Bengaluru: The Metro Rail is expected to run on another 2.5 km stretch between Peenya and Nagasandra early next year. Its trial run between Jalahalli and Dasarahalli and from Dasarahalli to Nagasandra is set to begin next week.
Says Managing Director of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL), Pradeep Singh Kharola, “In a week’s time, the train will reach Dasarahalli, and then in another week we will take it to Nagasandra.
Then we will carry out trial runs in different combinations. If the results are satisfactory we will call the railway safety commission for inspection.”
With the track-laying work having been completed on the 2.5 km stretch of Reach 3b, the trials will take about three months to do between November and January.
In December, signalling and telecom work will be done and by early 2015, Reach 3b could be open for commercial operations.
Both passenger and fire escape staircases, and the lift shafts have been built at the Jalahalli, Dasarahalli and Nagasandra Metro stations of Reach 3 b and work is underway on the granite flooring at the concourse (entry and exit points) and platform levels, besides on the cladding at the concourse level at all three stations .
While plastering and painting are in progress, almost 95 per cent of the work has reportedly been completed. “Work is going on as planned. Escalators have been activated and fare gates will be installed shortly. We have also got power connection for the stations,” adds Mr Kharola.
The BMRCL claims that almost 86 per cent of work on Phase-I of the Metro Rail, which began in April 2007 , has been completed at a cost of Rs 11,870 crore. Once this phase becomes operational, the ridership is expected to go up to one million a day from the present 25,000 passengers a day.
The Metro Rail has so far begun commercial operations on Reach 1 between Baiyappanahalli and M G Road (6.7 kms) and on Reach 3A between Sampige Road and Peenya (10.1 kms).
