Its been just a week since I started at my new workplace near Trinity.Till my family joins me and till the interiors work that I have commenced on my new house completes, my company has provided me a fortnight stay at Ramanashree Brunton which is a stone throw away from Trinity Metro station and walkable from Conrad Bengaluru(My new workplace)
In the past one week have been walking past the metro every single day and yesterday gave a short visit to Baiyappanahalli Metro and my house in Ramamurthy Nagar Junction.While returning back, bought the BMRCL Smart Card to travel seamlessly without waiting in queue for tokens. Today, was the only Sunday, where I had it to myself to explore before my family joins me in the mid of next week.
Packed an umbrella, charger, and a bottle of water and started on my Namma Metro Parikrama.Initially I had decided to ride till Mysore Road and do the Baiyappanahalli ride as the last one of the day, but as I walked up to the station, decided against it.
Trip starts:
Trinity is an elevated station on the MG Road Median and is surrounded by Oberois, Vivanta by Taj,Hyatt, 1MG Lido Mall, and soon our Conrad.Out of the 4 exits, 1 on each side of the road is closed.Probably to ensure all gates at Grade level are manned.The regular Xray scan and metal detector stuff done, I ascend up the escalator to the concourse level where Tickets are available. As , I go one more escalator up, the 6 coach length platform on both sides with minimalistic furniture welcomes me.Till now, its more or less the same with Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and many other South East Asian Countries' metros that I have explored.
Now, like KL and Singapore, we see the yellow coloured DC 750 Volts Third Track adjacent to the SG Guage Namma Metro.Soon the cutie pie, Purple liveried 3 coach metro arrives and picks me up on its way to Baiyappanahalli.We pass Halasuru and the Helipad atop our 20 storey Conrad can be clearly seen. The finish of the coach is excellent.There are enough grab handles and bars to hold onto.The section where Entry and Exit doors are, lack a few grab handles. Hyundai Rotem, Mitsubushi and BEML seems to have collaborated in making of this machine.The vestibules are so wide that you hardly realise it.Seating is typical of most metros and Longitudinal.There is space below seats too.
Being a DC Machine, occasionally you get the minor jolts at start from station.But later , i realised it had more to do with the Motorwoman at the helm.As there were some sections where it was butter smooth and at some stations, she decided to wake up anyone asleep. The IR Lines come close to us from a horizon and we also run above a few lines coming other side.I am yet to get a clear idea of the topography of the place and the line diversions.There also seemed to be an unused line running below the metro as we approach Baiyappanahalli Metro.
Its the terminus , has 3 platforms and ahead of it is the Carshed for the Purple line and the only at Grade station on Namma Metro.Though you cant walk in straight as Ticketing concourse is elevated and connected to Baiyappanahalli IR station which has 2 platforms and vast parking space.The FOB connects both ,just like Ghatkopar Metro.Only difference being that Metro and IR are at grade but concourse elevated.
Frequency is 8-10 min and one of the major obstacle for this is the need to take the metro ahead, and reverse back into the other platform.The Metrowoman walks through the coaches and takes charge on the other end.Later on, in a few years from now, they might have to rethink this way of operations.I walked out and walked back in onto another platform for the full stretch ride this time to Mysore Road.
Went past all the elevated stations upto MG Road station and then deep dived into the mother earth, to go underground at Cubbon Park, Vidhana Soudha, Sir M Vishveshwarah,Majestic and KSR City Railway station.Finally catching up some breath and going up above the land again into an elevated path to Mysore Road.
As we near Majestic and SBC Metro, it gets very crowded with people bound to catch buses and trains respectively to further destinations.The only interchange between Purple Line and Green Line is at Majestic.As with most underground metros, the platform is island styled, except for City Railway station(i think)
All elevated stations have seperate platforms, even the destination like Mysore road. Again walked down concourse, and AFC gates to walk back in just in time for the train to reverse back onto the other platform. This time, I was bound to Majestic Interchange and got off the Purple line with a hordes of people on a sunday with lot of luggage. There are clear directions for platform 3&4 , which are one level further below the already underground 1&2 of the Purple Line.Still, you can find a lot of confused commuters who were helped by the Metro Staff.
This time , I was bound for Nagasandra, which is on the northern tip of Namma Metro.Purple caters to the East West travel, whereas the Green caters to the North South sector. Things of interest to me on this section was the Yeshwantpur Railway station.As we climb out of the Underground section at Mantri Square Sampige Road and reach Mahalaxmi( Mumbai walli nahin); we see the beautiful Iskcon temple on a hillock, followed by the Mysore Sandal Factory and then our IR lines coming in from the horizon to just stop below the Yeshwantpur Metro station.Unlike Baiyappanahalli or Ghatkopar, here, you will have to physically get off the metro station complex and walk to the SWR Yeshwantpur Building Concourse.I could see a few LHB Coaches, Diesels and WAP4 waiting on the station.At Mahalaxmi, you can see a single metro line divert and stop upruptly in midair.I realised, it can accomodate a 6 coach Metro and must have been designed to take off or stable a metro, just in case, if needed.
Goraguntepalya saw the other Vivanta by Taj standing besides it.We pass Peenya and then Peenya Industry where one additional metro line again seperates from the dual Green Line section , but this time, it forms a small triangle with the next station, Jalahalli to eventually go away from the active Green line in a perfect perpendicular line for about a km into the Green line Carshed far away at grade level.We reach Nagasandra and I go about my usual AFC gate cross and back in again to ensure ,i pay for the ride.
Again, here the reversal style remains the same.The rake is emptied, moves ahead, Motorwoman walks through coaches and takes charge on the other side and reverses onto the other platform.This is a tedious process and wastage of time.With 8 min frequency, its fine,but not efficient.
My ride back starts, this time to the southern tip at Yelachenahalli.We cross Majestic again and Chikpete and KR Market is also underground and sees a lot of people getting off.We go elevated at National College and Lalbagh.The routine elevated stations go past every few minutes and finally Yellachenahalli arrives.
This time, i crossed the concourse again and decided to not take the reversed rake and instead wait for the next one coming in as I had been standing( by choice) on all the four sections to catch a glimpse of the outside world.
The security personnel wanted me to catch the same rack...I said, there is no sitting space and I will take the next one.But, she kept saying there will be a lot of time spend waiting for the next one.I stayed adamant and drank from my water bottle and then in next 8 min queued up for the next reversed rake.I was the first one to get in and get the seat next to the door.But as luck would have it, in the last few moments before the doors could close, saw a woman with infant nimble in.I waited to see if anyone would offer her a seat, but everyone else looked happy in their seats and no mood to vacate.I decided to get up and gave her the seat.So, i was destined to do the Parikarma standing all the way.Reached Majestic, jumped back on Purple Line to Trinity and walked back to my hotel.
Final thoughts:
BMRCL is currently under utilized with infrastructure capable of 6 coaches and frequency at a lousy 8-10 min.But, its too early to suggest as the entire stretch was opened just recently.Some stations have huge parking spaces available.Namma metro is catering only to a miniscule of the population.Probably, more feeder arrangements and future proposed phases will help in reduction of vehicles on streets.There are too many cars driven by single passengers on streets cluttering the road.Namma Metro is definitely not a failure, and its too early to define it as a success.But, it definitely has the potential with future integration of feeder services at stations and addition of phase 2 and 3.
That brings me to the end of the Namma Metro Parikrama..Thank you for staying with me till the end.Brickbats and Bouquets are always welcome.
