Metro trials on Peenya corridor may begin on June 10

Metro trials on Peenya corridor may begin on June 10

Railway Design and Standards organization|Namma Metro|KIMS Hospital|BMRC

BANGALORE: Full-speed trials on the Peenya-Sriramapuram stretch of Namma Metro's northern line are set to begin from June 10. They will be extended up to Sampige Road Metro Station by July 8.

These trials allow the rakes to run up to their full speed of 80kmph, thereby testing track strength and distance brake systems of the rakes. Oscillation trials, as these trials are also called, will require each train to travel 750km each from one end to the other and clear all braking and speed tests.

The Peenya-Sampige Road line was slated to begin operations in mid-2013, but a host of issues delayed the work. This was supposed to be the second stretch of Namma Metro to become functional. However, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) officials are non-committal on when the operations will begin.

The 9.9km Peenya-Sampige Road stretch consists of Reach 3 (Yeshwantpur-Sampige Road) and Reach 3A (Peenya-Yeshwantpur). There will be 10 stations on the stretch. Work is afoot on further extension on this corridor - Reach 3B - between Peenya and Hesaraghatta.

Nods awaited

Namma Metro is still waiting for two more technical clearances at the Peenya depot, including one on exemption from provision of check rails, which are used in curves. The irony is that until the check rail clearance is received, BMRC can't begin oscillation trials between Peenya depot and Sampige Road stations. The approvals are expected to come from Railway Design and Standards organization (RDSO), headquartered in Lucknow. BMRC has sent proposals to the Railway Board through the commissioner of railway safety.

Civil work, however, continues to meander on the northern corridor. According to BMRC, 78% of civil work is over in Yeshwantpur, Soap Factory and Mahalakshmi Layout stations, while 74% of work has been completed in Rajajinagar, Kuvempu Road and Srirampuram stations. Granite flooring, and electrical and mechanical fittings are under way. Spans totaling up to a length of 66 metre have been laid over railway lines at Srirampuram. However, three spans between six piers are yet to be laid between Yeshwantpur and Peenya.

Phase II Approval on fast track

Karnataka may get more projects before LS poll

Eyeing the coming Lok Sabha elections, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is set to push through developmental projects aggressively in Karnataka, even as the Siddaramaiah-led State government's functioning is likely to be subjected to intense scrutiny by the Congress high command.

The UPA government is also expected to clear the long-pending Phase II project of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation, for Rs 14,774 crore, soon. The project had been waiting for the Centre’s clearance for several months. Another major project—the Mumbai-Bangalore-Chennai Industrial Corridor—announced in this year's railways budget is likely to take shape as the Ministries of Railway and Commerce are to start preparatory works on it soon.

Things to do

- The Centre is expected to clear Phase II project of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation, for Rs 14,774 crore.

At last, BBMP transfers Binny Mills land to Rlys

The Bangalore division of the South Western Railways (SWR) has finally managed to get 3.3 acres of land of the Binny Mills area to help them expand the City Railway Station.

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), in a land swap, has allotted the Binny Mills property to the Railways, in exchange of 3.16 acres of Railways land. 

The SWR authorities have provided the BBMP 3.16 acres of Railway land for the construction of the Okalipuram Corridor, a flyover connecting Majestic to Fountain Circle in Rajajinagar. 

The 16-acre Binny Mills land has been a demand of the SWR authorities for a long time so as to allow the expansion of the fast-choking City Railway Station. 

“Though our primary demand for more land remains pending, the allotted 3.3 acres will help the City Railway station expand the pit line from its present 18-coach facility to a 24-coach facility and improve efficiency," said Divisional Manager Anil Kumar Agarwal. 

He added that the new facility could possibly ease some pressure off the City Railway Station, but ideally, the station needed a lot more land in order to meet its increasing passenger footfalls. 

Partial notification 

Agarwal said Railways was yet to get complete possession of the land. He said, “On February 12, only a partial notification was issued by the BBMP. The complete possession has been pending since then.” 

Agarwal said the delay was due to the change in government and that he was expecting the complete possession shortly. 

He said that he was not too optimistic about any further acquisition of the Binny Mills land as the State government had planned to acquire the rest of the land for its commuter rail project, which will help connect the satellite towns to the Central Business District.

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