NAMMA METRO
Namma Metro also known as Bangalore Metro, is a rapid transit system for the city of Bangalore, Karnataka. The agency responsible for its implementation is the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL), a joint venture of the Government of India and the Government of Karnataka. The first stretch between Baiyyappanahalli and M.G. Road was inaugurated on 20 October 2011.
[ + ] Metro Feeder Bus Services
[ + ] Namma Metro Map
Facilities and services
All metro trains are Wi-Fi enabled (the first metro in India to have this feature), so passengers can use laptops, tablets as well as mobile internet. The free Wi-Fi service was made available to commuters on 31 July 2013. Passengers also have emergency voice communication with train staff through a speaker system. Passengers are provided with a call button to communicate anything to the driver or control center during an emergency.
Metro stations will have Powerheart Automated external defibrillator (AED) to protect its commuters against death from sudden cardiac arrest. Powerheart AED is used for emergency treatment of victims exhibiting symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest. The installation of AEDs will be followed by a certified training for a group of staff members of BMRC. The devices are manufactured by Opto Circuits (India) Ltd.
Stations
The work area of each underground station is 270 m x 50 m, while the station box measures 270 m x 25 m. The stations roofs are be 3-6 m below the road. The roof slabs and walls are about 1 m thick, to bear load from all sides. Initially, there were no toilets at Namma Metro stations, despite demand from commuters. BMRCL countered the demand by arguing that constructing toilets was not part of the metro construction plan, and that building toilets in the city was the responsibility of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). They also justified the decision by saying that commuters spent "hardly five minutes" at stations, so restrooms were not required, and also that none of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus stops in the city had toilets for passengers. However, BMRCL eventually heeded public demand, and the metro's first toilets were opened at Baiyappanahalli and Indiranagar stations on 21 June 2013.
Fares
The minimum fare is INR10 and maximum fare of INR15 for Reach-1.
Tickets
Namma Metro uses contactless smart tokens and contactless smart card. Tokens are available only for single journey. A person can buy up to 6 tokens for additional five passengers and himself.
There are 4 types of smart cards available on the metro - Varshik, Sanchar, Saral and Saraag.
Varshik is priced at INR100 and the smart card can then be recharged from INR50 to up to INR1,500. It has a one-year validity, with a 15% discount on travel fares.
Sanchar is based on number of trips. It is available in denominations of rs. 10, Rs. 40, Rs. 50 and Rs. 100.
Saral is priced at Rs. 70. It allows a day's travel in non-A/C buses of BMTC and the metro.
Saraag is priced at Rs. 110. It allows a day's travel in BMTC A/C buses and the metro.
BMRCL began selling tokens through automatic ticket vending machines (ATVMs) on 4 December 2012 at MG Road, Indiranagar and Baiyyappanahalli stations. The service will eventually be expanded to all metro stations. The touchscreen enabled ATVMs are available in 3 languages - English, Kannada and Hindi. Commuters can purchase a single journey token by selecting the destination station or the amount in the ATVM. They can also add value or add trips to the tickets in the contactless smart card. Commuters can purchase up to 8 tickets at a time and can get the receipt print for card recharge. ATVMs accept coins of INR5 and INR10 denominations and INR10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 denominations of currency notes. However, the ATVM cannot differentiate between INR1 and INR2 coins.
Approximately, 68% of passengers on the metro use smart tokens and 32% use smart cards. MIFARE DESFire platform, developed by NXP Semiconductors, was selected to manage the Automated Fare Collection (AFC) in Namma Metro.
Frequency
The metro service runs between 0600 and 2200 hours. There are trains every 15 minutes between 0600 and 0800, 10 minutes between 0800 and 2000, and 15 minutes between 2000 and 2200. The frequency is slated to increase to once every three minutes by 2021. The travel time from end to end on the Purple Line will be 33 minutes, and on the Green Line will be 44 minutes.
Metro services have occasionally operated beyond 2200 hours. Services are usually extended on festival days or when a major cricket match is held in Bangalore.
Wallabhgadh Metro Map -
