Bengaluru: Commuters will be able to travel from Magadi Road to Mysuru Road in just 11-12 minutes, as Metro Reach 2 opens for public from November 16. Initially, it will take 14 minutes to traverse the distance as the speed will average around 30 kmph with the maximum speed of 60 kmph. After three months, the speed will increase to a maximum of 80 kmph and average of around 45 kmph, reducing the travel time to 11-12 minutes.
With Reach 2 becoming functional, it is only the underground section in the east-west corridor that stands between connecting Byappanahalli and Mysuru Road. Mr Vasanth Rao, General Manager, Finance, BMRCL, said, “Trials in the underground section are on. We have already reached the speed limit of 60 kmph. By January, we would like to throw it open for commercial use. With this, commuting between Mysuru Road and Byappanahalli will become hassle free.”
Reach 2 has six stations – Magadi Road, Hosahalli, Vijayanagar, Attiguppe, Deepanjali Nagar and Mysuru Road. BMRCL official also released the fare chart for the stretch. From Magadi Road to Hosahalli it will cost Rs 10, to Vijaynagar Rs 13, to Attiguppe Rs 14, to Deepanjali Nagar Rs 16 and to Mysuru Road Rs 17.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Union Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu will flag off the train at 4pm on November 16 from the Magadi Road Metro station.
The Metro construction began in 2006, and of the nine stretches in Phase I, with 42 km distance, only four have been thrown open to the public. Stared with an estimate of Rs 5,400 crore in 2006, it has tripled to a staggering of Rs 13,845 crore today. The BMRCL has struggled to meet the deadlines, missing the December 2012, December 2013, March 2015 and December 2015 deadlines to complete Phase I. The latest deadline set by the authorities is mid-2016.
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