[poloman]

Originally Posted by sachinpk

When HAL's helicopter division was really out side the Bangalore city (and when Indira Nagar was a far flung outpost, with 100 feet road being the last stop for buses), the visionaries at that time had laid a single line railway track to HAL!. Based on shift timings of HAL, a train used to run between HAL and Bangalore City RS (via Cantt.) *. Some thing similar could have been done in the case of Metro as well.

*: Remains of this railway line still exists. Today a single line can be seen crossing Old Madras Road and ending at the BEML depot. This line used to go further (through what is today a small park right next to Suranjan Das Road) till HAL market. The HAL railway station used to be there.

Are you sure about this? Never heard about such a service or railway station before even when I worked in HAL 15 years ago.
I thought that railway line was to move rolling stock and other heavy equipment manufactured by BEML and even HAL. This line is used even today for this purpose. But since you gave details of even the station, any idea why the service was discontinued? I don't think, HAL with such a strong union would have allowed that to happen.

[Nempuguru]

Was relying on public transport (Volvo), ZipGo TT for ITPB office commute from BTM throughout November. Last 10-12 days experience is worst. Daily journey time varied from 4 to 7 hours.

About the #save Whitefield protest: Good to see school children, elders, IT guys, cab/auto drivers uniting and taking part in silent but effective "#save Whitefield" protest. Hope it will create some ripples to shake sleepy administration.

These kind of protest/awareness required throughout Bangalore.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by poloman

I thought that railway line was to move rolling stock and other heavy equipment manufactured by BEML and even HAL. This line is even used today for this purpose.

I've been around the Indiranagar/Thippasandra/C V Raman nagar all my life and I concur with you that the use of this railway track is to transport heavy equipment/trucks and new railway coaches manufactured by BEML. Had never heard about the connecting train angle (I had family members and some very close friends of my dad working at HAL but never ever heard this!).

EDIT:I don't think the powers that be in the Whitefield area want suburban trains from Byappanahalli since they feel the Metro will be the best bet to further push real estate prices northwards.

[Rajeevraj]

In my view no amount of road widening or improvements are going to help. There is a limit to all that. The only solutions that have a chance of working are transport sytems like Metro and Suburban Rail. Unfortunately the picture looks very bleak. A look at where we are with the Metro.

Phase 1 is in progress (nearing completion) and Phase 2 work is slowly starting off. Sometime last year, there was a news item that Metro Phase 3 alignments had been finalized and DPR would start.


Breaking down into Phases:

Phase 1: (42 km . Expected to complete by mid 2016)

• Bypanahalli-Mysore Road
• Heserghatta-Puttenahalli

Phase 2: (72KM. Target 2020 completion. As per pace of phase 1- 2032)

• Extension from Bypanahalli to Whitefield
• Extension from Mysore Road to Kengeri
• Extension from Puttenahalli to NICE junction
• Extension from Heserghattato Bangalore Exhibition Center)
• New Line RV Road-Silk Board- Electronic City BOmmsandra
• New Line Nagwara- Gottigere (Sivaji Nagar-MG Road- Diary Cirle-Bannerghtta ROad)

After completion of the 2 phases this is what the Metro Map would look like

Phase 3:(133 KM. Completion: No dates)

• The Central Silk Board - Hebbal line
• Nagawara - Kempegowda International Airport (KIA): 25-km line
• Hosakerehalli and Outer Ring Road near Marathahalli through Old Airport road (23 km)
• Sarjapur Layout (station, Carmelaram) and Yelahanka (station, Kogilu Road Cross) (35-km)
• Nice Ring Road to Toll Gate via Magadi Road.

So when all this is done, our Metro Map would look like this

Unfortunately we needed something like this above picture right now- Or at least within the next 5 years.

The Bangalore Commuter Rail: An online search will throw up several efforts on the Commuter Rail. This is nothing but a proposal to use the existing tracks to run local trains (Like Mumbai or Chennai). As per reports, it does not need huge investments and can be up and running in some form pretty quickly. Below map shows the existing rail network with new stations added. A proposal. But unfortunately this is also stuck in bureaucracy and politics.

So in summary, I believe that the policy/decision makers should have a relook at the metro alignment plans and make necessary adjustments and also try to establish the commuter rail as a feeder system.

Wishful thinking I know.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Phase 3:(133 KM. Completion: No dates)
So when all this is done, our Metro Map would look like this

Heh. This metro will not happen in your or my lifetime, it can be guaranteed. :-)

[PatchyBoy]

Not sure what the save Whitefield movement was all about. Yet to catch up on news. But did notice several cars with a small poster in the rear windshield. Ironically most of them had a single occupant. Isn't that one of the main reasons for the mess?

[NPV]

Originally Posted by PatchyBoy

Not sure what the save Whitefield movement was all about. Yet to catch up on news. But did notice several cars with a small poster in the rear windshield. Ironically most of them had a single occupant. Isn't that one of the main reasons for the mess?

Right now they are protesting for the betterment of infrastructure - roads, garbage disposal, footpaths I think are what they're trying to highlight.
Whitefield has some of the most pathetic roads and has worsened after 3 weeks of rain recently.

[audioholic]

Today they dug up the small road connecting ITPL main road after Zuri to Devasandra main road which acted as a good alternative road to escape the mess at hoodi and graphite india Junction. Not sure what runs in the minds of these people.

The goshala road which was dug up long time back hasnt been fixed yet. Slowly they will concentrate traffic and limit it to the already choked main roads. God knows where this will end up.

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by etrast75

The permutations and combinations are beyond the scope of normal human mind. You have vehicles from left most service lane trying to join the main carriageway when signal turns green thereby impeding the traffic on main carriageway. You have people trying to cross the junction from all possible directions on any signal.
I cross the hosa road junction fairly frequently and take a right onto hosa road. When I take the right I have no idea where a vehicle will come from. Will it be the one going straight on service road? Will it be the one take a left from service road? Will it be the guy from the opposite side of service road? It is a game of chance and you can only hope you get out unscathed.

trying to use your brains from the car seat and crossing this junction is a waste of time. To predict who would come at you is a non-np complete problem it is best to have a prayer on your lips and then cross this hosa road junction

Originally Posted by gadadhar

It is true that the Driver was at fault, but does that give reason for the traffic police to man handle him in broad day light in middle of the road?

I hope you have been living long enough india to understand the way policemen behave - unless there is "pressure from the top" nothing happens - this "checking" for instance, is just eyewash - once a few cases are charged, you wont find any policeman in the later days. Beat cops hate their field work and sulk at the 'officer cadre' who sit in ac offices and belch orders. All the slapping and rude behavior is the frustration getting vented.
But I would just say that all such "infants" and "janani" bus drivers deserve a few slaps. However, I wish that the water tanker drivers get beaten up the most by the police

[chakri400]

Originally Posted by binand

Heh. This metro will not happen in your or my lifetime, it can be guaranteed. :-)

May be, by this time, man will learn to fly - Darwin's theory of evolution might move faster than the metro

[Vysakh]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

This happened today at NICE exit towards Hosur road around 9 am on Monday 30th Nov. Last 2 weeks, like all other roads is Bangalore, traffic pileup has become a routine stuff on NICE exit and used to easily take 20 to 30 mts to come out. Monday morning was no exception and I was stuck on my way to office on the exit road. There are few idiots who avoid all this by taking the entry road from the wrong direction and drive against the incoming traffic to get on to service road towards Hosur. This I always thought as height of stupidity and is close to attempt to murder. Today I could see from some distance that 2 Traffic cops stationed near the exit, one was a high ranking officer (CI I guess) and the other was a duty constable. It was a Tech Mahindra BUS that broke the rule today, I could see the officer recording this in his camera from some distance. Next part was little tough to believe, I am not sure it was a GUN he pulled out, or was it only his mobile. Whatever it was, he was pointing that device like a GUN towards the driver while flagging the bus to stop (let me repeat – I was not sure it was a GUN though it looked like one from a distance). A young chap stepped down from the driver seat and suddenly both the police folks started slapping him on the face and kicking him with their boots. That was totals unexpected and there would have been more than 100 people watching the whole drama from various vehicles on the road. By then traffic started moving and I could not witness what followed.

It is true that the Driver was at fault, but does that give reason for the traffic police to man handle him in broad day light in middle of the road?

Man handling someone who committed a near murder attempt (your words) is probably justified.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by binand

Heh. This metro will not happen in your or my lifetime, it can be guaranteed. :-)

Well they have connected two of the most important locations of Bangalore involving the most crowded road of the city - Byapanahalli to M.G Road all of 6.5 kms. Imagine the condition of the citizens if they did not have the metro to take them shopping from Byapanahalli to M.G Road, and also to Ulsoor to view the famous lake. It would be so difficult to travel by autos or buses from Byapanahalli to M.G Road.

Money well spent I'd say! With that, Bangalore happily can join the ranks of N.Y with its subways or London with its Underground. My next metro route suggestions are as follows :
1) Cubbon Park to Vidhana Soudha
2) Jayanagar to Lalbagh
3) National Games Village to Forum Mall

[Soumyajit9]

Brace yourselves folks. Flyover work at EMC2 / Arena mall has commenced. Expect couple of years of jams, chsos, accidents, fights, etc etc to happen.

I was in a Zipgo and it took me aroundc15 mins to cross this signal towards Marathalli. Jam was about half a km long at 2:50 pm !!!

[sansvk]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

It was a Tech Mahindra BUS that broke the rule today

Police should post the pictures and video in Facebook showing the company's name. This should gain enough publicity and it would be interesting see how the company's management would react to the posts.

[suresh_gs]

FOLKS: A MAJOR TRAFFIC ALERT

As you proceed towards total mall on ORR, you will cross a railway over bridge. Apparently a steel girder that was mounted parallel to the railway track has fallen on the road thereby blocking traffic towards total mall side from Marathahalli.
So all buses are going by the opposite lane. So commuters BEWARE!!!!