Train reaches National College stn for Metro trial run on Reach 4

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Sunday brought a train to the elevated southern line to start the crucial trial run. While this trial run is going to take place on one track, the BMRCL hopes to start trial run on the other track by December-end.

Around 3 pm on Sunday, the train was brought from the down ramp connecting the
KR Market Metro station to the National College Metro station in Basavanagudi, from where the three-month trial run will begin.

Earlier, the BMRCL had pushed a battery-powered locomotive from Peenya depot towards South line via Majestic underground corridor.

Briefing reporters, Pradeep Singh Kharola, managing director, BMRCL, said the corporation needs two-three months to complete the trial run.

“Using the battery-powered locomotive, we have brought the train to the southern line on Saturday. Trial run on the other track would be started by December-end, as the parallel underground corridor (where the Tunnel Boring Machine Krishna broke through) is not ready,” Kharola explained.

“When the trial run is on at the elevated Metro corridor, we will take up pending works elsewhere. At the moment, cabling, tunnel ventilation and signalling work is going on on the underground section,” Kharola said.

He reiterated that National College-Yelachenahalli stretch would not be thrown open for public use unless the underground stretch is ready.

“We will not approach the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety for the approval of the elevated and underground stretches separately,” he noted.

Phase II
On the progress of Namma Metro Phase II, Kharola hoped to complete civil work of Mysuru Road and Yelachenahalli Metro extensions by 2018 and the Whitefield line by 2019.

‘Safety first’
Bengaluru Development Minister K J George, who inspected the National College Metro station of Reach-4,  asked the BMRCL authorities not to compromise on safety and security under the pressure of delay in implementation of the project. The minister also claimed that the Phase II of the Namma Metro project was going on as per the schedule.