H D Kumaraswamy to flag off 6-coach Metro train tomorrow evening

BENGALURU: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy will flag off the city’s first 6-car Metro train in the presence of Union Minister of State for Urban Affairs and Housing Hardeep Singh Puri and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara at Baiyappanahalli Metro station at 5.30 pm on Friday. The same train will be thrown open for commercial operations after it crosses Kempe Gowda Majestic Metro station enroute to Mysuru Road station.

Chief Public Relations Officer, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, U A Vasanth Rao told Express,“It will be a low-key ceremony. After the train is flagged off, the ministers, VIPs, Metro officials and newspersons alone will be permitted on board the train up to Kempe Gowda Metro station.”

A woman loco-pilot has been given the opportunity to steer the first train. The train will stop at all the stations enroute from Baiyappanahalli to K G station but the doors of the six-car train will not open until it reaches K G station as it might create confusion among the public, he added. A function has been organised at the platform of the K G station where the Chief Minister will address the media.

You can board here

The train is expected to reach K G station at 5.52 pm. “From Majestic, it will continue as a regular train with stoppages at all station and passengers will be allowed to board. It will run up to Mysuru Road and return. We are looking at running two trips on the first day.” BMRCL MD Mahendra Jain said, “From Saturday, we are looking at running between six and eight trips to ease peak hour rush. The number of trips is still being finalised.” The six-car train is the first with a reserved coach for women and printed on it. It is positioned just behind the loco-pilot’s cabin. The train is now at Baiyappanahalli being decked up with purple and green balloons and colour paper.