BENGALURU: Metro train services will be suspended on the Eastern portion of the Purple Line, between MG Road and Baiyappanahalli, from 10.15 pm on Tuesday and resume at 8 am on Wednesday, three hours beyond the usual start time. This is the first stretch along which Namma Metro commenced operations in the city in October 2011.
While the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) cites civil maintenance work as the reason, the union leaders claim it is because of damage to bearings on a pillar between Indira Nagar and Swami Vivekananda Metro stations.
BMRCL said in a release, that the last train from Baiyappanahalli will leave at 10 pm and from Mysore Road at 9.30 pm. Services between other stations on both lines will remain unaffected.
The last train will leave from MG Road at 11.45 pm towards Mysore Road while the last train from Mysore Road to MG Road will run at 11.40 pm on Tuesday. Train services between MG Road and Mysore Road will also begin as usual at 5 am on Wednesday while the entire Purple Line will have normal services from 8 am on Wednesday, the release added.
BMRCL Managing Director Ajay Seth told TNIE services were disrupted due to “maintenance work”.
However, Vice-president of BMRCL Employees Union Suryanarayana Murthy told The New Indian Express, “Each pillar has four bearings and it holds the viaduct on which trains run. The bearings on Pillar No. 61 (near a KFC shop) have developed a problem. It is a serious issue. So, they have announced
the shutdown.”
Murthy charged that problems have cropped across repeatedly across the pillars along the stretch. “Many more pillars have problems but this particular one is very serious. This is happening repeatedly. Why are contractors or BMRCL officials not being held responsible?” he charged.