Six-car train to roll out during peak hours from Friday

Namma Metro’s first six-car train is set to begin commercial operations on the Purple Line (Byappanahalli-Mysore Road) from Friday, though its effect in reducing the rush will be minimal.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), which received the first set of three cars in February, has completed the necessary safety tests and has received approval from the railway board to run the first big train.

“The earlier plan was to introduce the train on Sunday or Monday, to celebrate the completion of a year since the inauguration of Phase 1. The train may be introduced on Friday as the final decision depends on the availability of the leaders,” a source in BMRCL said.

Officials said the train will run three round trips (Byappanahalli-Mysuru Road-Byappanahalli) during the morning peak hours and two round trips in the evening. “Three car trains are enough during the lean hours when the number of passengers is not high. The big train will be effective during the rush hours,” the official said.

The source said that at least 5 trains with six cars were needed on each line for a comfortable journey for passengers during the peak hours.

Short loop service

The big train is expected to provide maximum help for the short loop operations, where trains operate between crowded stations instead of running between terminal stations. “As of now, the plan is to run the six-car train between the Indiranagar and Vijayanagar stations, which witness sudden rush. A decision on the other stations, as well as extending the car’s operation time, will be taken after assessing the maintenance requirements,” the official added.

5 lakh riders a pipedream During the inauguration of Phase 1, the BMRCL had aimed at five lakh riders every day and expected the fare revenue to cross Rs 1 crore after that. The average daily ridership of Namma Metro stands at about 3.4 lakh, while the highest-ever ridership was 4.11 lakh. A combination of factors, ranging from lack of first- and last-mile connectivity and limited space in the metro trains, has made it difficult for Namma Metro to see the 5 lakh number.