Bangalore Metro Begins Kengeri Extension’s Third Rail Testing

Per a newspaper advertisement, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) today started testing the 750 V DC Third Rail system of the Purple Line’s new 7.5 km Mysore Road – Kengeri Bus Terminal section.

This second new section of the 73.92 km Bangalore Metro Phase 2 project was built by IL&FS (Reach 2A) and Soma Enterprise (Reach 2B) with Alstom providing both the power supply (electrification) and signaling solutions.

Per an industry source, the Third Rail is targeted to get energized on April 5 with trial runs (train testing) starting on April 10. Hand-over to BMRCL for CMRS’ inspection is planned towards the end of June.

This elevated section will first connect Mysore Road with Kengeri through 6 new stations in Q3 2021 and later to Challaghatta Station in 2023 which lies across NICE Peripheral Road.

It overall includes 7 new elevated stations at Nayandahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Jnana Bharathi, Pattanagere, Mailasandra, Kengeri Bus Terminal and Challeghatta.

Once this elevated section becomes operational in Q3 this year, the existing 18.10 km Purple Line, connecting Baiyyappanahalli – Mysore Road, will become 25.60 km long and the entire Bangalore Metro network will become 55.60 km large – surpassing Chennai Metro’s 54.10 km network to once again become the 3rd largest in India.

Here’s a snap of architectural finishing underway at Rajarajeshwari Nagar Station back in February:

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– TMRG

Hat-tip to ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು TrainUsers (@BengaluruTrains)