Challaghatta to get Bengaluru’s first elevated Metro depot

BENGALURU: Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has decided to scrap its earlier proposal to build a tunnel road on Mysuru Road. It was supposed to facilitate the construction of a depot at Challaghatta near Kengeri.
BMRCL is now planning the city’s first elevated Metro depot at Challaghatta. “The depot will be at level 1. The road connecting Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NKPL) will be at ground level. There is no need for the tunnel road. This will be the first elevated depot as all others are at the ground level,” said a senior BMRCL official.
The 10.7km Major Arterial Road (MAR) being built by Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) connecting Magadi Road and Mysuru Road passes through NKPL. In 2018, BMRCL proposed a 200m tunnel at a cost of Rs 80 crore below the proposed Challaghatta depot, since MAR was supposed to cut through the place.
While south-western extension (Mysuru Road-Kengeri) is all set for commercial operations, the terminal station of the corridor at Challaghatta, which lies across NICE Road, is likely to be operational only in 2023-2024. In January 2019, the state government approved Challaghatta station and inter modal integration hub (IMIH) on 39 acres of land at a cost of Rs 140 crore.
This is expected to help around 15,500 daily passengers, especially from places like Bidadi, Ramanagara, Channapatna, Mandya and Mysuru. Commuters will be able to park their vehicles at Challaghatta and take Metro’s Purple Line.
In January 2020, BMRCL appointed STUP Consultants Pvt Ltd with a Rs 4.4 crore contract as the detailed design consultants (DDC) for Challaghatta elevated depot and IMIH. However, civil tender is yet to be invited. It will have a stabling yard, administrative building, maintenance and workshop buildings and a multi-level parking facility.
Officials said Challaghatta will be a crucial depot for train operations on Purple Line (Challaghatta-Whitefield), along with the proposed Kadugodi depot near Whitefield. The existing Byappanahalli depot will be re-purposed to cater to ORR-airport Metro.
AS Surya Kiran of NKPL Allottees Forum said: “It’s been 1.5 years since the DDC tender of Challaghatta depot was awarded, but civil work tender is yet to be floated. The delay in construction of the depot will affect the project.”