CMRS inspection of two metro lines by Sept 15, says BMRCL

.The Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) will inspect two newly built metro lines within the next 10 days, most probably on September 11 and 12, according to officials in the know. 

The CMRS inspection is a statutory requirement for starting commercial operations on a metro line. It will happen by September 15 and will take two days, said Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) boss Anjum Parwez. 

Among the lines is the crucial 2.1-km Baiyappanahalli-KR Pura stretch that will link the tech hub of Whitefield with the CBD and beyond. The other line is a 1.9-km section that will connect Kengeri and Chellaghatta. The opening of both lines will expand the Purple Line to 43 km and the Bengaluru metro network to over 73 km. 

"The CMRS inspection will be over by September 15 and we will need a few more days to ensure compliance with his suggestions, if any. Both lines will open by the end of this month," Parwez told DH. All the required tests and trials have been completed, he added. 

Another senior BMRCL official said the CMRS inspection would likely take place on September 11 and 12. 

The CMRS inspection entails checking metro stations for passenger safety and facilities like escalators, elevators, firefighting, passenger information and passenger display systems. It also includes checking operational safety, traction, power supply and signalling systems, viaducts and walkways, tracks and curves, and running trains at high speeds. 

The BMRCL estimates its daily ridership to rise by 75,000 once both lines open. Metro's average daily ridership was 6.15 lakh at the end of August. 

Meanwhile, all work has been completed at Benniganahalli, the only metro station located between Baiyappanahalli and KR Pura, said BL Yashavanth Chavan, Chief Public Relations Officer, Namma Metro. 

This includes the construction of a 105-metre foot overbridge (FOB) that will make the metro station accessible from both sides of the busy Old Madras Road, Chavan added. 

However, the Chellaghatta metro station is unlikely to get a similar FOB due to challenges brought about by the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway, which starts right there, according to the BMRCL. 

Benniganahalli metro FOB

Length: 105.90 metres
Width: 7.2 metres
Cost: Rs 6.5 lakh
Connections: Benniganahali Lake & Tin Factory bus stop

Benniganahalli metro station. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT