BENGALURU: Based on ridership pattern, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has effected changes in the train timings and destinations for its first six-coach train from Thursday (June 28).
An additional round trip has been introduced for the morning with a change in terminus while the number of loops (short) trips has been reduced to just one from the three announced on the launch date on June 22.
According to the new timetable released on Wednesday night, the major change is that the two round trips in the morning will run the full length of the Purple Line between Baiyapanahalli and Mysuru Road in both directions. It was starting and terminating only upto Vijayanagar in the Western direction earlier.
Another change effected is the single round loop trip will have an extended run. Instead of running between Vijayanagar and M G Road, it will run between Vijayanagar and Baiyappanahalli both ways (see box for timings). There have been minor changes effected in the timings of the round trips in the mornings and evenings. As announced earlier, the train will not run during weekends.
According to Chief Public Relations Officer UA Vasanth Rao, the train will not run during the weekends.
“The change has been effected based on the usage seen. Even this timetable is dynamic and may undergo changes based on demand. Let us watch for a week to ten days and assess the patronage,” he told The New Indian Express.
‘USE LADIES COACH’
BMRCL also appealed to women commuters to make use of the ‘Ladies Coach’. “We have received feedback that some women continue to use the general compartments. There is much space in the ladies coach and if they try to use them, then more passengers can be accommodated in the general coaches,” Rao said. At present, only between 1,500 and 1,600 passengers hop on board the six-car train which can accommodate 2,004 passengers. BMRCL was looking at increasing its ridership to 4.5 lakh commuters per day due to the six-coach launch, Rao added. Passengers tend to use the first four coaches while the last two have poor occupancy, he pointed out.
