In the final run-up to the launch of Bangalore’s own rail network, the question “Why Metro?” could appear late in the day. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) Limited Managing Director V Madhu, however, obliges with an answer. He says  Metro should have been in Bangalore in the 1980s itself.

“It was in the early 1980s that the City crossed the 30 lakh population. Any City with a population like that requires a Metro,” says Madhu. The BMRC chief points out that compared to top-line cities in the US and Europe, the cars to people ratio is not alarming in Bangalore, that has about 60 cars for every 1,000 people. However, narrow roads, rising air pollution levels and the 3.5 per cent annual population growth make Metro a necessity in Bangalore, according to him. By 2011, Namma Metro is tipped to carry 15 per cent of the traffic. A total of 180 coaches by 2011 and 270 coaches by 2021 are in the plan. The BMRC hopes to generate 10 per cent of the revenues from non-fare aspects and be commercially viable from the sixth year.

Security grid
With auto door closing systems, fire-retarding materials and an Auto Train Protection (ATP)/Auto Train Operation (ATO) control room in Majestic to combat possible terror attacks, the Metro is being shaped on big promises. The Metro also promises an average speed of 32 kmph (max 80 kmph), offering an end-to-end trip in 23/28 minutes.


No noise pollution

Will Namma Metro, once implemented, add to the maddening noise pollution in the City? The answer is no, according to Madhu. In fact, as per a BMRC survey, the Metro’s noise levels will be less than what a truck would create on the road. “Metro rail’s noise levels will be around 80 decibels, which is an average noise level in the City,” says Madhu.

The present permitted noise level is 55 to 65 decibels. The peak noise level recorded in the City is 120 decibels, as per the survey. Madhu further says that efforts are on to reduce the noise levels as much as possible. For this, the BMRC is planning to install mufflers along the tracks, so that the screeching sound is minimised. Plans are also on to construct walls on both sides of the tracks.


Stations with futuristic feel

Bangalore: Namma Metro not only promises a world-class travel experience, but also swanky stations that could become the City’s landmarks. Madhu assures aesthetic stations where commuters get a futuristic feel and says the stations will indeed offer a never-before experience to the passengers.
Some of the country’s best architects have designed the five stations on Namma Metro’s Reach One. BMRC will display plaques mentioning the architect firms’ names in each of these stations. The MG Road station (opposite old Plaza Theatre) will be designed by Venkataraman Associates, while the stations at Trinity Circle, Ulsoor, CMH Road and Old Madras Road will be designed by Zachariah Consultants, RSP Architects and Planners, RITES (Gurgaon) and Chandavarkar and Thaker Architects respectively.

While the MG Road station will be connected through a sky-bridge to a heritage plaza depicting the rich history of Bangalore, a shopping mall is proposed at the old Plaza Theatre with an entrance from Church Street. Madhu says the other stations will also boast of the best of design aesthetics. “Our stations will be more appealing than the ones constructed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation,” says the BMRC chief. Though RITES had initially designed the stations, the BMRC did a re-think and roped in the new architects to ensure that the design was in tune with the beauty of the City.

The BMRC has put the cost of each station at Rs 11 crore and all the stations will have dedicated bus bays to facilitate integration of all transport systems. The award of tenders for construction of the stations will be issued soon.


AIRPORT
BY RAIL


As connectivity issues continue to plague the upcoming international airport in Devanahalli, the BMRC has lined up a dedicated route from the City centre, right up to the airport. Originally planned to start at Byappanahalli, the route will now commence near the BRV Parade Grounds on MG Road and have stops at Hebbal and Yelahanka before reaching the airport. There’s also a plan to establish an underground link between the Metro station at Minsk Square and the Parade Grounds station. Madhu says the airport link will take more than two years to materialise.



STATION FEATURES

 
MG Road
Elevated in front of the old Plaza Theatre, six escalators and staircases, skywalk across MG Road, one lift from underground parking