Bengaluru Metro, popularly known as ‘Namma Metro’ (Our Metro), is a fast mode of travel in Bengaluru. It is very popular with commuters since it reaches its destination quickly without any hindrance. Given Bengaluru’s history with traffic jams, Namma Metro is absolutely an essential mode of transportation to reach places in time. It also enhances the city’s infrastructure at global levels. You might be wondering about Namma Metro, how it works, and what are the fascinating facts about it.
Here are the top 10 facts about Namma Metro you always wanted to know!!
10. Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is a joint venture of the Government of India and the State Government of Karnataka
It is tasked with the responsibility of implementing and operating the metro system. It is a joint venture between the Government of India and Karnataka. Thus it utilizes funds from both the central and state governments. The Bengaluru Metro was renamed “Namma Metro” in 2011 before the operations began.
9. Namma Metro consists of two lines – Purple and Green
Namma Metro presently consists of two lines – North to South and from East to West. The lines meet at the Majestic underground station. The purple line was the first one to begin operations, starting in October 2011. The green line began operations in March 2014. The purple line runs from West to East. The green line runs from North to South.
8. Along with Purple and Green, the lines Yellow, Pink, and Blue are also under construction and Orange is under planning
The Yellow line will connect Rastreeya Vidyalaya Road to Bommasandra, a distance of 18.82km. The Pink line will connect Kalena Agrahara to Nagawara, a distance of 21.25km. The Blue line will connect Kempegowda International Airport to the other lines of the metro, with a distance of 58.19km.
7. In the year 2019-20, 17.42 crore passengers traveled through Namma Metro
Namma Metro is the fastest way to get around Bengaluru. Namma Metro is used by a lot of people to traverse Bengaluru. The traffic steadily increased over the years, since its beginning of operation in 2011. The revenue in 2019-20 clocked 376.88 crores.
6. The Namma Metro runs on 750V of DC Current
The Namma Metro coaches run on a 750V DC current, which passes through the third rail. This fact means that a lot of carbon emissions in Bengaluru are reduced since people are traveling on electric coaches rather than cars or buses. Thus Namma Metro happens to be an eco-friendly as well as quick means of transportation within Bengaluru.
5. The maximum speed at which Namma Metro coaches operates is 67.50 km/h
The speed limit of the Namma Metro coaches is fixed at 67.50km/h by the Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) of the Indian railways. However, the train can run at a maximum speed of 80km/h. The speed of the metro at curved sections of the track is also limited to 35km/h and also at stations, it is limited to 45km/h.
4. The first film shot on Namma Metro was the Kannada blockbuster Ugramm in 2013
Films can be shot on Namma Metro coaches and stations, after obtaining the necessary permissions and paying the charges. Kannada movies are charged lesser than other languages. The 2015 Kannada film Rana Vikrama starring Puneeth Rajkumar was also shot in Namma Metro facilities.
3. The Karnataka Government has approved extending the Namma Metro line from Bommasandra to Hosur in Tamil Nadu
The Karnataka Government has given its approval to extend the metro line up to Tamil Nadu. This will involve a distance of 20.5km. It is constructed, and the metro will run a distance of 8.8km inside Tamil Nadu. The project would be funded by the two states. This project, if implemented will highly benefit the people of Tamil Nadu, as many commutes daily to Bengaluru.
2. Namma Metro is the First Underground Metro System in South India
The plans for the feasibility of a rapid urban transportation system for Bengaluru were started way back in 1977. It began its operations in October 2011. The underground section has five stations. The center of the two metro lines, the Majestic station also lies underground. From that, the passengers can easily access the central railway station and bus station.
1. Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Station, Majestic is the largest underground metro station in Asia
Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Station, Majestic is the largest metro station in Namma Metro. It serves as an interchange station between purple and green lines. This station is very close to the Majestic bus and train stations. Platforms 1 and 2 are on the purple line and platforms 3 and 4 are on the green line. It has a total floor surface area of 5.2 lakh square feet. Its capacity is 20,000 passengers at a given time. It also has 24 escalators.
Which of these facts was surprising to you? Which of these facts you already knew? Type in the comments below.