Two components become sticking points between Metro and Centre

Bengaluru: Two components of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Namma Metro’s Phase III project (west of the Outer Ring Road and along Magadi Road) have resulted in delayed approval from the central government, according to officials.

The two contentious points were the length of the Metro coaches designated for the Magadi Road stretch and the axle load of the rolling stock, which impacts the structural integrity of the project.

The DPR has since been revised and resubmitted to the central authorities for their consideration.

In the initial submission to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) proposed deploying six-coach trains for the 12.5-km stretch between the Hosahalli interchange Metro station and Kadabagere on Magadi Road. However, given the relatively short length of the elevated track, the Centre recommended utilizing three-coach trains instead, as this would enable more frequent service. BMRCL officials have updated the DPR to reflect this change, now planning for three-coach trains, though the stations on Magadi Road will retain the capacity to accommodate six-coach trains should the need arise in the future.

“The stations on the Magadi road will be wide enough to accommodate six-coach trains but we would initially operate three-coach trains as it did during the Phase I project,” Anjum Parvez, managing director of BMRCL told DH. 

The revision has also resulted in a decrease in the project’s total cost, now estimated at Rs 15,600 crore, down from the original budget of Rs 16,000 crore, primarily due to the reduction in coach length.

The axle load of the rolling stock presented another hurdle.

The MoHUA has been advocating for a standardized rolling stock specification across India, possibly to facilitate the interchange of trains between different Metro departments as demand dictates. However, BMRCL faces a unique challenge: in the first and second phases of the Namma Metro project, the stations and depots were designed to accommodate a rolling stock of 2,880 mm with an axle load of 15 tonnes. The MoHUA’s preferred specification is a 2,900 mm coach with a 16-tonne axle load.

BMRCL officials have requested that the MoHUA allow them to retain their original specifications, citing greater energy efficiency and the potential for future interchangeability of rolling stock across different phases of the Metro project. “The DPR has gone through three to four revisions so far. This experience will undoubtedly aid us in creating an almost perfect DPR for the upcoming Hebbal - Sarjapur Road (Phase III-A) project,” a source in BMRCL said.

Sources say the DPR of Phase III-A will be ready in a week’s time, and the BMRCL is planning to submit it to the state government for approval by the second week of November this year.