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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
 Posted - 09/23/2009 : 10:56:58
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Hi-speed rail link to be fast-tracked
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/bangalore/Hi-speed-rail-link-to-be-fast-tracked/articleshow/5044968.cms
23 September 2009, 04:33am IST
BANGALORE: Even as the Karnataka government is having second thoughts about implementing the high speed rail link between MG Road and the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA), the Vision Group on Infrastructure Development recommended that the project should be fast-tracked.
Capt G R Gopinath, the head of the government-instituted Group, told TOI that
there has been a into the matter, and his Group saw no point in delaying the project further. On Tuesday, the Group had its second meeting in a week, this time with V Madhu, principal secretary, infrastructure development department, also participating.
“Good infrastructure creates jobs and development. Bangalore needs this project,” Gopinath said.
The last day to submit bids for Request for Qualification (RFQ) invited by the government for the Rs 5,800-crore project is September 30.
If the RFQ does not get a good response, the government has plans to place the project in the upcoming Global Investors Meet scheduled in January.
The project, first mooted in 2007, faced a lot of hitches and had to be approved twice over by the Cabinet. With the economic slowdown, there was uncertainty about whether international firms would be ready to invest in such a project.
Experts opposing the project say it does not make sense to have such an expensive project just to ferry passengers to the airport. But the feasibility study has pointed out that the high speed rail will cater to the airport city
which Devanahalli will emerge as.
The 34 km rail link will start from MG Road, run along the right side of the National Highway up to BIA. It will require 162 acres of land on the highway for its structures, and the compensation amount is estimated at Rs 532 crore.
If private parties show no interest in the project, the government is ready with an alternative proposal — to extend the Metro up to the international airport.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2009 : 07:47:57
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Metro gathers speed despite delay
TNN 3 October 2009, 03:04am IST
BANGALORE: If Bangalore Metro were to toe its original deadline, the train will be chugging along `reach 1' from MG Road to Byappanahalli in the next nine months. The entire 42.3-km phase 1 was expected to be ready by December 2011.
Due to initial hitches over land acquisition and legal dispute with the contractor, the project deadline was revised December 2010 for reach 1 and December 2012 for the entire phase 1.
BMRC has almost completed the tendering process of the entire project and work has speeded up.
Work on Metro began in 2007 with reach 1 of 7 km, connecting MG Road and Byappanahalli. But authorities ran into problems with property owners on CMH Road and land acquisition became difficult.
Further, work on the MG Road stretch was delayed by over 10 months and BMRC had to change the contractor, after fighting a legal dispute. This again led to slow progress.
Work speeded up
Work on reach 1 speeded up since one year, with girders being placed on which superstructures have been set. Simultaneously, on the other end -- Old Madras Road side -- construction of piers is in full swing. For the underground rail that passes through Vidhana Soudha, authorities will complete constructing stations before commencing tunnelling work next year. Earth-boring machines, which are being manufactured in Germany, will be imported.
CITY TO BE DUG UP
By mid-2010, the city will be dug up extensively as work will simultaneously begin at reaches 2, 3 and 4 from Mysore Road, Yeshwantpur and Bangalore south. Bangaloreans will have to put up with hardships due to traffic snarls and diversions.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2009 : 02:50:49
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Worker dies at Namma Metro site
http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/10/stories/2009101062170400.htm
The accident occurred at Manuvana in Vijayanagar
BANGALORE: The ongoing civil works for the Namma Metro claimed one more life on Thursday night when a young worker, who was hit by a half-tonne steel cage that was being transported, died of his injuries.
The accident occurred at Manuvana in Vijayanagar where the Bangalore
Metropolitan Transport Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) is undertaking viaduct
construction for Namma Metro’s Reach 2 on the East-West Corridor.
The police, who identified the victim as Suchand Roy (22) of Nandigram village in West Bengal, said a crane was transporting the cage meant for erection of piles for the viaduct.
The cage, which was swinging, hit Roy who was working at the construction site, injuring him on the chest.
The worker later died in hospital.
His death has been the first at Namma Metro’s construction site.
Two labourers had died in separate incidents during building demolitions earlier.
The death comes at a time when concerns are being raised about the safety of general public and workers at the workplace.
A couple of days back, a steel rod fell from a viaduct on Mahatma Gandhi Road and impaled itself on the windshield of a car.
The driver and her young son had a close call.
Contractors’ failure
Meanwhile, BMRCL’s preliminary inquiry has revealed that the contractor — Simplex Infrastructure — had failed to address safety issues at the worksite in a “fail-safe manner.”
A communiqué said the safety inspector of the contractor and the site inspector of the consultant have been demobilised from the worksite.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/14/2009 : 19:54:35
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Metro rail: 22 trees to be cut in Cubbon Park
Cubbon Road between BRV and Minsk Square will be closed
BANGALORE: Even as the Krishna Rajendra Road and Jayanagar 4th Main (Nanda Talkies) Road are a pale shadow of themselves what with losing their glorious green canopy to Namma Metro, a similar fate awaits the road inside Cubbon Park skirting the Press Club and a portion of the park itself between the Election Commission Office and Old KGID Building.
If the Karnataka High Court gives the green signal, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd., (BMRCL) is all set to lay an alternative road inside the Cubbon Park from Minsk Square via Press Club to reach the Dr. Ambedkar Veedhi in front of the Old KGID Building.
The process entails cutting 22 trees a few to widen the existing road that passes by the Press Club of Bangalore and those that stand in between the Chief Electoral Officers office and the Old KGID building.
Changing landscape
The alternative road is proposed to divert traffic from Minsk Square that will be closed for the construction of the Cricket Stadium Underground Station.
A portion of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd., (BSNL) property that is housing the Central Telegraph Office and the BSNL Bangalore Telecom District Office has been acquired for the purpose even as HALs Ajeet Aircraft at the Minsk Square has been shifted. BMRCL has already launched work on construction of the alternative road in front of the Vidhana Soudha.
However, construction of the alternative road inside the Cubbon Park and in front of the High Court is subject to High Courts permission, said Praveen Sood, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic and Security).
While a portion of the historical Lal Bagh has been ceded for Namma Metros Lal Bagh Station work permanently, at least 800 metres by 60 metres of space within Cubbon Park will have to be diverted for regular traffic temporarily even as 22 trees will permanently be lost.
Although BMRCL claims that the underground station work should be completed within two years going by its track record, one will wonder how long the work goes on.
This apart, 65 trees, including the ornamental palm trees on Dr. Ambedkar Veedhi will be chopped for the Vidhana Soudha and Cricket Stadium Underground Stations.
Traffic chaos
Closing the Minsk Square means utter traffic chaos, said Mr. Sood and added that there was hardly any other alternative.
The stretch of Cubbon Road between BRV Junction and Minsk Square would be closed.
The traffic from Manipal Centre towards GPO Circle has to take left turn at BRV, then right turn at Anil Kumble Junction, again right turn at Queens Junction to join Queens Road and later move inside Cubbon Park to reach Ambedkar Veedhi.
The traffic from Balekundri Circle towards Queens Road will be allowed on a single lane in front of HAL Corporate Office while vehicles towards Cubbon Road will have to move on Infantry Road to later rejoin Cubbon Road. |
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/31/2009 : 00:52:48
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Court orders notice over metro tender allotment
http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/31/stories/2009103153110500.htm
Spanish firm says its bid was 70 per cent lower
BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Friday ordered issue of notices to the State on a petition by a Spanish company that had challenged the award of a tender contract for installation of automated fare collection system to a rival company.
Telvent Trafico Y Transports of Madrid, Spain, had challenged the tender awarded to a consortium of companies led by Samsung.
Telvent said it had bid lower than Samsung. It said while its base bid was for Rs. 45 crore, Samsung had bid Rs. 75 crore.
Yet, the bid by Samsung was accepted.
Telvent said its bid was 70 per cent lower than that of its competitor. It urged the court to stay the tender.
Justice Ajit Gunjal ordered issue of notices and adjourned hearing of the case.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 11/03/2009 : 23:44:03
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Bangalore to be the train city of 21 century
S Praveen Dhaneshkar,Bangalore,Nov 2,Deccan Herald News Service
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/33938/bangalore-train-city-21-century.html
Picture this! The new Namma Bangalore of the 21st century, a Rs 25,000 crore train City. Hard to believe? Read on.
A 42 km Namma Metro will criss-cross the City on a Phase-1, East-West and North-South corridor in September 2012 at a cost exceeding Rs 8,158 crore. A high-speed train at a cost of Rs 5,767 crore will become a reality in 2011-12 to connect the BRV parade grounds to the Bengaluru International Airport on NH-7 on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. A 59 km monorail corridor has been identified to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 12,000 crore, on a public-private-partnership (PPP) within the next three years.
Is the government actually turning the once Garden City into a Train City of concrete pillars and bridges, where trains will rule the roost at a cost that could well exceed Rs 25,000 crore, all just for public transport. Not to mention the Detailed Project Report (DPR) being currently prepared by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for Phase-2 to extend the Namma Metro alignment to include Whitefield, the NICE corridor and Electronic City at costs of well beyond Rs 10,000 crore, taking into account the annual cost escalation of 4 percent.
As per information available with Deccan Herald, the detailed project report (DPR) for Phase-1 of the Bangalore Metro, prepared by DMRC has stated the project costed Rs 3,970 crore, as on April 2003. This, then shot up to Rs 4,989 crore in May 2003 and was again revised/updated to cost Rs 6,296 crore in April 2005. Then BMRCL again revised the estimated cost of completing the project to Rs 8,158 crore in early 2009. This is expected to go up further at 4 percent as per the funding structure. All, this when the powers that be could have implemented a Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) on a 12.20 km route for the City as per a study done in 1982 at a cost of about Rs 239.15 crore.
Experts also said that the governments of the day also turned a blind-eye to a good feasibility study done in 1983, by an organisation of the Indian Railways suggesting a suburban rail service on existing lines, a circular railway of 57.9 km on two corridors. In Phase-1, a 12.9 km rail link from Rajajinagar to Jayanagar and in Phase-2, a 11.2 km train connectivity from Hudson Circle to Krishnarajapura, that would have been completed at less than Rs 500 cr.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 11/08/2009 : 19:16:00
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MG Road loses sheen to Metro
Deepa Bhasthi, TNN 8 November 2009, 07:07am IST
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/MG-Road-loses-sheen-to-Metro/articleshow/5208268.cms
BANGALORE: Not too long ago, an MG Road address was the most prestigious thing for an office or a shop. However, during the real estate boom,
prices went through the roof. Now, its a shadow of its former glorious self.
Several large buildings on this stretch are waiting for tenants, one mall has closed and a swish store is moving elsewhere. With Metro Rail work on in full swing, the road is congested and dusty. Commuting and parking has become a nightmare. This is keeping potential businesses away, say experts.
Balakrishna Hegde, immediate past president of Credai, told STOI the Metro Rail work was chiefly to be blamed. Real estate being expensive is a relative term. In Mumbai, some properties in the Central Business District may cost 3-4 times more than Bangalore. For big brands, rentals dont really matter as much as having a presence on such a road, he said. There is a possibility of redevelopment of old buildings. But a developer will wait till Metro work is over, he says.
Shops and office space is increasingly falling empty along the stretch.Lido Mall, which replaced the landmark Lido theatre, was home to several international brands, apart from housing a multiplex and upscale restaurants. Now, there are posters announcing, Mall closed for customers due to renovation; inconvenience regretted.
The official spokesperson of the chain refused to confirm talk of a major retail and household chain coming up there in the next 3-4 months, saying a decision is pending.
What remains is a coffee chain, multiplex and a restaurant. Metro work started soon after the mall opened.
The Bombay Store is also moving elsewhere. Store officials say the company had leased the building for ten years and as that period is ending, its moving elsewhere.
The good news is that once Metro work is complete, the sparkle should be back on MG Road.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 11/14/2009 : 06:15:29
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Metro route eats up more trees
http://www.hindu.com/2009/11/13/stories/2009111358300100.htm
Realignment costs 110 trees around Cubbon Park instead of original 70
GARDEN CITY?: The new alignment will also create yet another entry point in Cubbon Park, imperilling its future.
BANGALORE: In a classic case of the cure being worse than the illness, the changed alignment of the Namma Metro’s East-West corridor, that was to have protected Cubbon Park’s greenery, will actually result in the felling of 110 trees in and around this prized lung space.
As per the detailed project report (DPR) prepared by Delhi Metro Rail
Corporation Ltd. (DMRCL) in 2003, the Vidhana Soudha underground station would have been located near Multistorey Buildings. The underground alignment would have taken a right turn before Gopala Gowda Circle, moved under the length of Cubbon Park, and surfaced near the Jawahar Bal Bhavan. The Cricket Stadium elevated station would have come after the Mahatma Gandhi Park.
Initial refusal
A high-power committee of the State Government had refused to clear the alignment on this particular stretch because 70 trees would have been felled in Cubbon Park. Thus in September 2005, the committee headed by then Chief Secretary B.K. Das decided to change the alignment, said a senior official who was privy to the meeting.
However, today Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL), which is
implementing Namma Metro, proposes to fell over 110 trees in the park and its surroundings. Over 90 trees are to be axed to lay alternative roads on either side of the Ambedkar Veedhi, and 22 in Cubbon Park for an alternative road to facilitate construction of the Vidhana Soudha and Minsk Square underground stations.
“If 110 trees are to be felled for the alternative road, the original alignment itself could have been followed as it did not affect traffic,” the official said. DMRCL had reportedly given two alternatives for the ramp to surface on ground — between M.G. Road and Brigade Road and between M.G. Road and Residency Road — if the Bal Bhavan option was not acceptable to the Government.
Purpose defeated
“The changing of alignment, aimed at protecting Cubbon Park in its entirety,
will not serve any purpose if 22 trees inside it are to be felled for the
alternative road,” Mr. Das told The Hindu.
“The decision was taken to save Cubbon Park from being touched in any manner.
It was not envisaged at that time that alternative roads will be built right
inside it,” he said.
“Once you touch Cubbon Park, restoring it to its original glory is impossible
and it will give way to further destruction of the park which is under threat.
The alternative road will allow yet another (entry point for vehicles). Cubbon
Park will perish once it is touched,” he added.
‘Shift station’
Mr. Das said the proposed Minsk Square underground station should be shifted if
an alternative road is coming inside Cubbon Park.
“While deciding the change of alignment, we had zeroed in on a piece of
private property in front of the Central Telegraph Office. Even now it is not
late; BMRCL should acquire it and build the underground station there. BMRCL
should not be wary of escalation of cost by Rs. 30 crore to Rs. 40 crore (for
acquisition) to save Cubbon Park,” Mr. Das said.
If acquiring this private property is not possible, the station should be pushed
further under Cubbon Road to save Cubbon Park at any cost, he added.
BMRCL Managing Director N. Sivasailam is yet to respond to an email seeking his
comments.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
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Bangalore Metro
