Namma Metro
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| Overview |
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| Owner | Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) |
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| Locale | Bengaluru, Karnataka, India |
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| Transit type | Rapid transit |
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| Number of lines | 2 |
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| Number of stations | 41[1] |
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| Daily ridership | 315,000 (Jun. 2017) |
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| Annual ridership | 2.64 million (2016–17) |
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| Chief executive | Pradeep Singh Kharola (MD) |
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| Headquarters | BMTC Complex, K.H. Road, Shanthinagar, Bengaluru |
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| Website | bmrc.co.in |
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| Operation |
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| Began operation | 20 October 2011; 5 years ago (2011-10-20) |
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| Train length | 3 coaches (extendable to 6 coaches) |
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| Headway | 4–15 minutes[2] |
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| Technical |
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| System length | 42.3 km (26.3 mi)[3] |
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| No. of tracks | 2 |
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| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
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| Electrification | 750 V DC third rail |
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| Average speed | 35 km/h (22 mph) |
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| Top speed | 90 km/h (56 mph) |
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| Namma Metro Rail Network (2017) |
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Namma Metro (
Kannada for "Our Metro"), also known as
Bengaluru Metro, is a
metro system serving the city of
Bangalore,
India. It is currently the second longest operational metro network in India after
Delhi Metro.
[4] On the other hand, Namma Metro ranked the
83rd largest metro system in terms of length and
79th largest metro network in terms of number of operating stations in the world. It also contains the first underground metro line in
South India.
[5] The metro network consists of two colour-coded lines, with a total length of 42.3 kilometres serving 41 stations. The system has a mix of underground, at-grade, and elevated stations using standard-gauge tracks. The metro has an average daily ridership of 315,000 passengers.
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL), a joint venture of the
Government of India and the
Government of Karnataka, built and operates the Namma Metro.
[6] Services operate daily between 05:00 and 23:00 running with a headway varying between 4–20 minutes.
[7] The trains are composed of three cars. The power output is supplied by 750
volt direct current through
third rail. Namma Metro was the second rail transport system in India to use 750 V DC third rail traction, the first is
Kolkata Metro
The
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) prepared and submitted the detailed project for the first phase of the Namma Metro project to the BMRCL in May 2003. Construction work for Phase I of the project was scheduled to start in 2005 but was delayed by a February 2006 change of government in Karnataka. The project was approved by the Union Cabinet on 25 April 2006. Civil construction on the first section, the stretch of the Purple Line between
Baiyyappanahalli and
Mahatma Gandhi Road, commenced on 15 April 2007. The section opened to the public on 20 October 2011. The development of network is divided into two phases while phase I containing 2 lines was completed on in 2017,
[8][9] and Phase II is expected to be completed by 2020.
[10]
Construction work for Phase I of the project was scheduled to start in 2005 but was delayed by a February 2006 change of government in
Karnataka and continued debate over whether the project was financially feasible and appropriate for the city. Finally, on 25 April 2006 the
Indian Cabinet approved the project, which was then budgeted at more than
₹5,400 crore (US$840 million) (Later revised to
₹11,609 crore (US$1.8 billion) for Phase I).
[11] In 2006, Navayuga Engineering was awarded the contract to construct Reach 1 of the East-West corridor.
[12] The foundation stone for the Phase I construction was laid by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh on 24 June 2006,
[13] and civil construction on Reach I of the line, between
M.G. Road and
Baiyyappanahalli, commenced on 15 April 2007.
[14][15] The DPRs for a northern extension (from Yeshwanthapura to Hesaraghatta Cross) and part of the southern extension (from RV Road to Yelachenahalli) was submitted in October 2007 and June 2008 respectively.
[16]
The original deadline to complete Phase I was March 2010. Phase I missed nine deadlines, and its total cost was revised four times.
[17] The entire Phase I was opened to public on June 18, 2017.
[9]
Underground construction[edit source]
Bangalore Metro Under Construction on Mysuru Road
The underground work of Phase I commenced in May 2011. Each corridor consists of two tunnels, which are the first underground tunnels built for trains in
South India. The tunnels, dug using
tunnel boring machines (TBM), are located approximately 60 feet below ground level, have a diameter of 5.5 metres and are 5 metres apart.
[18][19][20][21][22] [23] A total of 6 TBMs were used for work in the underground section of phase I. They were nicknamed
Helen (TBM 1),
Margarita (TBM 2),
Kaveri (TBM 3),
Krishna and
Godavari.
[24] The UG2 (north to south corridor), from Majestic to K.R Market is expected to finish the entire tunnelling works by August 2016, after which the Green Line would be opened for service, towards the end of the year.
Underground UG1 (east to west corridor) tunneling work was completed on 17 March 2014 after tunnel boring machine Helen (TBM 1) finished its task of tunneling 229m between
Bangalore City railway station underground (UG) station and Kempegowda UG station (Majestic). Trackwork and 3rd rail electrification works are completed on the 4.8 km eastbound tunnel of Bangalore metro's Purple line between Cubbon Park and Magadi Road, and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) began end to end trials on the entire 18.1 km Purple line which stretches from Baiyappanahalli to Mysore Road on 23 Nov 2015.
[25] The entire Purple Line stretch was operational on 29 April 2016.
Namma Metro is being built in phases. Currently, as of 18 June 2017 the entire portion of Phase I has been completed and is in operation. The operational portion of the Namma Metro is listed below:-
The first 6.7-kilometre (4.2 mi), 6-station stretch (Reach 1) of the Purple Line between
Baiyappanahalli and
Mahatma Gandhi Road opened on 20 October 2011,
[28] and was the inaugural section of the Namma Metro.
[29] The second 6.4-kilometre (4.0 mi), 6-station stretch (Reach 2) of the Purple Line between Mysore Road and
Magadi Road opened on 16 November 2015.
[30] The first underground section of South India, a 4.8 km stretch from Cubbon Park to Bengaluru City (KSR) Railway Station opened on 29 April 2016, thereby completing the entire 18.22 km Purple Line stretch of the metro network.
The first 9.9-kilometre (6.2 mi), 10-station stretch (Reach 3/3A) of the Green Line opened 1 March 2014.
[31][32] The stretch connected
Sampige Road to
Peenya Industry.
[33] The second 2.5-kilometre (1.6 mi), 3-station stretch (Reach 3B) of the Green Line, operating between Peenya Industry and Nagasandra, opened 1 May 2015.
[34][35] The last stretch connecting
Sampige Road to
Yelachenahalli was inaugurated on 17 June 2017 thereby completing the entire Phase 1.
The Green Line is the second line of the Metro and it connects
Nagasandra in the north to
Yelachenahalli in the south, covering a distance of 24.2 kilometres (15.0 mi),
[3] and serving 24 stations.
[26] It is partly elevated and partly underground, with one station at grade. The southern section of the line, beyond Majestic was thrown open to the public for commercial operations on 18 June 2017.
[9] [36] It was inaugurated by the President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee on 17 June 2017.
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