Statutory inspection of Bengaluru's Namma Metro Green Line extension on Oct 3, 4

Bengaluru: The statutory inspection of Namma Metro's 3.14-km Green Line extension will take place on October 3 and 4. 

The inspection, which will assess whether the line is fit for public carriage of passenger traffic, will be carried out by the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) A M Chowdhary and his team. 

On August 7, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had written to the CMRS, requesting the statutory inspection. The CMRS had sought some clarifications and documentation, which were duly provided by the BMRCL, a senior official said. 

On September 26, the CMRS wrote back to the BMRCL, stating that the inspection would be conducted on October 3 and 4. 

A top BMRCL official confirmed the development and added that they aimed to open the line by mid-October, subject to clearance by the CMRS, which usually takes 8-10 days.

The exercise will include the inspection of tracks, signalling, traction, viaducts, girders, trainsets and passenger amenities at the stations. 

This stretch, which includes three elevated stations at Manjunath Nagar, Chikkabidarakallu and Madavara, has been the slowest to build in Namma Metro's history due to land acquisition challenges and financial struggles faced by the contractor. Simplex Infrastructures Limited was awarded the civil work contract in February 2017 with a 27-month deadline, but the project has taken over 91 months. 

The BMRCL began signalling tests on the Green Line extension on August 12, followed by trial runs on August 17. 

The opening of this small stretch will expand the Bengaluru metro network to 76.95 km and help ease traffic congestion on the arterial Tumakuru Road.