In a bid to enhance urban connectivity and alleviate traffic congestion, the Karnataka government is actively considering extending the existing metro route to four towns situated in the vicinity of Bengaluru. The towns under consideration for metro route extensions are Doddaballapur, Nelamangala, Devanahalli, and Hoskote. This development was brought to the forefront during a meeting between Congress MLAs from Bengaluru rural and the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, according to reliable sources reported by the Times of India.
During the meeting, an MLA from Bengaluru Rural conveyed the collective interest of these regions in establishing robust metro connectivity with the city of Bengaluru. The MLA emphasised that such an extension would not only enhance connectivity but also play a pivotal role in easing the congestion woes experienced by Bengaluru residents.
The Times of India also highlighted that both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar assured the attending MLAs that the upcoming phases, 2A and 2B, of the metro construction project would encompass suburban areas of the city, including the vital link to Kempegowda International Airport.
In a recent development, a trial run was successfully conducted on July 26th of this year between the KR Puram and Baiyappanahalli metro stations. The trial run involved the operation of a six-coach metro train in both directions at a controlled speed of 15 kmph. This operation was meticulously overseen by the relevant authorities of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to ensure safety compliance. AS Shankar, the Executive Director of Operations and Maintenance at BMRCL, revealed that multiple subsequent trial runs are slated to be executed to gauge efficiency and rectify any potential flaws. Additionally, the train will be operated at varying speeds to assess performance across different scenarios. Following the trial runs, the officials intend to seek an inspection from the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety to greenlight the operation.