Commuters in the city who have long complained about traffic snarls in the evening and lack of public transport at night can breathe a sigh of relief as the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) has decided to run Metro trains till 11 pm.
BMRCL Director (Rolling Stock, Electrical) N M Dhoke said though officials have been working on a timetable considering the convenience of commuters travelling from all directions, they have decided to run the last train at 11 pm.
“The services will start at 5 am and the last train from Yelachenahalli will leave at 11 pm and arrive at Kempegowda station around 11.25 pm. The last train from Baiyappanahalli will also leave around 11 pm,” he said.
The official, however, noted that there will be difference in the timing of the last train depending on the rush.
‘Flexible timetable’
“We will bar entry for public 10 minutes before the last departure. The station controller gives clearance for the departure of the last train only after confirming that no commuter is left in the paid area. If a train on one line arrives a little early, it has to wait for the commuters coming on the other line. The timetable will be flexible,” he said.
As the last leg of North-South line activates the entire Phase 1, the BMRCL expects the ridership to jump from the present 2 lakh to 5 lakh.
BMRCL managing director Pradeep Singh Kharola said, “We are expecting our revenue to jump from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 1 crore per day. This is the beginning. In the coming days, as more and more people plan their mobility needs with Metro network, the number of riders will increase.”
Officials said timings will be streamlined gradually in the coming days.
“Interchange is a complicated procedure. If the last train on one line leaves before the train on the other line arrives, then people who needed to switch from one train to another will be left in lurch. We have to finalise a timetable looking at all these aspects,” they said.
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