Activists rebut BMRCL's logic behind shifting Cantt Metro station

Accuse it of 'fear-mongering, faking cost-saving measures'

Citizens and activists keen on integrating Namma Metro with the railways at Cantonment have slammed the BMRCL for “fear-mongering” and issued a point-by-point rebuttal of the reasons given by it for shifting the proposed metro station away from the railway station.

The original detailed project report (DPR) had placed the metro station opposite the Cantonment railway station. In June, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) moved it to Madina Masjid ground near Bamboo Bazar, about 1 km away.

Asking BMRCL officials to “stop fooling Bengaluru”, the activists released a document, backing their arguments with evidence of technical specifications from other metro networks in the country.

BMRCL Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola had said on Thursday the original alignment had extreme curvature of 90-degree radius, which would slow down the trains to 30 kmph from 100 kmph. “Also, the original alignment stretches the distance between Cantonment and Pottery Town to 1.8 km. This is not advisable during an emergency as people have to walk about 800 metres in the tunnel,” he said.

Activists noted that even with the new alignment, trains cannot achieve and sustain 100 kmph speed between a 3-km stretch as they stop at three stations: Shivajinagar, Cantonment (Bamboo Bazaar) and Pottery Town. “Officials have taken us for a ride. The curvatures in the original alignment are in fact smooth both between Shivajinagar and Cantonment, and between Cantonment and Pottery Town. There is no sharp curve at all,” they said. Commenting on the safety aspect and the BMRCL’s claim that digging a tunnel beyond 900 metre risks the breakdown of the tunnel boring machine (TBM), urban transport expert Sanjeev Dyamannavar pointed out that in Delhi Metro, there are nearly 3-km-long tunnels without any opening.

He said BMRCL was resorting to fear-mongering. “The Delhi Metro’s airport line has a 3-km-long tunnel between T3 Terminal and Aero City stations. The 2-km tunnel between Shivaji Stadium and New Delhi stations runs at a depth of 40m. Is the BMRCL saying a 1.8-km-long tunnel at Cantonment is impossible in Bengaluru, the technology capital of the country?” he asked.

The document also criticised the BMRCL for claiming the new alignment would save Rs 1,000 crore. “The cost of Phase 2 is Rs 26,000 crore with an in-built escalation of 5% per year. The best way for the BMRCL to save cost is by finishing the project early,” he said.