JOIN USLight rail may score over monorail
The Light Rail Transit (LRT) system is likely to be preferred over to Monorail for the City.
Capita Symonds - the UK-based consultancy firm for property and infrastructure solutions to which the State government has assigned the job of suggesting the best feeder rail network for the City - considers LRT more advantageous than Monorail.
The State government accepted the ‘option report’ a few weeks ago and the preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) for LRT has already begun.
The Bangalore Airport Rail Link (BARL) Ltd, the nodal agency for implementing the project, is expecting the DPR to be ready in four months.
LRT has lesser capacity and lesser speed than Metro rail system, but higher capacity and higher speed than other traditional systems like tram.
BARL Director (Projects) C Jayaram told Deccan Herald that to start with, LRT would come up in two corridors and include 40 stations. He said the two corridors will be a 31-km stretch from Bannerghatta Road to Hebbal and a nine-km stretch from Magadi Road to the proposed Peripheral Ring Road.
Jayaram said the alignment of LRT is in tune with the Comprehensive Traffic and Transportation Plan, which was finalised a few weeks ago. He said LRT intersects the Metro corridor and other mass rapid systems for better connectivity.
Jayaram said the LRT network was drawn up after a detailed analysis of the Comprehensive Development Plan 2015, traffic density and a field survey. He said soil testing had begun in JP Nagar and it would be done at around 40 points along the stretch of the said corridors.
Sources in the Infrastructure Development Department (IDD) said that the ‘option report’ had analysed 21 aspects regarding operation and maintenance of LRT and Monorail. A senior official in IDD said it was found that in 18 aspects, LRT was more advantageous. He said LRT can negotiate high gradients (upto 11 percent), a major issue in building rail networks in the core city.
LRT vs Monorail
* Compatibility with other Bangalore Rail systems
LRT: Other Bangalore urban rail schemes are conventional two rail systems
Monorail: Bangalore does not have any monorail system at present
* Depot flexibility
LRT: Easier to construct and costs less
Monorail: Higher construction cost than LRT
* Future flexibility-
LRT: Very flexible since the rail transport system is independent from viaduct structure
Monorail: Very inflexible as the rail system is specific to structural beams.
* Means of escape from failed train or during fire
LRT: Passengers can egress from all doors onto safe solid surface.
Monorail: Passengers must be rescued by demounting into adjacent trains or using access platforms from roads below.