Namma Metro trial run from Whitefield to ITPL brings hope to techies

BENGALURU: A small but significant milestone was achieved on Friday when the first trial run of a six-coach train between Whitefield depot and Pattandur Agrahara (ITPL) Station was conducted successfully. The start of the trial is of much significance as this 3.5-km stretch covering four stations forms part of the Baiyappanahalli-Whitefield line of Bengaluru Metro’s Phase-II. Its launch has been keenly awaited by IT company employees for years.  

Around 50 people, including staff from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), which supplied the new coaches to BMRCL, were on board the train. A puja was performed at the depot for its success.

“We began the trial run at 12.20pm from Whitefield depot and ended it at 1.40pm, running at a speed of 15km per hour. It was a smooth ride, the track was done well and we had no issues,” said BMRCL MD Anjum Parwez, travelling on the debut run with N M Dhoke, Director of Rolling Stock, Electrical and Operations & Maintenance, and Jitendra Jha, Project Manager, Rolling Stock.

Parwez said, “The full train was dragged for a distance of 100 metres from the starting point of the depot on a massive trailer as the third rail (750V power line) is located a bit far for safety reasons. The train took the upward ramp from the depot to Whitefield station. We crossed Channasandra and Kadugodi stations before terminating at ITPL.”

The MD also lauded the efforts and sleepless nights put in by Metro and BEML staff in the run-up to the launch, as it was advanced from October 25. Dhoke said the trials will resume post-Deepawali. “After trials are completed, independent verification will be done for assurance of safety and signalling. The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) will be invited after that.”

Parwez said the trials will gradually touch Garudacharpalya, and will be over by February 2023, after which the CMRS processes will be done. “We will then discuss with the government and take a call on whether this stretch alone can be made operational or we will launch the entire line. Simultaneously, work on the pending portion from K R Puram to Baiyappanahalli will be done,” he said.