BENGALURU: A Metro train will cover the distance between Whitefield and KR Puram in 22 minutes flat, and the BMRCL is planning to run a train every 12 minutes along the new route, slated for launch shortly.
BMRCL MD Anjum Parwez told The New Indian Express that a full run of the train, including stoppages, at all stations was carried out from Whitefield to KR Puram (13.71 km) on Tuesday. “I was on the train and it took us 22 minutes to cover the distance. This includes the stoppage time at all the stations enroute,” he said.
AS Shankar, Executive Director, Operations & Maintenance, BMRCL, said, “We are looking at running trains with a 12-minute frequency between the points. In an hour, we will run five trains. That is the tentative plan as of now. We will take the final decision shortly.”
On the patronage expected, he said that anywhere between 1 lakh and 1.5 lakh commuters are expected to use the trains daily. “We are also looking at a section of people who need to travel up to Whitefield coming in their vehicles and parking them at KR Puram and then boarding trains. That would be until the Baiyappanahalli to K R Puram stretch is ready,” he said. BMRCL plans to arrange feeder buses through BMTC between KR Puram and Baiyappanahalli.
Elaborating on the ongoing work at the stations, Shankar said, “Final touches, including painting works and an exhaustive cleaning process, what we call deep clean, is presently being carried out at the 12 stations.” Asked about related items like tokens being readied for the launch, he said, “This is an extension of our Purple Line and we already have enough tokens in stock that will be used here. As QR code booking has become popular, we will not have to purchase new tokens.”
Urban transport expert Sanjeev Dyamannavar said, “The launch will offer a huge relief to me and thousands of Bengalureans. At present, travel by road takes between 45 minutes and an hour on the stretch depending on the traffic. Moreover, there is no parking space on road available enroute when you go to any place from Whitefield towards Indiranagar. Motorists are forced to squeeze their vehicles anywhere and even in bylanes.”