Bengaluru-Hosur metro plan hits roadblock, BMRCL says direct link ‘technically not feasible’
The plan to connect Bengaluru and Hosur through South India’s first interstate metro line appears to have hit a dead end, as the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has declared it ‘technically not feasible’.
The issue arises from differences in the power systems used by the two metro networks, making integration difficult, according to a report by Deccan Herald.
The Tamil Nadu government had backed the Hosur-Bommasandra metro corridor, viewing it as a way to boost industrial and economic growth in Hosur.
However, BMRCL officials said that while the idea is appealing on paper, it cannot be executed in practice because of differing traction systems, the electrical setups that power metro trains.
The feasibility study by the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) had proposed a 25 kV AC overhead traction system for the Hosur-Bommasandra line.
In contrast, the Namma Metro operates using a 750 V DC third rail system. These two power systems are not compatible, making it technically impossible to run trains seamlessly between the two networks.
A senior BMRCL official explained that the corporation had also studied an 11-km extension from Bommasandra to Attibele, the last major suburb before the Tamil Nadu border. This section, like the rest of Bengaluru’s network, would run on the 750 V DC system. However, beyond Attibele, the proposed Hosur line under Tamil Nadu’s plan would switch to the 25 kV AC system.
“Building a continuous line from Bommasandra to Hosur is not technically feasible. The Hosur line just cannot be integrated into our system. We’ve shared our opinion with the state government, which will take the final decision,” a senior BMRCL official was quoted by DH as saying.