Namma Metro achieved another milestone on Saturday as it commenced a slow-speed trial run on the Purple Line's 1.9-km Kengeri-Challaghatta section in western Bengaluru.
The first train on this section chugged off from the Kengeri metro station at 11.27 am and reached the Chellaghatta metro station in about 12 minutes, clocking a speed of 10 kmph.
The trial run lasted until 4.15 pm, and the train made five round trips, running for a total of 18 km.
During the trial run, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) checked various parameters. These included measuring the distance between the train floor and the viaduct walkway and the platform, and the train's load-carrying capabilities..
The BMRCL had to use a Green Line train for the trial run because of a shortage of Purple Line rakes.
More trial runs will be conducted over the next few weeks to test the system, make corrections and fill gaps, if any. A high-speed test will also be conducted before the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) is invited for a statutory inspection of the line, officials said.
The Kengeri-Chellaghatta line is part of the Reach 2 extension of the Purple Line and will expand the Bengaluru Metro westward. The Chellaghatta metro station is located along Mysuru Road, just after the point where NICE Road and the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway begin.
On July 26, the BMRCL commenced trial runs on the 2.1-kilometre section between Baiyappanahalli and KR Pura in eastern Bengaluru. The Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura section is the missing link between the Whitefield line and the rest of the city's metro network.
Both the Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura and Kengeri-Chellaghatta sections are slated to open by August-end, making the Purple Line 43.3 km long.
On the Purple Line, Chellaghatta and Whitefield (Kadugodi) will be the terminal stations at the western and eastern ends, respectively.