corridor (between Karnataka State Cricket Association Stadium and Magadi Road) by December, are likely to miss the deadline as they have a long way to go to facilitate the trial run. Though most of the civil works have been completed in the underground metro stations in the stretch, laying tracks, signalling, power supply and other such work is yet to be completed.
Managing director of BMRCL Pradeep Singh Kharola had earlier said that the trial runs would commence within the December deadline, and it would be a major step forward for Namma Metro as the network connects Majestic, a crucial point.
At present, the traction work has reached the stretch between Vidhana Soudha Station and Central College Station. We are unsure whether we will be able to complete all work by December.”
The BMRCL contractor supplies the required concrete mixture to the underground stations from various points through mobile batching plants only during nights. Once this reaches theunderground station , the mixture is transported through heavy pipes under hydraulic pressure. These operations were hindered during the rains.
The official further explained the delay, stating, “We have completed 98 per cent of the civil work along the stretch. As we need to build a third rail system for power supply to operate the trains, a lot more has to be done on the power supply, signalling and other fronts. Unless these things are accomplished, a trial run cannot be done.”
Traction work at the Majestic intersection and the pathway for passengers from the underground Magadi Road Station to City Railway Station are incomplete.
The BMRCL is spending a whopping Rs 995 crore to build the underground stretch that does not include the Majestic intersection, and an additional Rs 50 crore for the finishing works.
BMRCL has estimated that when the metro gets linked to Majestic, it will benefit close to one lakh passengers as people travelling from Baiyappanahalli to Mysore Road could then easily travel by the metro.
Managing director of BMRCL Pradeep Singh Kharola had earlier said that the trial runs would commence within the December deadline, and it would be a major step forward for Namma Metro as the network connects Majestic, a crucial point.
An official of the BMRCL said, “We have been given a December deadline to finish the work, but traction work could not be completed because of various reasons. In the last one month, the city has received incessant rains for many days. Due to these heavy rains, we could not supply concrete to the underground tunnel network from mobile batching plants as we had to maintain the quality of the concrete for the critical traction work.
At present, the traction work has reached the stretch between Vidhana Soudha Station and Central College Station. We are unsure whether we will be able to complete all work by December.”
The BMRCL contractor supplies the required concrete mixture to the underground stations from various points through mobile batching plants only during nights. Once this reaches the
The official further explained the delay, stating, “We have completed 98 per cent of the civil work along the stretch. As we need to build a third rail system for power supply to operate the trains, a lot more has to be done on the power supply, signalling and other fronts. Unless these things are accomplished, a trial run cannot be done.”
Traction work at the Majestic intersection and the pathway for passengers from the underground Magadi Road Station to City Railway Station are incomplete.
The BMRCL is spending a whopping Rs 995 crore to build the underground stretch that does not include the Majestic intersection, and an additional Rs 50 crore for the finishing works.
BMRCL has estimated that when the metro gets linked to Majestic, it will benefit close to one lakh passengers as people travelling from Baiyappanahalli to Mysore Road could then easily travel by the metro.
