Bengaluru: Metro commuters await more 6-car trains

Bengaluru: With Namma Metro bursting at the seams during weekdays, commuters at both the Green and Purple lines are hoping that more six-car trains are introduced to ease their travel misery. It is even tougher for old people and those carrying babies or heavy luggage.

BMRCL officials concede that the situation is serious, but are hopeful that it will be running more six-coach rakes by December.

An official told Deccan Chronicle, “The trains are completely packed, so BMRCL was working to increase the capacity. BEML has assured us that it will meet its target to supply 50 car sets as per the original deadline of December 2019. The integration of the existing three-car trains with new coaches and other tests need to be carried out before the trains hit the tracks.”

Currently 11 six-car trains (10 on Purple line) are being used by BMRCL during morning and evening peak hours. The 10 trains on the Purple line, also known as east-west corridor, carry out 89 trips a day between Baiyappanahalli and Mysuru Road stations. The lone six-car train on the Green line, also known as North-South Corridor, runs six trips a day between Nagasandra and Yelachanahalli.

In April, BMRCL has added three six-car trains and one or two more are likely to be added by the end of this month.

A three-car train can carry around 1,000 passengers. In each coach, there is longitudinal seating for 40 passengers and per train it is 120. Nearly 845 passengers travel standing.

“With hardly any place to stand, metro commuters feel suffocated. Metro travel is turning out to be a nightmarish experience for the people. Since the trains stop only for a few seconds at stations, passengers are being pushed aside by others while getting inside. BMRCL claims that more six-car trains will be introduced in a few days, we have no other option but to wait,” said Sharanya, a regular metro commuter.