Bengaluru: Twenty-nine escalators will be added to the existing ones in BMRCL Phase-1, the first of which was inaugurated at Nayanadahalli Metro Station on Monday.
BMRCL Managing Director Mahendra Jain told Deccan Chronicle, “There are 196 escalators in Phase-1 and we plan to increase it to 225, as the existing numbers are insufficient. In Phase-2, we have decided to have 511 escalators.”
A document shared by the department with this newspaper shows that the Purple Line will get eight more and the Green Line 18 more escalators.
Reach 2, 3, 3A and 3B will get the maximum number of escalators. There will be six escalators spread across
Mysuru Road, Magadi, Attiguppe, Hosahalli, Vijayanagar and Deepanjali Nagar stations, connecting the ground level to the concourse by June 2018.
There will be six more escalators added at Rajajinagar, Mahalaxmi Layout, Yeshwanthpur, Nagasandra, Dasarahalli and Jalahalli stations connecting the ground level to the concourse by September 2018.
Mr N.M. Dhoke, Rolling Stock Director, said, “Each escalator costs Rs 60 lakh. The contractor is Johnson Lifts. Commuters encountered problems with less number of escalators in Phase-1, so we are adding 29 more now. It is easier to add them for elevated stations rather than underground. The new escalator at Nayandahalli starts from Gate C and connects to the Mezzanine level (intermediate floor) below the concourse. We plan to use this level for property development. There are five escalators at Nayandahalli now.”
Until now, commuters did not have easy access and had to climb the stairs to reach the Mezzanine Level and then take the escalator to buy tickets. Despite the difficulty in construction, five escalators will be added to underground-1 by September 2018.
At KR Market and Chickpet, one escalator will connect the Ground floor to Mid-Landing. In Kempegowda Metro Interchange, three escalators will connect Ground to Concourse.
Reach 2A progressing fast, says MD
On the progress of Phase- 1 extension from Nayandahalli to Challaghatta station, Mr Jain said, “Reach 2A between Mysuru Road-Pattanagere constructed by IL&FS is progressing fast. Reach 2B between Pattanagere-Challaghatta handled by Soma Enterprises is not as satisfactory, but we have spoken to them to expedite the work.”
Inspecting the station facilities along with fellow officials, Mr Jain asked them to add a strip along the centre of the Nayandahalli Metro foot overbridge to segregate the pedestrian movement.
