The new target for Namma Metro’s Phase 1 may extend to 2015, as crucial work on the underground stretch will be completed only by then. The underground stretch is expected to take 12 months for track laying. However, tunneling work is currently in full swing and ongoing near City Railway station.

There are two underground stretches in Phase 1; the UG-1 is a 4.5km stretch that runs from north of the Majestic Station, stopping south of City Market station. UG-2 is a stretch of 4.56 km and travels east of Majestic station, east of the Chinnaswamy Stadium station and west of City Railway station.

BMRCL sources say the processes of installing the Standard Gauge Railway Track and the Third Rail System in the underground section are expected to start by next month. Track related work will start by the second week of October and will take more than a year to complete.The installation of the third rail will be on the North-South section between Sampige Road and National College (4 km) and the East-West underground line from the Cricket stadium to Magadi Road (4.8 km).

The first deadline of 42.3 km of Phase 1 was June 2013. It was then pushed to June 2014, then December 2014 and now stands at March 2015. However, if track-laying work will take over a year to complete, testing and clearance will extend for months after that, which means the deadline will, in all likelihood, extend beyond March 2015.

Reproduced from Deccan Chronicle