JOIN USThe western line in the Bengaluru Metro needs quicker completion. While the pillars and piers have been constructed, in addition to the stations, what is required is fixing of the rail lines. Once this is done, the connection between Majestic and MG Road will enable passengers to travel from Kengeri all the way to Baiyappanahalli and vice versa.
The line from Nayandahalli runs through Vijayanagar, which has three major stops - Attiguppe, Vijayanagar, and Manuvana (close to Vijayanagar).
This will serve the people of these areas very well because the line would be connected to Majestic from where people can take different trains on other lines too.
A worker who is part of a team at the Vijayanagar and Manuvana stations says that work has been delayed because everybody is waiting for the underground section to open to enable the linkage to Baiyappanahalli.
“I feel too much of time has been taken up to build the stations on the Vijayanagar stretch. Work had been stopped for a few months earlier because all were waiting for the tunnel sections to open.
The feeling was why hurry on the stations when tunnel work was yet to be completed. There’s a lot of final, small works to be completed. But painting has already begun and I wonder why this has been taken up when many works are yet incomplete.”
The tentative deadline for the line to be opened is March 2015, but looking at the small things that need to be done, work may go on for another six months.
A commuter, Malathi Gowda, who rides along the Vijayanagar stretch said: “I travel by this road daily. I wonder whey they have taken up painting work before completing works on escalators, landings, staircase, railings at the stations, clearing vast amount of debris, etc.
Surely there’s six months of work left. I am not too hopeful of seeing trains beginning by March. Most likely it may be between June and December. We have to wait to see what happens to the tunnel sections.”
The Vijayanagar line will take a good load of people from buses once the train starts. There are people travelling to Majestic and from there to Whitefield. Apart from the rail line, there is no direct link between Kengeri and Whitefield in the bus system. People have to get down at Majestic to take another bus.
But clearly people are very keen that the Metro work is completed fast enough so as to stop using their two-wheelers and cars to head to colleges and offices . There is the one satisfaction that at least the structures are ready and that the train will be a reality, even if late.