Green signal for extension

Green signal for extension
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: As Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) readies the first phase of the city’s showpiece rail network, a high-level administrative group has given the go-ahead for extension of the phase by 9.3 km. An empowered group of ministers accorded the approval for the north-south corridor of Namma Metro’s first phase. This will be taken up from Yeshwantpur and R V Road terminal directions. The estimated budget for the extension project is Rs 1,763 crore. It will also cover nine elevated stations on the two corridors. BMRC had recently invited fresh tenders for station escalators, in the backdrop of the proposed extension and increase in number of stations. The empowered group headed by external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee also includes chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, minister for urban development S Suresh Kumar, principal secretary (finance) M R Sreenivasa Murthy and BMRC MD N Sivasailam.
On Friday, minister Suresh Kumar told reporters the first Namma Metro train will run on Reach 1 (Byappanahalli to M G Road) in 2010. According to BMRC projections, the commercial operations of Namma Metro will commence in December, 2010.