[NPV]

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Finally, the day is here - Oct 20 2011. In about 3 hours from now, at 10:30 am the Bangalore Metro Phase 1 between M G Road and Byappannahalli stations will be inaugurated and thrown open to the public.
Phase 1 is only about 6Km and is a part of the East-West corridor with Byappanahalli on the east and mysore road/vijayanagar on the west.
Most Bangaloreans have already been affected by the Metro rail construction in some way the last few months/years.
The Byappanahalli and 80 feet Road (Swami Vivekananda Road) stations are about 1 to 1.5Km away from home and I've seen the areas around the stations transform significantly due to the Metro in the last couple of years including a new road to access Sadanandanagar/NGEF Layout/Kasturinagar areas.
While the effects of the Metro on the city's traffic will be unraveled (for the good or worse), I hope we will be able to capture and share our views/experiences here as the days progress.
So let's all welcome, Namma Metro (Our Metro) and hope this will open a new chapter in public transportation for the citizens of Bengaluru

[ghodlur]

Thats a great step in the urban transportation. During my recent visit to Bangalaore I happened to see the trail runs of the metro being done, I was at the MG road station. The feeling I guess is great, how effective it will be to reduce the traffics on the roads is yet to be see. Although its a great success in Delhi and Kolkata, I wish that success is repeated again.

Its to be seen when will the Mumbaikars get the Metro relief considering the hardships one has to face due to the Metro construction happening all across the city and the roads taking a brunt of this construction.

All the best to the Bangaloreans.

[AdityaLN]

Finally it's opening. I am not sure how the current stretch is going to help us in any way. The only change I can think of is, it's going to impact the auto traffic between parts of Indranagar and MG Road.
However, I never understood the logic of stopping the track at Byappanahalli, It's a stop to nowhere. There are no offices (except for mine ) or big residential colony within walk able distance from the last stop. I always thought at least KR Puram or Whitefield would have been a better option. With Witefield, they could have addressed a lot of vehicular traffic going to ITPL and other tech offices around it from Indranagar and MG Raod. And once the Phase 1 was complete, it would have connected one of the major IT corridors with rest of the city. Would have helped in de-congesting this part of the city in a big way. However, It's a start.

Any ways, with this part complete, It's going to benefit me. I work in RMZ Infinity and from now, I don't have to take a Auto from here to MG Road every time I have to go meet a friend and once the whole Phase 1 is complete, I don't have to take a cab to office.

[goandude]

Originally Posted by AdityaLN

However, I never understood the logic of stopping the track at Byappanahalli, It's a stop to nowhere. There are no offices (except for mine ) or big residential colony within walk able distance from the last stop. I always thought at least KR Puram or Whitefield would have been a better option. With Witefield, they could have addressed a lot of vehicular traffic going to ITPL and other tech offices around it from Indranagar and MG Raod.

Absolutly agree with you on this. However my take is that, at the time the metro was contemplated Whitefield and surrounding areas were not so developed. In other words the city development has outstripped the thought process of the planners

[mmxylorider]

Kudos to Bangaloreans for bearing the trouble and getting world class mass transit.

Once people realize the benefits and are hooked, subsequent expansion would be relatively easy.

Alas, in Pune it's still all on paper with lot of vested interests keeping it hanging.

[Prithvi]

Finally its open. Hope everything still looks new after a few months, no scratches / pan marks/ rubbish in the metro or the stations. I guess a lot of people will use the metro.

[Ragul]

Whoever takes a ride, please post photographs from the ride.

--Ragul

[nileshch]

Originally Posted by AdityaLN

Finally it's opening. I am not sure how the current stretch is going to help us in any way. The only change I can think of is, it's going to impact the auto traffic between parts of Indranagar and MG Road.
However, I never understood the logic of stopping the track at Byappanahalli, It's a stop to nowhere. There are no offices (except for mine ) or big residential colony within walk able distance from the last stop.

I think it is not just about proximity to residential/commercial areas. Byappanahalli being an existing railway station, plus large tracts of land around it should have been the factors. They have set up a big yard for servicing metro coaches, if I am not mistaken. Also it is close to the BEML factory where the coaches are manufactured.

[joecherian]

On a side note, what happened to the Bangalore Metro website ? It is currently showing as suspended (Account Suspended).
Is the site getting updated with metro timings/fare ,live status etc (?)

[shamanth]

just had a look at CMH road station during lunch time. It looks like its closed, maybe each station will be inaugurated by local politicians. God knows when will Metro really starts.

[AdityaLN]

Originally Posted by shamanth

just had a look at CMH road station during lunch time. It looks like its closed, maybe each station will be inaugurated by local politicians. God knows when will Metro really starts.

It's going to be open to public from 04:00 PM today.

[girishglg]

Hurray Namma (our in Kannada) Metro is finally open today and just itching to take the first ride in it. From the experience of cities like Delhi it must be a very cool one. Just waiting till the initial rush comes down a bit.

People, those looking to beat the peak traffic note that the metro runs from 6 AM to 11 PM, so you can hop in early morning or late evening to beat the rush!

[mayankjha1806]

This is one of the most eagerly awaited and surely too much pain has gone into building this. Our office decided to move out of MG Road when the construction was started as it was next to impossible to get there.

I am only hoping that the next phases are done faster then this one, as this is the only way the traffic problems of Bangalore can be solved.

One day we would love to commute to office by Metro (No Office Bus, No Volvo (or maybe for short distance), and icing on the cake No need to drive).

[Eddy]

If the Delhi metro experience is anything to go by, please avoid a ride in the Metro for the first couple of days. The trains are jam packed with joy-ride travelers.

[shamanth]

Actually complete lack of parking space might be big dampener unlike Dehli which has good parking space in each station. My office is in indiranagar and i come from JP nagar, If there was parking at MG road station i could have used metro from there to office. Now i cannot come to MG road in Bus to take metro. I dont know what were planners thinking when they completely ruled out Parking space for metro.