BENGALURU: Trains operating on the purple and green line will be in a position to run at a frequency of 2.5 minutes once the 72.1-km Phase-II project of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) becomes operational. The entire project, barring the airport link line, is expected to be ready by 2023.
Presently, trains have a headway of 3.5 mins on the Baiyappanahalli-Mysuru Road route (purple Line) and 5 minutes on the Nagasandra-Yelachenahalli (green line) route during peak hours in the morning and evening.
At a review meeting with top Metro officials on Friday, the Deputy CM G Parameshwara pointed out that in many countries trains run within 100 secondss or at least 2 minutes of each other. He also wanted the infrastructure to be designed in such a way for Phase-II so that a similar frequency could be adopted.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, BMRCL Managing Director Ajay Seth said that existing infrastructure constraints do not permit trains to run with a reduced time gap. “We can only run trains within 3.5 minutes of each other on the purple line presently.”
Elaborating, Seth said, “Once a train completes its trip at Mysuru Road, it needs to travel 300 metres, for the turn back and then travel another 300 metres before it reaches the platform again to embark on the return trip. However, once the tracks for Phase-II is laid with 'turn back' arrangements, the trains will have to travel shorter distance to come on the adjoining platform for the return journey."
When the rail lines are extended, the 'turn back' arrangements can be located within 50 metres of the new stations, Seth said. “This will help us reduce the time between trains,” he added.