Kochi Metro Takes Off, Bangalore Metro Fully Functional Now

For a change, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee took a metro ride though in different cities down the south today. While PM Modi inaugurated Kochi Metro this morning, President Pranab Mukherjee is opening and taking ride on Namma Metro at 6 pm this evening.

Bangalore’s Namma Metro, initially planned to be completed in 5 years has taken full 11 years to complete a 42-km stretch connecting North South and East West Corridors connecting key spots of the city with a projected 5 lakh commuters daily hopping on to the coaches.

The first phase of Namma Metro was dedication to Bangaloreans on Saturday by President Pranab Mukherjee when he opens the green line section of the metro, connecting the Sampige Road station and Yelachenahalli, the last 12-km leg of the phase 1.

“Phase I was new for all of us. We have learned our lessons from the execution of Phase I and will put that to use for the second phase,” said Pradeep Singh Kharola, MD of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL). The next phase aims to bring in more stations making it a 72-km stretch with a 2020 deadline.

The first 6.7-km Metro line was opened on 20th October 2011 when Baiyyappanahalli – MG Road (Reach-1, Purple line) was inaugurated. After more than two years, on March 1, 2014, the second line connecting Sampige Road with Peenya Industrial Area (Reach-3/3A, Green line) on 9.9 km was opened. Again on May 1, 2015, it was stretched to connect Peenya Industry with Nagasandra (Reach-3B, Green line) on 2.5 km further was opened.

Namma Metro

In the same year, on Nov. 16, 2015 the stretch between Mysore Road – Magadi Road (Reach-2, Purple line) on 6.4 km track was opened. Last year, on 30th April 2016, the MG Road – Magadi Road (UG-2, Purple line) stretch measuring 4.8 km was added. And finally, today the remaining 12-km stretch between Sampige Road and Yelachenahalli (UG-1, Reach-4/4A, Green line) measuring 12 km will make the Phase I of Namma Metro full, at a cost of Rs 14,200 crore.

The Phase 2 involves extention of the the current Green and Purple lines and also introduction of two new lines between RV College and Bommasandra, and between Gottigere and Nagawara. Already, the work is in progress and France’s Agence Francaise De Development (AfD) has committed Rs. 1,500 crore loan, while BMRCL is negotiating with Germany’s KfW and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to raise more funds.

Moving over from Namma Metro, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of Kochi Metro, which was completed in a record time compared to a decade-long delay in Namma Metro completion. Later, PM MOdi and others took a ride from Palarivattom to Pathadippalam and back to Palarivattom, with Metro Man E. Sreedharan joining the ride.

The 13.4 km long Kochi Metro was completed in just 4 years and 10 days and will be opened to public on Monday.