Bangalore Metro’s Mysore Road – Magadi Road Line to Start Commercial Operations Within 10 Days

After the Commissioner for Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) approved the 6.4 km “Reach 2” of Bangalore Metro’s Phase 1 project from Mysore Road to Magadi Road on September 19, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corp Ltd announced that the line would open for commercial operations after completing some “minor work” that was recommended by the CMRS. The CMRS (SK Mittal) recently came out in the open and rubbished those claims in an interview:

I have not asked for any changes and I don’t know why they are not starting the service while people are eagerly waiting for years to board a metro

If you’ve been following my Bangalore tunneling update posts, you could connect the dots and see that the BMRCL was clearly misleading the public since track-work and other assorted works on the underground section which connect to the line’s Byappanahalli Depot have not yet been completed despite tunneling being completed in March 2014.

A train pulling into Reach 2’s Deepanjalinagar station – Photo Copyright: Narayanamurthy Aarya

Now, with TBM Margarita making a breakthrough at the North Ramp yesterday (November 7), the Managing Director of the BMRCL has announced details of the commencement:

The much awaited Magadi Road-Mysore Road stretch (6.4 kms) will be declared open to the public within ten days. Rail safety inspections are over and everything that has to be done from our side is completed. We are now waiting for dates to be given from the Central and state governments for the inauguration.

As a reminder, this stretch includes stations at Magadi Road, Hosahalli, Vijayanagar, Attiguppe, Deepanjali Nagar and Mysore Road as shown below:

Alignment of Reach 2 from Mysore Road to Magadi Road

While I don’t believe in what the BMRCL ever announces, a small part of me desperately wants to believe in them. Here’s hoping they don’t conveniently shift any further delay on to the government and that commercial operations begin as promised within 10 days. It’s about time.

For more updates on Bangalore’s Metro, check out the Bangalore section of The Metro Rail Guy!

– TMRG