No 8-coach trains in Phase-2, but Metro plans 2-minute frequency if passenger load is high

BENGALURU: In some cheer for people in the IT corridor, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) is all set to undertake trial runs on the KR Puram-Whitefield Phase-2 line in September.

The BMRLC hopes to complete all works on the Purple line extension by December and start trial runs between Baiyappanahalli and K R Puram in September. Once this line becomes operational, it is expected to reduce traffic hugely.

Namma Metro runs trains at 5-minute frequency on the Phase-1 lines and it was not possible to increase the frequency despite demand and passenger rush. Now, it plans to tackle this on the Phase-2 line with new technology.

The Metro Phase-2 will mainly cater to the IT/BT corridor including Electronics City, Silk Board and Whitefield. Experts had warned that there could be peak hour rush and had even suggested increasing the number of coaches from six to eight on each train.

However, Metro authorities say that to have eight-car trains, the station structure will have to be altered. For bigger stations, there are land acquisition issues and capital expenditure will increase. So, instead of eight-car trains, Metro will run six-car trains, but plans to increase the frequency to 2 minutes, depending of passenger load.

Managing Director of BMRCL, Anjum Pervez, said, “Land acquistion cost has to be borne by the state government as we won’t get financial assistance from anywhere else. Hence, we will run six-coach trains itself. But we will be changing the signalling system.”

BMRCL MD Anjum Pervez.

Elaborating on it, he said, “With the existing system, we have to give a gap of five minutes between two trains. We cannot increase the frequency from the safety point of view. Under the new system, two trains can talk to each other about the distance between them. With this train-to-train communication system, we can run trains at two-minute frequency if there is passenger load.”

The BMRCL hopes to achieve 20 lakh daily ridership with the opening of this line. Under Phase-2, Namma Metro had already announced that it will introduce driverless trains.