Namma Metro to KIA: On a slow track

2022-03-26

Nischith N | NT

For Bengalureans going to the KIA airport to board a flight is nothing short of a nightmare. They have to book pricey taxis, or take the Vayu Vajra buses and start way too early before the reporting time, as traffic is a major pain point. Though the Namma Metro link to the airport was envisaged many years ago, the project still continues to be on paper. The land acquisition for the 37-km long stretch has been almost complete and work is expected to begin soon. However, traffic experts are sceptical of BMRCL meeting the 2024 deadline, Nischith N. reports.

It has been 10 years since the first seven-kilometre stretch of the Bengaluru metro, between Byapanahalli and MG Road was flagged off, raising the hope of a city that was getting overrun by private vehicles.

However, the connectivity to Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL) has remained elusive as the work has been getting delayed for one reason or another.

The proposed 37-km Bengaluru (Namma) Metro Phase 2B project continues to remain on paper. The civil work is yet to begin for the ‘airport-link’ section of Blue Line from Bengaluru city to Kempegowda International Airport in Devanahalli with 17 stations.

A metro line to the airport has been on the drawing board since 2005, when construction commenced on the city’s airport. It was first envisioned as a high-speed rail link connecting the city’s CBD (MG Road) to be executed by a special purpose vehicle, independent of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation.

In recent days, the Chief Minister instructed the Corporation officials to finish the Metro phase two connection BIAL works by 2024. However, going by the current pace of work, executing the project is challenging. The experts and officers claim that the phase two of Metro works in the city is only 60 per cent complete.

At the current pace of work of Bengaluru Metro project phase 2A and 2B connecting to the airport are still in “preliminary stages” and the airport line may be completed only in June 2026.

“Metro Train services alone can solve many of the city’s transport demands to some extent. Hence the State government needs to look into detail for commencing the work. To reach the airport, one has to shell Rs 1,000 rupees by taxi and also the time taken is too long. Hence metro will help commuters reach in a much shorter time and at a much lesser cost. So BMRCL should treat this as a priority and ensure that it keeps the deadline,” said Puneeth P, a regular commuter to BIAL.

According to BMRCL office sources, the contractor of the elevated metro project has deployed heavy machines to carry out the work in multiple locations by partially barricading the service road of the National Highway (Bellary Road) that connects the airport. Machines and resources are also being mobilised for the work.

Under phase 2A and B of the metro project, the BMRCL is building the ORR-Airport line from Central Silk Board to the KIA via K.R. Puram, Nagawara and Hebbal. The work for phase 2A from Central Silk Board has already begun on the Outer Ring Road, from K.R. Puram to Trumpet (till the boundary of KIA). The BMRCL is executing the project in three packages and The Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC) Ltd has emerged as the lowest bidder in all the three packages.

It is claimed that 2.21 lakh square metres of the land for the project has been identified, out of which 2.10 lakh sq.m. land has been acquired and handed over to the engineering section. Of the 23 acres of land required for Shettigere depot, 18 acres of the land was transferred by the State Government to the BMRCL, and the remaining five acres are under litigation.

“It is the longest route which will take a minimum of five years to complete, if all is fine in terms of funds and land. We had suggested BMRCL to take up Airport to Hebbal as phase 1 of the project so that commuters have the option to use it from Hebbal in the next 3-4 years. BMRCL needs to work out a plan which will enable opening of services and the same mistake of Ph1 and Ph2 should not be repeated in terms of completion of other sections and not being able to be used. BMRCL needs to ensure tight integration with Airport Terminal, with other modes of public transport,” says Sanjeev Dyamannavar, a commuter rail activist.

From Hebbal to Trumpet, the BMRCL is using 97,000 sq.m of land that was initially acquired by the NHAI for the High Speed Rail Link. The land was handed over to the BMRCL two years ago. On this stretch, the metro line will be built parallel to the expressway. The BMRCL has set 2024 as the deadline to complete the project.