Marking a milestone in the city's commuting network, Namma Metro will begin its run at 10.30 am on October 20, watched by a crowd of around 15,000 people at the Manekshaw Parade Grounds where it will be formally launched by Union railway minister, Dinesh Trivedi in the presence of Union minister for urban development, Kamal Nath.
Reach-1 will only be the beginning of a future Metro Rail network that will crisscross a city bursting at the seams with people and traffic on its roads.
The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) has been working overtime, even on government holidays, to make sure there are no hiccups once the train is flagged off. “BMRCL is making sure that security is tight for the many dignitaries and foreign delegates from Japan and other countries involved in the Namma Metro project , who are expected to arrive in Bengaluru for its launch,”say sources.
The 6.7 km line between M.G. Road and Byapanahalli Terminus, located close to the IT hub of Whitefield, is expected to cater to a commuter traffic of about 25,000 people every day.
“The Metro will be a Diwali gift for the IT- BT employees who will be able to reach their workplaces in Whitefield faster without having to deal with traffic and pollution on the roads.
Once at Byapanahalli they can take a ride on swanky BMTC Volvo buses to Whitefield,” add BMRCL sources.
Each Metro coach will accommodate about 300 passengers who will be free to get off or board it at any of the six stations enroute, with the train scheduled to stop at each for about 30 seconds. They will be guided by continuous announcements warning them to watch out for ‘closing doors’ or about the hazards of getting too close to the tracks as the third rail adjacent to them is energised with 750 V DC.
Who’s who on the launch guest list
The state governament has drawn up a huge list of guests, including VIPs and special invitees for the Metro's launch. Among those expected to attend the event are former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, external affairs minister S.M. Krishna, officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), former Chief Ministers, H.D Kumaraswamy and B.S Yeddyurappa and other political bigwigs. The BMRCL has also extended invitations to members of parliament (MPs), MLAs, MLCs, the mayor, deputy mayor, BBMP corporators and former IAS officers.
A rough estimate of the cost of Reach-1
Reach 1 - Rs 1,225 cr
Average cost per km for Phase-1 - Rs 276 cr
Average cost per km ( elevated) - Rs 175 cr
Average cost per km ( underground) - Rs 375 cr
Schedule of train
Initially, the five trains will run at a frequency of 15 to 20 minutes, but could run at a greater frequency later once passenger demand rises.
Cost of tickets
Commuters can travel from Byappanahalli to MG Road on Namma Metro for fares ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 15. They can also opt for a discounted annual or ''Varshik'' ticket, that costs a minimum of Rs 8.50 and a maximum of Rs 12.75.
Additionally, passengers can choose to buy contactless smart tokens (CST), contactless smart cards (CSC), Varshik and trip tickets, Sanchar group tickets, and integrated Metro-bus tickets. The CST tokens, offering non-discounted fares, will have to be touched on the pad of the station entry gate and dropped into the slot at the exit gate.
Tokens, available at the station’s ticket counters, will be for single journeys alone.
Unfinished business
*Reach-3 (Swastik to Yeshwanthpur): Over 50 percent of the civil work has been completed on this stretch, expected to be launched in December, 2012.
*Reach-2 (Magadi Road to Mysore Road terminus): Around 75 per cent of the viaduct work and 99 per cent of the station foundation work has been completed.
*Reach-4 (KR Market to RV Road): About 70 per cent of the civil work has been completed along this stretch.
*Work on extensions of Reach 3 and Reach 4 has also begun. The lines in question are 3 (A) (Yeshwanthpur to Peenya depot) and 3 (B) (Peenya Village station to Hesserghatta Cross station) and 4 (A) (RV Road to Puttenahalli Cross).
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