Purple Line (Namma Metro)

Purple Line
A Purple Line metro train waiting at Baiyappanahalli Metro Station.
Overview
Other name(s)	East - West corridor
Type	Metro
System	Namma Metro
Locale	Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Termini	Baiyappanahalli Mysore Road
Stations	17 35 (Phase II)
Daily ridership	45,000 (February 2016)[1]
Website	bmrc.co.in
Operation
Opened	20 October 2011
Owner	Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL)
Character	Elevated, At Grade and Underground
Depot(s)	Baiyappanahalli
Rolling stock	Hyundai Rotem
Technical
Line length	18.22 km 34.30 km (Phase II)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC third rail
Operating speed	40 km/h (25 mph)
Purple Line map Legend Whitefield Ujwala Vidyalaya Kadugodi International Tech Park Satyasai Medical Institute Vaidehi Hospital Kundalahalli Visvesvaraya Industrial Estate Doddanakundi Garudacharpalya Mahadevapura Narayanapura cancelled KR Puram Jyothipuram Baiyappanahalli Swami Vivekananda Road Indiranagar Halasuru Trinity Mahatma Gandhi Road Gottigere– Nagavara line Cubbon Park Vidhana Soudha Sir M. Visveshwarya Kempegowda Green Line  City Railway Station Magadi Road Hosahalli Vijayanagar Attiguppe Deepanjali Nagar Mysore Road Nayandahalli Rajarajeshwari Nagar Bangalore University R.V. College of Engineering Kengeri

The Purple Line of the Namma Metro is part of the metro rail system for the city of Bangalore, India. The 18.22 km line connects Baiyyappanahalli with Mysore Road. The line links the eastern, central and western areas of Bangalore. The Purple Line is mostly elevated, with 12 elevated stations and 5 underground stations. The Majestic station serves as the interchange station with the Green Line. It generally takes around 35 minutes to travel from one end to another end, as compared to around 90 minutes taken to travel on road.

Civil construction work on Phase I of the line began on 15 April 2007, and was originally scheduled to be completed in 5 years. However, the project faced delays and missed several deadlines, which the BMRCL blamed on land acquisition disputes, and difficulty in drilling though the hard rock of the Deccan Plateau for the underground section. The first stretch (Reach 1) of the Purple Line between Baiyyappanahalli and Mahatma Gandhi Road was inaugurated on 20 October 2011, and Reach 2 between Mysore Road and Magadi Road commenced operations on 16 November 2015. These two sections operated independently until the final section, the underground stretch between Mahatma Gandhi Road and City Railway station was opened to the public on 30 April 2016, linking the previously operational stretches and completing Phase I of the Purple Line. The final stretch of Phase I is the first underground metro section in South India.^[2]

The proposed Phase II will extend the line at both its eastern and western termini. Once Phase II is completed (expected in 2020), the line will consist of 35 stations from Whitefield in the east to Kengeri in the west, and measure 34.30 km.

History

The following dates represent the dates the section opened to the public, not the private inauguration.^[3]

History
Section	Extension date	Termini		Length	Stations
Reach 1	20 October 2011	Baiyappanahalli	M. G. Road	6.70 kilometers (4.16 mi)	6
Reach 2	16 November 2015	Magadi Road	Mysore Road	6.40 kilometers (3.98 mi)	6
UG 1	30 April 2016	M. G. Road	Magadi Road	5.12 km (3.18 mi)[lower-alpha 1]	5
Reach 1 extension		Whitefield	Baiyappanahalli	15.50 km (9.63 mi)	13
Reach 2 extension		Mysore Road	Kengeri	4.88 km (3.03 mi)	5
Total		Whitefield	Kengeri	34.30 km (21.31 mi)	35

Phase I

The detailed project report (DPR) for Phase I, comprising the Purple and Green Lines, of the Namma Metro project was prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and submitted to the BMRCL in May 2003. The final approval on a scheme that incorporated the expertise of DMRC and RITES Limited did not come until April 2006.^[4] The DPR prepared by DMRC envisaged a 33 km (21 mi) elevated and underground rail network with 32 stations for Phase I of the project. The proposed gauge was standard gauge unlike the broad gauge on the Delhi Metro network. The rationale for the metro includes reduced journey times, cutting fuel use, accident reduction and lower pollution.

Construction work for Phase I of the Namma Metro project was scheduled to start in 2005 but was delayed due to change of government in Karnataka and continued debate over whether the project was financially feasible and appropriate for the city. The Union Cabinet approved Phase I of the Namma Metro on 25 April 2006, when it was estimated to cost ₹5,400 crore (US$800 million). The cost was later revised to ₹8,158 crore (US$1.2 billion), and then to ₹11,609 crore (US$1.7 billion). The cost escalated to ₹13,845 crore (US$2.1 billion) as various problems delayed the completion of the project.^[5][6][7][8] The cost of the Purple Line was estimated at ₹4500-5000 crore,^[9] with the cost of the underground stretch alone amounting to about ₹2,000 crore (US$300 million).^[10] Land acquisition for Phase I of the project cost ₹2,500 crore (US$370 million).^[5] BMRCL secured ₹6,500 crore (US$970 million) through long-term loans and ₹300 crore (US$45 million) by selling bonds, while the remaining project cost was funded by Central Government and the State Government. BMRCL secured loans from several agencies - ₹3,000 crore (US$450 million) from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), ₹600 crore (US$89 million) from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO), ₹25 crore (US$3.7 million) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the rest from a French lending agency. Approximately 10% of the ₹6500 crore must be paid as interest by the BMRCL every year. The Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry estimated that this amounted to an interest payment of ₹2 crore (US$300,000), however the BMRCL refuted the claims that the interest was that high, while confirming that it was "definitely more than ₹1 crore (US$150,000) per day."^[5]

Navayuga Engineering was awarded the contract to construct Reach 1 of the Purple Line in 2006.^[11] The foundation stone for the Phase I construction was laid by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 24 June 2006,^[12] and civil construction on Reach I of the line, between M.G. Road and Baiyyappanahalli, commenced on 15 April 2007.^[13] The underground work commenced in May 2011.^[14] Each corridor consists of two 4.8 km long tunnels which are the first underground tunnels built for trains in South India. The tunnels, dug using tunnel boring machines (TBM), are located approximately 60 feet below ground level, have an outer diameter of 6.5 metres and inner diameter of 5.6 metres, and situated are 5 metres apart.^[15] Two Japanese TBMs, nicknamed Helen (TBM 1) and Margarita (TBM 2), were used for tunneling work on the Purple Line.^{[16][17][18][19][20]} Tunneling work began in May 2011 and completed in May 2014.^[21] The work required the BMRCL to conduct 10,000 controlled blasts using 50,000 kg of 125 gm gel nitrate capsules as explosives to tunnel through the hard granite rock of the Deccan Plateau.^[22][23][24] Blasts were carried out daily from 6 am to 7 am from March 2011 to early 2013. Regulations restricted blasting blasting work from being carried out at the times of day. Preparation for a single blast took approximately 3.5 hours, with the actual duration of a blast being 5 seconds. Approximately, 20,250 truckloads of debris was excavated during construction. Kolar-based National Institute of Rock Mechanics served as consultant for blasting work.^[24] A total of 2500 trees were cut down during the construction of both lines of Phase I.^[8][25]

Reach 1 was originally scheduled to begin operations in March 2010. After the deadline was missed, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) shifted the deadline to 31 December 2010. It was again changed to 4 April 2011 and then the date of inauguration was set at 15 September 2011. The next deadline set was 26 September 2011 which was also missed. The metro was finally opened to the public on 20 October 2011 at 4 pm IST by Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath.^[26] There was an overwhelming response to the metro at the commencement of operations. As per BMRCL sources within first three days of operations, 169,019 people used this mass transit system.^[27] At the end of 4th day about 200,000 passengers had already commuted in Namma Metro. Namma Metro's first 12-day cumulative revenue was ₹10 million (US$150,000).^[28] During the first month, since the opening of Reach I, about 1,325,000 people travelled by the metro.^[29] On average, 41,390 people took the train every day, while the average daily revenue was ₹667,262. The BMRC earned a revenue of ₹21 million (US$310,000) in its first month of operation.^[30] In the first six months of operation, average ridership went down to 24,900. The BMRC earned a total of ₹66 million (US$980,000) during the same period.^[31] Namma Metro posted a profit of ₹4.1 million (US$61,000) after almost one year of operating Reach I. BMRCL estimates that nearly 8 million passengers travelled on the system, in its first year of operations.^[32]

Reach 2 received clearance to start services from Satish Kumar Mittal, the Commissioner for Metro Rail Safety (CMRS), on 21 September 2015.^[33] Reach 2 was opened to the public on 16 November 2015.^[34][35]

BMRCL applied for safety clearance to open the underground stretch in the third week of March 2016.^[36] The Commissioner for Railway Safety (CRS) granted clearance to begin operations on the underground section in the first week of April 2016. However, BMRCL did not open the section until 30 April 2016, as it was waiting for the availability of VIPs to inaugurate the stretch.^[37] The underground section was inaugurated by Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and other dignitaries at a ceremony at the Vidhana Soudha on 29 April 2016. The inaugural train departed from the Vidhana Soudha station at 6:35 PM.^[38] Namma metro was first driven in underground section by LOCO pilot Chethankumar who became the first LOCOPILOT in South India to do so .^[39] The section was opened to the public from 6 AM on 30 April 2016.^[40][41] Trains ran until 10 PM on opening day, making 115 trips, transporting 93,526 passengers and earning the BMRCL a revenue of ₹35 lakh (US$52,000).^[42][43] The following day, 120 trips were operated on the Purple line, transporting about 125,000 passengers. On the first two days of operation, after the opening of the underground section, the BMRCL collected ₹Convert in revenues from the Purple Line.^[44][45]

Stations

There are 17 stations on the Purple Line. All underground stations were built using the cut-and-cover method. Most underground stations are 300 metres long and 25 metres wide. The interchange station at Majestic is much larger.^[22]

Initially, there were no toilets at Namma Metro stations, despite demand from commuters. BMRCL countered the demand by arguing that constructing toilets was not part of the metro construction plan, and that building toilets in the city was the responsibility of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). They also justified the decision by saying that commuters spent "hardly five minutes" at stations, so restrooms were not required, and also that none of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus stops in the city had toilets for passengers. However, BMRCL eventually heeded public demand, and the metro's first toilets were opened at Baiyappanahalli and Indiranagar stations on 21 June 2013.^[46]

In September 2015, it was announced that the proposed Narayanapura metro station would be removed from the network, and the proposed Krishnarajapuram metro station would be shifted by 295 metres to the west, due to difficulty in acquiring land in the area.^[47] In April 2016, the BMRCL revealed that the Whitefield metro station, proposed to be located 200 metres away from the Whitefield railway station, would be construct at a new location directly opposite the railway station to provide connectivity between the metro and railway lines.^[48]

Yellow tactile tiles are used at all stations to guide the visually impaired. The tiles start at the ramp and lead to the staircases and lifts.^[49]

Purple Line
#	Station Name		Opening	Connections	Layout	Coordinates
	English	Kannada
1	Whitefield			None
2	Ujwala Vidyalaya			None
3	Kadugodi			None
4	ITPL			None
5	Satyasai Medical Institute			None
6	Vydehi Hospital			None
7	Kundalahalli			None
8	Visvesvaraya Industrial Estate			None
9	Doddanakundi			None
10	Garudacharapalya			None
11	Mahadevapura			None
12	KR Puram			None
13	Jyothipuram			None
14	Baiyappanahalli		20 October 2011	Baiyappanahalli railway station	At Grade
15	Swami Vivekananda Road		20 October 2011	None	Elevated
16	Indiranagar		20 October 2011	None	Elevated
17	Halasuru		20 October 2011	None	Elevated
18	Trinity		20 October 2011	None	Elevated
19	Mahatma Gandhi Road		20 October 2011	Gottigere - Nagawara Line	Elevated
20	Cubbon Park		30 April 2016	None	Underground
21	Vidhana Soudha		30 April 2016	None	Underground
22	Sir M. Visveshwaraya		30 April 2016	None	Underground
23	Majestic		30 April 2016	Green Line	At Grade
24	City Railway Station		30 April 2016	Bangalore City railway station	Underground
25	Magadi Road		16 November 2015	None	Elevated
26	Hosahalli		16 November 2015	None	Elevated
27	Vijayanagar		16 November 2015	None	Elevated
28	Attiguppe		16 November 2015	None	Elevated
29	Deepanjali Nagar		16 November 2015	None	Elevated
30	Mysore Road		16 November 2015	None	Elevated
31	Nayandahalli			None
32	Rajarajeshwari Nagar			None
33	Bangalore University			None
34	R.V. College of Engineering			None
35	Kengeri			None

Interior of the Metro coach

Interior of the Metro coach on inauguration day

MG Road Station at night

Parking

Currently, parking facilities are available only in Baiyappanahalli and Swami Vivekananda Road stations. But after the completion of Phase I by December 2016, more stations would be having parking lots. The BMRCL awarded the contract to Central Parking Services (CPS) for an annual license fee of ₹2.5 million (US$37,000).^[50] An average of 4,764 cars and 5,721 two-wheelers use parking facilities at Baiyappanahalli and SV Road stations daily.^[32]

Infrastructure

Rolling stock

Twenty-one trains operate on the Purple Line. Each train is made up of 3 coaches and has a total capacity of 1000 passengers.^[51]

All coaches are air-conditioned.^[52]

Traction

The Purple Line was the first railway line in India to use 750 V DC third rail traction.^[8]

Operations

Frequency

The metro service runs from 6 AM and 10 PM daily. The headway on the line is 10 minutes. The end-to-end travel time on the Purple Line is 33 minutes.^[53] From 7 November 2016, Purple Line trains began running at an interval of every 4 minutes between 9:10 am and 9:58 am to handle rising passenger traffic during morning peak hours.^[54]

Metro services have occasionally operated beyond 2200 hours. Services are usually extended on festival days or when a senior cricket match is held in Bangalore.^[55][56]

Speed

The system is designed for a maximum train speed of 80 km/h. However, the Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) fixed the speed at which trains are allowed commercially operate at 67.50 km/h on straight sections, 35 km/h on curves, and 45 km/h in stations.^[57] The maximum permitted speed on the underground section is 40 km/hr. Purple Line trains usually operate at speeds of 38–40 km/hr. According to metro authorities, the trains require more than 400 metres to accelerate from, or decelerate to, a halt. As the inter-station distance on the line is about 1 km, the trains have limited time to run at higher speeds.^[58]

Fare collection

End-to-end fare on the Purple Line is ₹40 (59¢ US). Commuters who pay using smartcards receive a 15% discount per transaction.

As of April 2016, 37.59% of commuters on the Purple Line use smart cards, while the rest purchase tokens.^[59]

Security

All stations on the line have 4 emergency exits, and Majestic station has 18 emergency exits. Stations have been built to withstand zone III earthquakes. Bangalore is located in a zone II earthquake prone area. The underground tunnels are equipped with walkways to enable passengers to disembark from a train and walk to the nearest station in case of a technical failure. The underground section is also equipped with 5 cross-passages that will enable passengers to move between tunnels, in case one tunnel fills up with smoke. There are three tunnel cross-passages between Majestic and Sir M Visvesvaraya metro station, and one each between Vidhana Soudha and Central College, and Majestic and City Railway station. All stations were built with flame retardant materials, and also have 100,000 litres of water stored on-site to be used in case of a fire.^[60]

Mobile and Wi-Fi connectivity

The Purple Line was the first metro line in India to introduce Wi-Fi onboard trains. All trains had Wi-Fi enabled onboard since the opening of the metro.^[61] On 23 April 2016, a few days before the opening of the underground section of the line, the BMRCL floated tenders to install infrastructure for mobile and Wi-Fi connectivity across all 41 stations in Phase I of the Namma Metro. Signal strength is expected to be weak until the work is completed.^[62][63] The contract was awarded to the American Tower Corporation (ATC).^[64] The work was scheduled to be completed by October 2016, but was severely delayed due to a limited window in which the work could be carried out. Contractors were only permitted to access the tunnels between midnight and 4am two days a week. The remaining days were required by metro authorities to carry out maintenance work. Mobile connectivity is expected to be available in the underground section only by the end of 2017.^[65]

See Also

• Rapid transit in India
• List of metro systems

Notes

1. The stretch from M. G. Road to Magadi Road is 5.12 km (3.18 mi). UG 1 is the name given by the BMRCL to the underground portion of this stretch, which is composed of two 4.82 km (3.00 mi) tunnels.

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External links

• Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (Official site)