BMRCL confident of Metro Phase 1 April deadline, ground reality different

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL), tasked with the completion of the Phase 1 of Metro construction and Bengaluru Development Minister KJ George after visiting the site this week expressed confidence that the project would meet the April 15 deadline as trial runs were already underway in parts.

During the press conference he held at the review of the site, George and Metro officials said all the works in the underground section between RV Road and Sampige Road have been completed. When asked about the civic work pending in the stations, the minister reassured of all this being wrapped up by April. The apprehension is because of assurances from the BMRCL, they have missed several deadlines previously as well. The laying of underground tracks had not been completed by the December 2016 deadline.

According to a report in a national daily, contrary to claims of completion in time, there is a lot of testing still left to do in this phase. The tunnels are yet to be sealed, several other tests are yet to be conducted, outdoor tests, signal testing, onsite data verification etc are all work in progress. Once tests are completed, the Commissioner for Railway Safety (CRS) will be called for final approval after which commercial operations can start.  Currently, only the Byappanahalli-Mysuru Road and Sampige Road-Nagasandra lines are operational. Trial runs are extensive processes, taking almost a month or more depending on the complexities that develop and permissions etc.

The Metro rail has pitched as the state government's commitment to ease mobility in the city and decongest roads. Phase I has been touted as the most significant step towards connecting Namma Metro’s north and south corridors.

• metro
• Namma Metro
• Bengaluru
• Sampige station
• Metro Phase 1
• KJ George
• BMRC