Home

>

Travel

>

Why Is Bengaluru Metro’s Purple Line Coaches Carrying Heaps Of Sandbags? Find Out

by Sanjana Shenoy
Why Is Bengaluru Metro’s Purple Line Coaches Carrying Heaps Of Sandbags? Find Out

Bengaluru Metro is the city’s lifeline for public transport. Every day scores of commuters travel seamlessly on the Purple and Green Lines to their destinations. But what have sandbags got to do with Bengaluru Metro? Well, recently a picture went viral on X (formerly known as Twitter) where a metro train filled with sandbags was running to its destination. Read on to know more about it.

Bengaluru Metro Filled With Sandbags For Trial Runs

According to a report by Asianet Newsable, metro trains on the Purple Line of Bengaluru’s Namma Metro are being used to test the open web girder (WWG) along the Salem railway line near Benniganahalli. For this, sandbags are being placed on the train’s 6 coaches running between n KR Puram and Baiyappanahalli. The reason behind this testing is to find out how the sandbags’ weight affects the girder.

It examines if the girder is able to support passengers during busy hours during international standards. As per Asianet Newsable, this significant step is part of the trial run of Bengaluru Metro. It focuses on the newly installed Open web girder, set up in February.

Stretching 65 m in length, 11.450 meters in width, and standing 650 meters in height, this girder weighs around 550 tons. It’s integrated with a spherical bearing type. And a 8.45-meter clearance is maintained at the base for smooth railway movement. This week, the Purple Line train will have trial runs from KR Puram to Baiyappanahalli and Kengeri to Challaghatta.

Also Read: Ticketless Vande Bharat Passenger Lights Up A Cigarette In Toilet. Train Halted, Man Detained

Trial Runs Help To Assess Maximum Speed

The trial runs will help authorities assess the maximum speed limit permitted along these routes. At the end of August, this train will undergo an inspection by the Metro Safety Commissioner. And post this inspection, the authorities will send a formal letter to the Karnataka government for approval for the metro line’s inauguration. On receiving a green signal from the government, an entire 45 km stretch of the Purple Line will be permitted for public use.

Also Read: Bangalore’s Metro Ridership Touches Record High In July; Trains Carry 6.1 Lakh Daily Travellers

Meanwhile, Bengalureans can expect the entire Purple Line stretch from Whitefield to Challaghatta to be launched in the first week of September.

Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons and Canva