RECAP: August & September Metro Rail Updates
Thanks everyone for your tweets, messages & emails asking about my health, safety and future plans for the site. I haven’t forgotten about you guys and have absolutely no plans to abandon this place. The last 30 days have been quite uneventful as far as major updates go, and seeing that unfold, I took some time off to travel and explore some interesting places around the world. Check out some images I shot of a glacier, mangrove coastline, sawgrass prarie, beach and hills. I’ve got one last major destination left, so it’ll be another few weeks before I get back to what I love. Sit tight 🙂
Here are some curated updates from the past 30 days:
Ahmedabad
• Earlier in August, MEGA launched their revamped website with a lot more information, graphics and project updates. It’s worth a look.
• Yet another pier cage collapsed. This time, the incident took place at the Apparel Park station’s site on the 20.536 km east-west line being built by DRA-CICO.
• Technical evaluation for 2 underground packages totaling 6.83 km, from the Apparel Park Depot to Shahpur on the 20.536 km east-west line, is currently in progress. Bidders include L&T, Afcons Infrastructure, Italian-Thai Development PLC (ITD) and possibly J Kumar Infraprojects. Tata Projects, Pratibha Industries had attended the pre-bid meeting in April, but decided not to bid.
Bangalore
• As of September 13, TBM Krishna still has another 27m (18 rings) left to arrive at Majestic station’s southern shaft and complete the 16th & final TBM breakthrough for the Phase 1 project. It’ll be quite a historic day for the city.
• This shouldn’t come as a surprise – The Chief Minister has revised Phase 1’s deadline from November 2016 to April 2017. Once we’re closer to April, expect another revision and assurances of the Green Line opening “soon” by the MD and CPRO as they’ve cunningly done so far. As per my estimates, the line is expected to start operations no sooner than Q4 2017.
• The BMRCL has published a list of 9 routes to the airport on their website along with a route map of the ORR line (now under ‘Phase 2A’) from Central Silk Board to KR Puram through the Marathahalli Junction. I haven’t had a chance to thoroughly review all 9 alignments, but I do like and support proposal #6. What are your thoughts?
Alignment of proposal #6 – Source: BMRCL
Chennai
• The Commissioner for Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) approved Chennai’s 8 km Airport – Little Mount stretch in August, but the CMRL has not announced or shown any intention of opening the line for commercial use.
Update: As per The Hindu, the CMRL is eyeing September 18-20.
• The 1 km Alandur – St. Thomas Mount section will be inspected by the CMRS later this month or in early October.
Delhi
• As of August 16, J Kumar-CRTG’s 2 TBMs on package CC-24 (Nizamuddin-Lajpat Nagar) have 190 and 200 rings pending between the Ashram and Vinobhapuri stations.
• Earlier this month, TBM S197 on package CC-66 (Dwarka-Najafgarh) started tunneling for the up-line tunnel from the Sai Baba Mandir shaft towards Najafgarh. This TBM had built the down-line tunnel and made a breakthrough at a shaft adjacent to the local Hanuman Mandir on June 25 after which it was dismantled and brought back to the Sai Baba Mandir shaft.
Temporary rings built by S197 – Photo Copyright: Ravinder Rawal
• As of September 1, L&T-SUCG’s CREG TBM (#7) on package CC-27 (Shankar Vihar-Hauz Khas) has completed building 588/904 rings for the down-line between Vasant Vihar and Munirka stations on the 38.235 km Magenta Line. This is the last TBM operating on the entire line and the final breakthrough is now expected to take place in early 2017.
• Excavation & concreting is in its final stages at the Rameshwar Nagar shaft from where 4 TBMs will be extracted. This is the biggest bottleneck on the 58.596 km Pink Line and also the DMRC’s best kept secret. I’m yet to read a single news report or comment by the DMRC on it.
Lucknow
• LMRC’s MD has announced they’re targeting March 26, 2017 for commencing commercial operations on the 8.48 km priority corridor between Charbagh and Transport Nagar.
• On September 1, Alstom in Sri City unveiled the 1st car body shell for Lucknow Metro’s rolling stock. See: Alstom’s press release here. A list of features along with the trains’ design can be viewed here.
1st car body shell – Photo Copyright: Patrika
Mumbai
• A consortium led by AYESA has won the General Consultant contract(s) for Line 2A (Dahisar-DN Nagar) & Line 7 (Dahisar East – Andheri East). Expect them to make an official announcement after the contract is officially awarded.
Have I missed out on anything? If so, leave a comment below to share with others. See you soon!
– TMRG
So glad to hear from you bro. Take care and enjoy.
Why is CMRL not releasing the newsletter? Pending for last couple of months
Whenever the partly demolished after ip extension metro station gets solved you write about it.
Mumbai Metro line 7 they started barricading the road in some places (Dahisar East – Andheri East) if you look on skyscrapercity of mumbai metro you will see pictures
For Bangalore, Alternative 8 actually is even better. Hennur road and further are emerging as major residential areas – at last 3-4 large complexes (residential + office) coming up. Any route from Yelahanka can be developed later in the future as the areas are already served well by the elevated road.
Please do a detailed report on Delhi
welcome back
Is there any update on noida metro
For the BMRCL alignment. I think 3rd alignment would be better so thateast bluru people (where most of them reside ) have access directly to airport, in addition to this a route from biapanahalli or through whitefield a connection shuld be made to kannur
Glad to here from you.
No updates for Kolkata Metro ? Recently Esplanade Station got final clearance from Defence . Line 3 is all set to construct station at Mominpur finally . Many other updates are there . Please publish .
The number of rings to be constructed at the Ashram- Vinobhapuri sections has actually increased from the last update at august 1. How come this is happening :p
Glad to see you after long time.
Regarding Bengaluru metro airport alignment I strongly support ALTERNATIVE 8. Here are my reasons. Yelahanka area is already served by a good wide 6 lane elevated road. Deviation to Yelahanka also adds to travel time. Hennur road has many residential apartments coming up and will be helpful for connectivity not only to airport but also towards city.
Most of the airport users reside on the axis of south and east Bengaluru and shorter connectivity is required by linking to Nagwara line and not towards Yeswantpur line. Yeswantput is too far off from south and east bengaluru.
Glad to hear back from you. Got a little worried.
I suggest Route 4 for Bangalore metro to airport connectivity. As it is cost effective, covers major areas and no sharp deviation like route 6. Please correct me if wrong.
I agree, they can extend connection to Hebbal from Yelahanka from the money saved
I meant Yeshwanthpura ( not yelahanka)
Lots of opinions for Bangalore. Here are my two cents. I would suggest Alternative Route #3.
Reasons:
1) I would like to have a direct train from Airport to Majestic which is the city center. This route via Yeshwantpur can accomodate that.
2) In future, a slight extention of Gottigere-Nagavara line from Nagavara to Kodigehalli will connect a major part of the city towards the east of Majestic to come till Kodigehalli and hop on to Airport line without coming to Majestic.
3) The over crowded areas between Yelahanka and Yeshwantpur will get metro connectivity.
Please release news about Melbourne metro
What about Hyderabad , Kochi and Noida ?
What about Magenta Line ?
Glad you have come back and will be with us…
I thought you had called it quits as far as TMRG project was concerned.
Thanks for not leaving us in the lurch. TMRG news is something I and We all access day in and day out.
Strongly Suggest Route 4 for Bangalore airport connectivity. Cost effective and less time taken.
boy that was along break. phew
I personally Missed update from you. But good to know you had a great time off. On Bangalore International airport connection I am not in big favor of connecting from Nagavara. I am okay with any routes from Yeshwanthpur or KR Puram.
Basically if u look at Pahse 2 , U need connectivity to Nagavara from other parts of the city. Which is UG section and knowing the Phase 1 delays not sure it might takes years and years together to complete ( decade timeline for completion doesn’t surprise me). So personally I am inclined towards from KR Puram or Yeshwanthpur
This is quite a valid point. Seeing Phase-1 progress, and the delays in starting phase-2, the Gottigere-Nagavara line may not get completed by 2024. This has a long underground section.
This essentially means that even if the airport line from Nagavara gets built by then, commuters are left in the lurch at Nagavara. Better to connect airport line to a phase-1 station.
please update Delhi Metro Phase 3 – Sept 2016 Tunneling.
When will Trial Run on Route Janak Puri to Kalkaji Start?
TMRG, happy to know that your reporting will resume.
I am very happy that you are safe. I am eagerly waited so long for your tweets/articles/blogs. Keep updating us via your tweets/articles/blogs. God Bless You Bro.
Supreme Court overuled High Court judgement on Nagpur Metro. TATA JV stand disqualified for this package
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/SC-clears-way-for-Metro-Rail-East-West-corridor/articleshow/54353781.cms
Krishna to emerge from down under by Saturday
http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/Krishna-to-emerge-from-down-under-by-Saturday/2016/09/22/article3626753.ece
We need to celebrate this event for sure
Please post the recent developments for Kolkata Metro also.
for bangalore think route one is better , its the fastest way to go from city center to airport.
Cmrl started airport line…needs your expert opinion 🙂
TBM Krishna breaks through at 14:04 today.
no news on jaipur metro. what is their TBM reterival plan as there are some design change occured due to commodate future extension to amer
What about Delhi metro phase IV?? It is still awaiting delhi cabinet’s written approval, right? Any updates of tender of final routes under this phase?
Dude, you just brought this blog to a standstill. You can post one article per week if you are too busy but this is too much. What about your views on chennai underground section, Mumbai metro 3, Delhi metro tunnelling and overall how things are going in Hyderabad. Post an article highlighting all these issues and keep the blog going.