IL&FS Commissions 2nd Launching Gantry for B’lore Metro’s Reach 2A
On April 3, workers from IL&FS Engineering commissioned their 2nd launching gantry in front of RV College of Engineering in Pattanagere to launch precast segments for building the viaduct of Bangalore Metro Purple Line’s 8.814 km western extension to Challeghatta. This milestone at Pier P571 was accomplished by IL&FS 24 months after they won a contract to build the 3.945 km Reach 2A package of the Bangalore Metro’s 72 km Phase 2 project between Mysore Road and Pattanagere.
The 1st launching gantry was commissioned in January 2017 in Nayandahalli, and as per the April newsletter 10 spans had been completed by the end of March 2017.
The western extension of the line is being built in 2 parts by IL&FS (Reach 2A) and Soma Enterprise (Reach 2B) and consists of 7 new stations at Nayandahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bangalore University, Pattanagere, Mailasandra, Kengeri and Chellagatta (recently added). The extension’s first pier started to take shape at Nayandahalli in May 2016.
Map of Mysore Road – Challegatta extension – view Bangalore Metro Phase 2 map & info
Some images shot at different times over the past 3 weeks:
Photo Copyright: Nayakammurugesan Murugesannayakam
Photo Copyright: Nayakammurugesan Murugesannayakam
Photo Copyright: Nayakammurugesan Murugesannayakam
Photo Copyright: Nayakammurugesan Murugesannayakam
Each segment weighs 40 tons and usually 10 segments are required to build one span between two adjacent piers. As per BMRCL’s April newsletter, 341 segments had been cast by the end of March 2017.
On the southern end of the Pattanegere Station, Soma Enterprise has started setting up their 1st launching gantry which’ll build the line’s Reach 2B viaduct in the opposite direction heading south. Some images:
Here’s my go-to video to demonstrate how a Launching Gantry works its magic with precast segments to build modern segmental viaducts and bridges:
For more updates, check out the Bangalore section of The Metro Rail Guy!
– TMRG
Nice progress. Namma metro will soon be the lifeline of Namma Bengaluru
Hi TMRG, Any updates as to when the Green Line will commence it’s public operations ? Will they meet their May 2017 Deadline at-least ?
Not too hopeful of a May opening as there’s quite some civil and architectural work pending at Chickpet and KR Market stations.
So, as per your analysis before, will it open only by Dec 2017 ?
Yeah, should open by then or even much before (next 1-3 months) with just 1 station entrance.
Thank you for the reply TMRG !!
In today’s TOI, there is a news that green line (south) is most likely to open in June.
The News Minute: Bengaluru Metro’s route to Kempegowda International Airport finalised. http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/bengaluru-metro-s-route-kempegowda-international-airport-finalised-61039
Hi, it still hasn’t been finalized. The govt took a, for lack of a better word, half-ass decision and decided to extend the Nagawara line, but hasn’t decided on its exact route beyond/north of it.
It’s awful that the government is deciding the route, and not more technically qualified experts from BMRCL or other consulting agencies.
Yup, because excessive motorization has made public transport by buses in Bangalore or taxis highly inefficient & there is a lot of public attention to development & commissioning of metro lines, the state govt & politicos have seen it as an opportunity to get involved to score brownie points & steal the thunder. Their numerous bogus deadlines have already infuriated many citizens. Wish they clam up & stay within their own shoes.
BMRC must be allowed to function independently & take its own decisions based on advise from technical consultants & study reports. SG to only scrutinize & approve BMRC’s recommendations.
Metro Route to Kempegowda International Airport was earlier finalized from MG Road through Bellary road – NH7 and even land was acquired for the same .
Not sure why govt/BMRCL decided to reassess and then again come with 9 routes with govt finalizing instead of Experts .
This discussion has been going since more 6-7 years years, why does Govt/BMRCL take so many years to even finalize a route to Airport .
Usually its approval and construction which take so much time
As usual BMRCL has been sloppy in Airport Metro Planning
Land had been ear-marked /acquired for a hi-speed airport rail but after deeper study & the failure of Delhi’s hi-speed rail (which is now being used as an ordinary metro line), the plan was thankfully dropped.
It is better to have an ordinary metro line that is well integrated with other metro routes & one that has traffic from intermediate points to reach up to airport than a dedicated airport line. Hence, the changes. The same land along Bellary road can be used for routes when metro expands in ph-3, saving time for land acquisition.
And airport line will not be a priority for at least another 10 years as airport does not yet have huge traffic. Bear in mind that Delhi’s hi-speed airport line failed even though traffic at Delhi airport was more than double the air traffic in Bangalore.
Delhi airport Line was not managed well by Private Firm, now DMRC is managing it well and has increased the speed from earlier 50KM/hour when it reopened to 80KM/hour . Also ridership has increased . its not the problem with Airport Line its how well it was managed . Now DMRC is managing it well
KIAL is 3rd largest airport in India in terms of passengers and its outside the city limits hence the need for mass transit as per experts ,
BMRCL and govt . it can be Metro/ City Train/ other options .
Even it govt starts now we will have it only by another 8-10 years going by BMRCL timelines
By now we should have Metro/City Rail option to airport , having Airport 35Kms from City Center definitely needs as mass transit option . it would be profitable over a period of time
Hi TMRG,
Any idea why there’s delay in awarding contracts for the streches where fin bids are already opened for Phase-2?
The BMRCL seems to be making up for finalizing the bids quickly by not awarding the contracts?
Partha.
Hi, all 4 recent ones got awarded to ITD. BMRCL’s tender page only lists Reach 1A. Rest 3 (Reach1B, Reach5 – P1/P2) will be listed soon – perhaps this week as soon as their IT guy get the info? Let’s see.
Super! Thank you for the prompt reply, TMRG :D!
Metro magic: Bengaluru to KIA in 30 minutes! Apr 29, 2017
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http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/290417/metro-magic-bengaluru-to-kia-in-30-minutes.html
Govt sets 2-year deadline for initial phase of suburban rail May 1 2017
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http://www.deccanherald.com/content/609214/govt-sets-2-year-deadline.html
Gazette notification- BMRCL to raise Rs 1,100 crore via innovative funding for ORR line ( May 2 2017)
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http://www.deccanherald.com/content/609347/bmrcl-raise-rs-1100-crore.html
NO NEW METRO PROJECTS TILL BILL PASSED: UD MIN
http://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/no-new-metro-projects-till-bill-passed-ud-min.html
May 3 2017-Metro’s North-South corridor will take ‘at least 1 month’ to open
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/609580/metros-north-south-corridor-take.html
Key points :
1 Trial runs will continue till May 12
2. CRS will need at least a month before giving clearance
3. VIP dates availability for inauguration.
Shashidhar,
Delhi airport line fiasco isn’t the private firm’s fault. It was DMRC that decided to have a hi-speed rail & invited tenders, not the private firm. A hi-speed line with limited stops was needless & an overspend when an ordinary line with frequent stops should have sufficed. No wonder it went bust with few passengers & became unviable after spending hugely. Now they are eating humble pie & forced to run it at ordinary metro speeds with low fares after expensive modifications. So DMRC is to be blamed, not Reliance.
KIAL may be the 3rd largest airport but its traffic is less than half that of Delhi /Mumbai. It being so far is the reason why there are special express buses which will suffice until traffic is sufficient all along the route, maybe 10 years from now. And no expert will ask for an airport train on urgent basis as he would know that dedicated airport lines are a failure all across the world.
I feel metro train should not end at KIAL but they should have scope for extending it another 10 – 15 plus kilometers in the next stage. Bangalore cannot support this type of growth unless it expands in all directions.
They should try to keep few trains with different color which stop at Airport. They can have less stops too . More luggage should also be allowed in these special trains with a frequency of 20 or 30 min. They can ask additional change for such trains for luggage handling .
A better option will be to have scope for long stations which support 8 cars set trains .Few can reserved for airport passengers if needed.The main idea of metro train is to help lakhs of people .
It is critical to extend metro in all directions of city .That is the only way to de congest the city.
The problem is that airport has access roads only from west & south. Since there isn’t any road northwards directly from airport terminal, expansion northwards will involve huge land acquisition costs.
A route along Bellary road might come up in ph-3 & this might provide better scope for expansion northwards. Terminating the Nagawara extension at airport should then be ok.
Airport Metro is big success in Singapore, Japan .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport_rail_link . Majors Airports across Japan, South Korea, China and Europe all have Airport Rail/Metro , some Airports in US too have Rail/Metro links.
Stop making such fake claims that Airport Metro Lines are failure all over the world , If that was case i don’t think so many airports in world would have built Metro/Rail links .
DMRC is running metro sucessfully and yet you blame DMRC , while the private firm gave up running the metro and still its DMRC fault . don’t make illogical statements .
Dude u mean to say Reliance did know these facts before building metro to airport , its failure of Reliance . Even they could have reduced fares and run the Metro .
If you are expert on mass transit as you claim ,go ahead and speak to BMRCL , Karanataka govt and Mass Transit experts who are all saying Airport needs a Metro/Rail link . Even Central govt has agreed to approve metro Rail and share the cost..
Delhi, Chennai have Airport Metro running . Hyderabad and Mumbai will approve the Metro Lines soon .
If Chennai which has lesser Airport traffic and Airport is not far as bangalore can have a metro Rail link . why should not Bangalore not have Airport Link
Dude, please stop acting like a child that keeps crying for his favourite toy. You are unable to distinguish between a “dedicated” airport line & one that serves airport & also has commuters from intermediate points (like it is with Singapore, Incheon, Chennai, almost all European airport trains that are either extensions of commuter trains or inter-city trains).
Read my post again – I said “dedicated” airport lines are a failure all across the world. “Dedicated airport line” means one that has trains to connect a city’s down-town to its airport without intermediate stops for passengers not bound to or from the airport. After Reliance walked out, DMRC had also failed to run Delhi’s airport train as a “dedicated” airport train due to poor patronage & were forced to abandon all thoughts about such “dedicated” operations. Thus, they changed their minds & are operating it now as a normal metro (with low fares & intermediate stops). The line is hence running though the huge cost of construction of the hi-speed line can never be recovered.
It has nothing to do with the operator – even Reliance could have successfully operated it as an ordinary metro. Are you a DMRC bakht that imagines everything they do is always right? Are you aware that Reliance is successfully operating a metro line in Mumbai from start?
Instead of quoting some wiki page with general info about airport trains & jumping to conclude that it automatically means that a line for Bangalore’s airport will become magically viable (btw have you even read the wiki article fully?), please google & read some research materials about airport lines – below is a link for one such research report:
http://seari.mit.edu/documents/theses/SM_NICKEL_PS.pdf
“Dedicated” airport trains are few & the ones at Hong kong, Bangkok & Kuala Lumpur are losing money heavily. Hong kong subsidises it with revenues from other lines & RE as its network is huge. Kuala Lumpur is also being subsidised by Malaysian govt. Bangkok has stopped operations due to heavy losses.
Mass transit extension to airport is the only way it can work, else it will go under due to poor ridership & unsustainable losses. And nobody said Bangalore does not need an airport train, but it isn’t urgent & can wait. Priorities are much higher within city.
Dude read the comment properly and then reply . don’t make silly comments .
I never mentioned we need a dedicated Airport Line . I hope u understand stand english if not better don’t reply to my comments .
No one here asked for dedicated Airport line . i did not even metro i said either Metro/City Rail .
When no one spoke about dedicated airport line why are you talking about it . State ,Central and Experts are talking about Metro Connectivity to airport .
Dude Reliance failed to run Metro hence they walked out of it , whether as a hispeed or normal metro . with reduced fee or not .Clearly reliance failed . you seem against DMRC hence u make senseless statements , Rather we should credit DMRC for taking over and running the Airport Metro successfully.
Its not about reliance as a company , but they were incapable to run airport Metro they walked off .
Dude stop confusing and making meaning less discussion no one here asked for dedicated Airport Metro or Hispeed . People are discussing about mass transit connectivity like City Rail /Metro.
We all know timelines of BMRCL hence state govt, ,Central govt , Experts have asked BMRCL to finalize the route and govt approve it . Every one include BMRCL itself know that Airport Line would take 2 years for approval and 5-7 years for construction
Dude – you are the one making silly comments to suit your argument here without knowing things fully. Read your first comment – you said “By now we should have Metro/City Rail option to airport”.
Since intermediate traffic is very less as of now, I had responded with “no expert will ask for an airport train on urgent basis as he would know that dedicated airport lines are a failure all across the world.”
Then you respond with “Airport Metro is big success in Singapore, Japan, South Korea, China and Europe all have Airport Rail/Metro, some Airports in US too have Rail/Metro links”, posting a wiki link to justify your argument & asking me to “stop making such fake claims that Airport Metro Lines are failure all over the world”.
So, it was clear that you had overlooked “dedicated” & were also unable to recognize it & distinguish between different types of airport rail links. I tried to clarify & explain it in detail to you. Now you say “No one here asked for dedicated Airport line. i did not even metro i said either Metro/City Rail”.
So it’s clear as to who made silly statements here to suit arguments.
Also, you do not know enough of the history of the Delhi Airport line & are therefore unable to draw inferences as to who was responsible & for what. Your wishes (that DMRC can do no wrong) seem to have taken over your logic, like it does for other arguments that you routinely make.
For those interested, Delhi airport line was planned as a dedicated hi-speed airport link & was built by DMRC. Reliance were to operate it as a dedicated airport line & provide the rolling stock but as most know, it failed with a mere 10,000 passengers per day & also very poor revenues from real estate rentals as Delhi airport city hadn’t come up, as had been projected.
Also, there were problems with clips keeping the rail tracks in place snapping at high speeds that necessitated lowering speeds & stopping services for repairs. So, clearly DMRC which built the infra were at fault as also for over-estimating ridership with high fares. In fact MoUD pressurized DMRC to complete the line in time for CWG games – this was probably why DMRC erred in choosing the right type of track fasteners in their hurry.
Reliance also erred by assuming that ridership would be high enough & with real estate rentals, they could manage it successfully, but it was not to be as the aerocity was delayed.
Reliance rightly walked out as they didn’t see much point in operating the dedicated service since revenues with hi-speed operation was way too less as also estate rentals.
DMRC then took over the project & struggled with it & kept losing money for three long years during which they kept lowering fares from 180/- to 100/- to 60/- & then to minimum 10/-. It was only when fares had been lowered substantially that the line picked up & not because of poor management by Reliance as is being claimed by some DMRC bakhts here.
This is a good lesson for Bangalore airport train. Until fares are affordable & there is substantial ridership, it will never work. Hope people stop clamouring for airport rail on urgent basis & are more patient – it will get built but only in due time.
Its seems you are spamming forum, always defending BMRC, and you always want to blame DMRC .
Stop putting fak/false info here. DMRC had set target date of completion before the start of the project . Reliance knew all project details well in advance and yet signed the project . Reliance failed to complete the project on time and missed deadlines repeatedly. No one forced Reliance to take up project . they only bid for project and signed the agreement for completing the project on time .
Reliance knew all info from first and yet they did not try to savage the Airport Metro Line and you only want to blame DMRC for the airport line mess, Its seem u r kid , u don’t know that the companies do their due diligence before taking infra projects especially the ones with BOOT(Built own operate transfer) model.
Reliance messed up their income calculation hence they walked and they did not try to reduce rates to ensure the ridership picked up .
Originally scheduled to open by 31 August 2010, well in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the line finally opened on 23 February 2011 after missing four previously set deadlines.The DMRC fined Reliance Infra ₹3750,000 every day from 30 September, and ₹7.5 million every day from 31 October for repeatedly missing the deadlines . Reliance messed up construction by delaying so many times and paid so much fine .
The real reason why Delhi airport is running slow is due to quality/safety issues not due to profitability . that was reason for shutdown and also when it reopened speed was reduced . Only after DMRC took over speed was restored to 80KM/hour .
DMRC has managed to increase the number of users which Reliance could not do , so its failure of Reliance .
http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/airport-express-metro-line-records-highest-number-of-riders/story-1txLRSrbU3xqkWVKopP8wL.html
Reliance and DMRC are equally to blamed for this. but DMRC did savage the project and restored back Metro Speed to 80KM/hour which Reliance could not do .
It seems some Kid like you in Reliance agreed for the project without understanding timelines and revenue .
Read further – the airport line was designed as a hi-speed rail with max speed 135km/hr with high fares of Rs.180/- with ridership 40,000 & not 80km/hr like ordinary metro with 10/- re. fares. Construction costs were much more than ordinary metro line by about 1300 crs. Why was such a hi-speed line design chosen in the first place? Would an ordinary metro line not have sufficed? The 1300 crs is tax payers’ money that has been wasted.
I don’t blame PPP partner going slow to invest in the project because he didn’t see progress that would have assured his returns. Projections were not met – in this case, poor ridership & very slow development of aerocity that would effect estate rentals & commercialization. Costs could never be recovered with fare collection alone indefinitely for years on end. Sensing this, DMRC opted to undertake construction but made a mess of it in their hurry.
And Reliance had to slow down train speeds because of defects in construction for safety reasons, not because they wished to run it slow. If they had remained with the venture, they also might have increased speed to 80km after repairs, maybe even more. So, DMRC hasn’t done anything great but wasted lot of tax payers’ money.
PPP in urban rail projects at that time was uncharted territory in India & both partners were unsure how to proceed. However, MoUD /DMRC had made it worse by trying to hurry the project for CWG – this was highly risky as the modalities were untested & not enough study was done by either. Reliance took a chance but had to pay the price.
I blame DMRC more than Reliance because they hurriedly put up a PPP with imaginary ridership numbers & with promises of estate rentals /commercialization that hadn’t materialized in time. They had not studied enough about dedicated airport lines across the world that are losing money.
And please stop calling others names when you did not know things & have only just started reading up. Recommend you also read the following:
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/not-end-of-line-for-ppp-projects/article4895324.ece
http://www.businesstoday.in/opinion/perspective/reliance-infrastructure-delhi-metro-airport-express/story/189523.html
As usual u only blaming DMRC what else can we expect from BMRCL spokesperson .
Reliance whom you are defending so much has problems running Mumbai metro also . They are planning to quit Mumbai Metro it seems.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/reliance-infrastructure-may-pull-out-of-mumbai-metro/1/456549.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-3186466/Reliance-threatens-pull-Mumbai-Metro-poor-revenue-prospects.html
Reliance is still running the metro – I think that was old news. Wonder what L&T will do as Hyderabad metro has long delays + huge cost overruns (though fully elevated).
And I am not defending Reliance – they had also not studied enough about dedicated lines & the notion of risk with possibility of poor ridership never seemed to have occurred to them. I think they had agreed to PPP terms at the prospect of estate & commercialization (like L&T has in Hyderabad), but all that hadn’t materialized in time & they ran into huge losses.
The point is that primary responsibility lies with DMRC /MoUD that was principally responsible for chasing a grandiose, hugely expensive hi-speed rail & have ended up wasting huge tax payers’ money in their rush.
Heads should have rolled but Shreedharan was already a big hero & errors like these & the clumsy design of the kirtinagar line were overlooked.
It appears that Green tribunal has asked Metro not to have a terminal at the end of green line extension on Kanakapura in view of distrubance to the elephant migration corridor. The area for a depot was planned after NICE road crossing opp silk research centre. Now Bengaluru Metro will have to look for an alternate site. I suggest the line may further be extended upto Art of Living centre and have a depot and station there. This will solve the problem and the extended line will bring quite a lot of revenue as there are a lot of people visiting the ashram on daily basis, apart from huge crowds on a festival day. Such an extension and station has been sanctioned on the western end of East West line at Challeghatta.
Hi guys,
When is the reach 2A and 2B of the purple line expected to be completed as per the current schedule? In general does BMRCL publish schedules and status?
When can we except this two lines mysore road to challgatta and yellechanahalli to anjanapura township opens
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