×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Phase 2: Metro passengers have to bear with alternate train service

A BMRCL official said the ridership on the extended 7.5-km stretch had not improved to provide full service
Last Updated 08 September 2021, 00:24 IST

Passengers dependent on Namma Metro may have to bear with the inconvenience of waiting for alternative trains on Phase 2 lines as officials say the arrangement is helping to save lakhs of rupees at a time the fare revenue is stuck at about 40 per cent of the expenditure.

People travelling on Green Line’s Reach 4 extension (Yelachenahalli-Silk Institute) and Purple Line’s Reach 2 extension (Mysuru Road-Kengeri) have been complaining about the inconvenience of waiting for alternative trains. As per the arrangement, half of the trips on these lines are terminated at Mysuru Road and Yelachenahalli, the previous terminal stations.

"I travel on metro daily from Vidhana Soudha to Pattanagere. Many times, the train is stopped at the Mysuru Road station, changes track and goes back towards Baiyappanahalli. We are made to wait for 5-10 minutes to catch the next train,” said Rajendra Kumar, who works in MS Building.

A BMRCL official said the ridership on the extended 7.5-km stretch had not improved to provide full service. “A six-car train makes about 120 trips on the Purple Line every day but in most of the trips, we have very few passengers between Mysuru Road and Kengeri. As running an empty train on the 15-km round trip will be a waste of resources, we are terminating every other train at Mysuru Road, saving money on half the trips,” he said.

The official said a six-car train required 13 units of electricity per km and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) pays Rs 6.56 towards consumption and demand charge per unit taking the per km energy consumption cost to Rs 85.54.

Cutting half the trips on the Mysuru Road-Kengeri stretch will save more than Rs 75,000 a day while savings on the Yelachenahalli-Silk Institute stretch are estimated at Rs 65,000. "At a time when our monthly revenue is stuck at Rs 10-11 crore and the expenses are above Rs 25 crore, cutting dead trips is a necessary measure to save Rs 1.5 lakh daily,” he added.

BMRCL chief public relations officer B L Yashavanth Chavan said the demand for full service on all trips would be considered after the ridership goes up.

Check out DH's latest videos

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 07 September 2021, 19:42 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT