Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The officials of the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited are now concentrating on starting construction of the Blue Line and completing the remaining work of the Orange line.
To note, there will be two Metro lines in Bhopal, Orange and Blue. While work is underway on the Orange Line, soil testing is being done at various places for the Blue Line. The Blue Line will have a length of about 14 kilometres and will include 13 Metro stations.
Sources in the MP Metro Rail Corporation told the Free Press that currently geo technical investigation (soil testing) was being done to check the strength of the soil. It is necessary to do so in areas where the pillars of the Blue Line will be set up.
The pit is dug until the hard rock bed is found. The finding of the rock bed differs from place to place. For instance, under the soil testing for the Blue Line, the hard rock surface was found at a depth of only three to four metres in the Minto Hall area, whereas it could not be detected at Prabhat Square even after digging 12 to 13 metres deep.
The Blue Line will have around 400 to 450 Metro pillars. The decision to construct the pillars is taken after finding the rock bed. The Blue Line will have Metro stations at a distance of 1 km or even less than that.
“The contractor is supposed to complete the Blue Line construction work in a period of three years,” said an official of the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation.
The Orange Metro Line will have 16 Metro stations. Eight stations have already been constructed between Subhash Nagar depot and AIIMS. The trial run of Metro trains is also underway on this route.
The remaining eight stations will be constructed in the coming days. Two stations will be underground and will come up in the Old City area.
Commercial operation likely in August
While Indore would experience the first commercial operation of Metro trains shortly, the people in Bhopal may have to wait till August to see operation of Metro trains for public transportation.
The commercial operation is allowed only after getting clearance from the safety commission which is yet to arrive to do the necessary testing work.
