Namma Metro: People can breath easy at Trinity circle

Constructed by a consortium led by Punj Loyd-Sembawang (India) at a cost of Rs 43.5 crore, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has completed about 18 per cent of work at this station. An elevated one, this is 12 mtrs above the road level.

To be commissioned in December 2010, the Trinity Circle station is located at the vacant land, adjacent to Nalli Silk and is diagonally opposite to The Oberoi. This station is expected to service commuters from the commercial as well as residential parts of M G Road, Halasuru Road, Brunton Road, Rest House Road and Trinity Circle. Facility wise this station will be on par with other stations on this Reach.

Named after the landmark Trinity Church, built in the 1850s and located at the eastern end of Mahatma Gandhi Road, this is where the Bangalore Metro passes through the Central Business District (CBD), where ridership is expected to be high.

Its users are expected to be office-goers and those working at high-rise buildings near the station, namely Vijaya Bank, Mahalakshmi Chambers, Mittal Towers and Raheja Chambers among others.

Unlike the other stations on this Reach, Namma Metro work did not involve massive demolition of private property here, as the alignment runs right in the middle of M G Road. With construction of piers and girders that began in 2007 almost nearing completion, the worst is over for motorists traversing on this road.

However, the one drawback was the massive pile-up of vehicles leading to chock-a-block traffic on this road. But, with the construction of piers over, this has eased a bit. For BMRCL, early completion of the Trinity Circle station is a matter of prestige as this is located close to many luxury hotels. Once completed, this station will also have feeder bus connectivity from the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation.

* No drinking, smoking allowed inside trains, stations

* Automated station announcements in Kannada and English

* Automatic LED displays at all stations indicating the next station

* Electronic glow of coming stations on the map put inside every coach both sides.

* Closed circuit cameras to keep track with special Metro police

* Metro marshals could travel inside trains in civilian dress like in airlines

* Metro maps will be put up in English and Kannada

Three car train

According to the Detailed Project Report, the Namma Metro once operational in 2010 would have a three-car train with a provision for more cars/coaches at four minutes headway during the first year of commissioning. The three coach train with four minutes headway is 15,000 passengers per hour per direction.

The train would run for 19 hours a day, with a station dwell time of 20/30 seconds. Speed of the train would be approximately 32 to 35 km per hour. A three coach train will have a capacity to accomodate 1000 passengers.

Business takes a beating on MG Road

Occupancy drops in hotels

Ever since Namma Metro construction work began on M G Road, almost all business establishments have witnessed a considerable drop in their business.

While most of the affected are the luxury hotels that witnessed a 10-15 percent drop in occupancy levels, other smaller commercial establishments say their daily earnings have come down by 40 percent. Star hotels in and around Trinity Circle are-- The Oberoi, Taj Residency, Ishta and The Park.

Parking of vehicles on this Reach is also next to impossible, making shopping a difficult task. The Lido Mall, a landmark shopping centre near the Trinity Church that opened a few months before the work began, saw a steep drop in footfalls after the project work started gathering pace.

An upscale restaurant/cafeteria and other international brand shopping centres shut shop at Lido Mall as the Metro work cut their daily revenue into half. Many property owners also lament that commercial space in the Trinity Circle station vicinity remain vacant, as nobody wants to occupy them, till the Metro starts operations.

What people say?

Sandeep Rai, an officer at Vijaya Bank: We are hoping that the Namma Metro work is completed as per the schedule. Commuting on this road is a harrowing
experience as vehicles move at snail’s pace. The road also needs quality asphalting.

Suresh K, a staffer at a two-wheeler howroom: The Metro construction has resulted in drop in sales. With massive scaffolding work on, entry and exit into shops has become next to impossible.