Again - HSRL Or Metro ?

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Written By Naveen - 3 August, 2009

Bangalore Media Reports HSRL Transportation public transport Mobilicity Metro Rail Commuter rail

This report from TOI states that BMRC may build a Metro route to BIAL instead of HSRL due to ongoing recession & lack of interset by private parties - the old debate has resurfaced, yet again.

The solution may be for BMRC to build elevated double sets of tracks along Bellary road /highway to operate less frequent express /skip-stop services to BIA (say, once each half-hour), simultaneously with more frequent regular metro along the route up to Devanahalli - something like "killing two birds with one stone" !

The financial approach can be the same as for other Metro routes being built in the city - ie. utilise public funds & loans instead of involving private sector funding. Viability gap funding (VGF) has already been approved by the central govt for this - thus, some financial relief has already been obtained.

COMMENTS


Sreedharan, a visionary?

srinidhi - 1 July, 2013 - 07:58

I would say hes just about a very good engineer..

I was reading the other day that his first major project, Konkan railway, though an engineering marvel, is also bleeding to this day..

At that point when he was seeing the Delhi Airport Express works going well, guess his thoughts were PPP was the magic bullet..cos he had already drained out the govt coffers with the other lines of Delhi metro..so he worked on the same lines for Hyd metro too..

Guess it was not too difficult for him to realize the imminent failure looming, earlier than others, to change his tracks..

btw I was thinking 10K ridership numbers still sound good..though 1/4th of the estimate..unlike the toy train numbers for blr metro..

 

DAME was always a dead duck

Naveen - 1 July, 2013 - 08:13

Yeah - another example of over-estimation of ridership levels that drove construction of capital-hungry exclusive track systems (Kolkata Metro & Chennai MRTS were others).

However, Delhi metro is on the path of increasing ridership manifold, whereas DAME was a dead duck to start with a single-valued outcome (i.e. exclusive system for airport) which was bound to suffer. I think the only solution now is to extend the line to hook up with the Dwarka metro line & operate it as another normal metro line (with more stations inbetween), but then there are already other DMRC line/s that have not picked up yet - so, investement in new infrastructure becomes questionable.

Fortunately for Bangalore airport, the Nagwara metro line in phase-2 can be extended (as a normal metro line) along Thanisandra road & further till the airport, with many growing areas. So, it may not suffer the same fate as DAME, hopefully.

The proposed new network of 150.94 km will virtually throw a metro grid around Bangalore city after completion besides connecting key points such as the Bengaluru International Airport, Hebbal and Magadi Road. After completion of all the three phases, Bangalore will have a respectable 265 km of metro network.

The State government’s high-power committee has already cleared a pre-feasibility study on the proposed network, said a BMRCL statement.

Under Phase 2A, the Gottigere-Nagavara line of Phase 2 will get extended till the international airport, a distance of 23.37 km. Also, another 33 km new line will connect Yelahanka in the north and Sarjapur in the southeast under Phase 3. The Outer Ring Road (ORR) will be covered by the metro network (64.37 km) under Phase 3 with the line being proposed from Hebbal to Bannerghatta Road via Central Silk Board, Ganapathi temple, Bannerghatta Road and back to Hebbal.

Another new line is proposed from Hosakerehalli in south Bangalore to the ORR, connecting the grid (21.31 km). The proposed Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) on Magadi Road too will be connected to the Phase 1 grid at the Magadi Road toll gate through an 8.89-km new line.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/namma-metro-envisages-265km-network-in-bangalore/article4861020.ece $(function() { $('#articleKeywords a').click( function() { var keyword = $(this).text(); if (keyword.indexOf(' ') != -1) $('input#searchString').attr("value", '"' + keyword + '"'); else $('input#searchString').attr("value", keyword); $('#simpleSearchForm').submit(); return false; }); });

With experience of DAME of Delhi,  Karnataka Govt should be carefull in further on the METRO and amount of loan taken with further USD appreciating.  Its make GOK bankrup with 40,000 Crore expenditure.

Suddenly Metro network is going for 265 Kms in Bangalore??? great to hear and  by the time I attain 60 Years,  I will be happy If I am able to travell all these 265 Kms in Bangalore & arround.

Thanks for earlier GOK decision to move away from HSRL.  Other wise whole  GOK  has to pledge for all the loans taken amounting to more then 60,000 crore  and look at operation and Maintenance cost.

 

As Srinidhi mentioned Mr Sreedharn was instrumental in pushing for PPP for Bangalore HSRL  and even for Ph-2 of METRO,  If u look at GIM 2010 and GIM 2012,  they had offered  Bangalore MERO for PPP and even letter was written to CM Yeddiurappa to take drastic decision with all clearace for the  Bangalore  HSRL.   

What will explode for Bangalore METRO with 40,000 Crore investment after 5 years from Now.

 

The corporation, even after 15 years of its formation and owning 760-km route network, is unable to clear the loans raised for the construction of the unique project. The accumulated losses are over Rs. 3,000 crore, they said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/include-mangalore-region-in-konkan-railway/article4866610.ece

Example how things could have been turned for advantages :

Complet Konkan belt  blessed with Nature and Sea.  Evey important station could have been made commercial hubs including tourists facility  with  premium services during Mansoon Rains from Panvel to Kerala and back may during weekend.    

Their are many options exists and with Konkan Rail corporation,  things  should have easily done not like IR.

Just read that Reliance has expressed its inability to operate the Delhi Airport Metro Express.  The ridership was simply not coming through (10000 per day vs. 40000 assumed in the DPR) and also non-fare related revenues were not materializing.  DMRC has taken over operations but the question remains on who will repay the debt of Rs.2000 cr.  DAME was reportedly losing Rs.1 cr per day. 

Delhi IGI handles about 100,000 passengers per day and the highest ridership the Airport Express had was 20,000 per day. 

Also interesting to see Mr.Sreedharan's comment that PPP in Urban Transport project does not work.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Sreedharan-had-predicted-doom/Article1-1084160.aspx

If so - why was he pushing this HSRL which if I'm not mistaken was also to be built via PPP?

Srivathsa

 

 


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