Metro a misplaced mobility option to suburbs, try Regional Rapid Transit System, say experts

Should the low-capacity, low-speed, hugely expensive Metro rail system be extended to the far-flung suburbs and the adjacent districts of Bengaluru? Vast swathes of the city’s core are yet to get a decent Metro network, but the urge to extend its reach comes at the cost of a very viable alternative: The much-delayed suburban rail system with a clearly established potential for high capacity, high speed and much lower construction cost.

Should the low-capacity, low-speed, hugely expensive Metro rail system be extended to the far-flung suburbs and the adjacent districts of Bengaluru? Vast swathes of the city’s core are yet to get a decent Metro network, but the urge to extend its reach comes at the cost of a very viable alternative: The much-delayed suburban rail system with a clearly established potential for high capacity, high speed and much lower construction cost.

Are the State and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) serious about the extension? For the record, a feasibility study has been proposed by Namma Metro for a potential 129-km of Phase 4. The plan is to extend the Purple and Green lines to Bidadi via Mysuru Road; Harohalli through Kanakapura Road, Attibele along Hosur Road and to Kunigal Cross, taking the Tumakuru Road route.

By all accounts, taking the Metro to such long distances away from the city centre could be prohibitively expensive. “Instead, they should either go for the suburban rail or the high-speed Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) like the one you see between Delhi and Meerut. Metro as an option, I feel, is misplaced,” notes Dr. Ashish Verma, Convenor of the Sustainable Transportation Lab at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

The priority, he says, should be on decongesting the city’s core part by completing all the pending three Metro phases, and the four-corridor suburban network planned and being implemented under K-RIDE (Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited).

Designed for speeds of up to 160kmph, the RRTS is a dedicated, high-speed, high-capacity commuter service linking the regional nodes in the National Capital Region (NCR). Unlike the Metro, it caters to commuters travelling relatively longer distances with fewer stops and at higher speed. It also differs from conventional trains by providing reliable, high frequency, point-to-point regional travel along a dedicated pathway.

The Delhi-Meerut RRTS (RapidX) project’s Priority Corridor commenced its commercial operations on October 21, 2023. The 17-km section links Sahibabad and Duhai via four elevated stations. RRTS is three times faster than the Metro, taking about one hour to cover 100 kms compared to the Metro’s estimated three hours. Can this be an option to connect Bengaluru to its neighbouring towns?

Now, a closer look at the Metro option proposed to Tumakuru. As seasoned suburban rail analyst and campaigner Rajkumar Dugar points out, once the currently operational Green Line up to Nagasandra is extended till Tumakuru Railway Station, the entire corridor length would go up to 86 kms. “Metro is meant for short distances within the city, not for such long distances,” says he.