Namma Metro is now running all its trains with 6 coaches, reported Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL). To ease up travel for the passengers, the metro authority decided to run 6 coaches train in both purple and green line from last Monday.
All metro trains have 6 coaches now
Adding six-car trains on Green Line and Purple Line was a major demand imposed by the commuters ever since the metro lines saw a rapid growth in the ridership. It was then the BMRCL planned to convert all of its three-car trains into six-car trains from the previous year. However, the deadline was further pushed because the testing of each coach was a time-consuming process. Finally, on 27 January the authorities were able to pull out all 6 car trains for passengers.
“BMRCL has 50 trains. All 42 operational trains have six coaches now. Another six trains are under transformation. For the remaining two, additional coaches will get supplied by February-end,” said a BMRCL official.
“The total number of six-car train trips on all weekdays will be 137 round trips…,” read the statement.
Officials also added that it would maintain a 4-minute frequency of trains in the peak hour and 10-minute frequency in the non-peak hours.
Commuters demand better frequency
Despite all these commuters alleged that the frequency of trains has reduced after reformation to six coaches. Not just that, they also worry that the trains will get further crowded and the waiting time will go up. The commuters further suggest some additional trains at peak hours which will solve their problem.
Talking about other cities having a metro, Delhi operates 8 coach trains that run every 3.30 minutes in peak hours. However, the same isn’t possible in Bengaluru as the stations and platforms are not designed for such long trains.
“Bengaluru Metro’s platform is 135m long, sufficient for 6 coaches but not more. With ridership growing, frequency too will need to increase. We can go up to a frequency of one train every three minutes. For a shorter interval of 2 minutes, the signaling system needs to be upgraded,” said an official.
Each six-car train carries up to 2,002 passengers, while the maximum capacity of a three-car train is 975. In January 2018, Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) got a contract to supply 150 seats of intermediate Metro cars to increase the three-car trains to six-car trains. The delivery already started last year.
