 "Bangalore Metro Phase-1 to be operational by December")
“Today, we have commenced trial runs on the underground section of the East-West Corridor and the commercial operations will start by June. We will complete all works on North-South Corridor by November and the entire first phase will be open for public use by December end,” Pradeep Singh Kharola, Managing Director, BMRCL said.
Talking to reporters at the underground station at Cubbon Park after the flagging-off trials on the underground section, he said the corporation has completed 93 per cent work both physical and financial on the first phase of the Bangalore Metro.
Bangalore Metro Phase-1 consists of 42.3 kms including 8.8 kms of underground section (4.8 kms on East-West Corridor from M G Road to Magadi Road and 4 kms on the North-South Corridor from Chickpet to City Market). Common interchange station is at Majestic. Civil works of East-West corridor has been carried out by CEC Soma and CICI JV at the lump sum cost of Rs 9,996.50 crore. The cost of the Kempegowda station is Rs 272 crore.
The architectural finishing for the underground stations are being done by two contractors, namely Sharma Kalypso and Shapoorji Pallonji at the cost of Rs 28 crore and Rs 38 crore respectively. The works are in their advanced stages of completion, Kharola said.
Track work on West bound line having been completed and thus has facilitated for the movement of the train on the track from M G Road station to the underground section commencing from Cubbon Road station to Magadi Road station. From the Cubbon Park station to the City Railway station, the train will be moved through battery operated bogie tractor and from City Railway station it will move on traction power of Reach 2.
As the underground track has been newly laid, the train will move very slowly in this section and is expected to reach the Magadi Road station in the next few days. Once the train reaches the Magadi Road station, the trial runs for the Reach 2 section will commence, Kharola added.
“The BMRCL is in the process of awarding the first tender for the second phase of Bangalore Metro. The first tender will be awarded within 10 days and the work will begin next month,” he said.
The cost of phase-1 has gone up by 19 per cent to Rs 13,800 crore as against the earlier estimate of Rs 11,609 crore due to delay in the completion of civil works. The cost of second phase comprising 72 kms is estimated at Rs 26,000 crore.