The metro system in IT metropolis Bengaluru – the back office for many of the world’s major corporations – is getting a much-needed upgrade. Our elevators and escalators will feature in the network expansion slated to give millions of commuters alternative options to the ever-congested roads.
Vehicles are backed up in four or five lanes along Service Road in Bengaluru. Here, drivers are skilled in exploiting every millimeter. Motorbikes and mopeds pass within a whisker of the cars as they inch forward, to a continuous soundtrack of horns.
Over the last 20 years, India’s third-largest city and capital of the state of Karnataka, has more than doubled in population size, to a staggering 11.5 million residents. Each week, up to two million car drivers are on the road – including approximately 100,000 IT workers who commute around the clock to offer a global service. But the roadway infrastructure can’t keep pace with the city’s population boom.
Enter the city’s metro system.
The Namma Metro – which, in the local language means "Our Metro" – has been running since 2011. While it’s steadily increased in length since opening, to just over 73 kilometers of track, its network still consists of just two lines, the Purple and the Green – until now.
By 2026, the city’s metro network will extend to over 170 kilometers, with three new lines to link the IT hubs with the airport and the traffic-choked Outer Ring Road – providing some much-needed relief to the city’s streets.
A. S. Shankar, Executive Director of Namma Metro, is optimistic about the effect this will have on road traffic. "We estimate that we can encourage 25-50% of all commuters to switch from cars to the metro," he says.
There wasn’t enough space for a ground-level network and insufficient funding for a completely underground subway. As a result, roughly 90% of metro traffic runs on elevated lines – with only seven of its 69 stations below ground. Commuters therefore need to get up or down to the metro tracks – calling for highly reliable escalators and elevators.
In the first phase of the metro’s development, our team installed 120 elevators. Now, as part of Phase 2, we’re providing 180 escalators. That they are produced in our factory in Pune, a few hours’ drive from Mumbai, was of great significance to the Indian government. Schindler’s work ethic – with safety, reliability, and punctuality as key values – also weighed on the decision to grant us the contract, according to A. S. Shankar.
Our team’s technical know-how is playing a part, too. Majestic Station stands in the center of the city and is the interchange for the original two metro lines. With four levels and a total area of 48,000 square meters, it is Asia’s largest subway station.
Our service technicians work round the clock to ensure that the station’s four Schindler 5400 elevators remain in service, moving approximately 9,000 passengers a day from one level to another. EI team leader Arunkumar Haridas is happy to play a small part in keeping things moving smoothly. "I help people make their way through Bengaluru. It gives me purpose and joy."
He has personally implemented a response time of under 10 minutes to resolve disruptions and avoid chain reactions. When scheduled maintenance is required, our technicians work between 11pm and 5am, when no trains are running.
Just a few metro stops south of Majestic Station lies Konappana Agrahara metro station. Here, New Installation Area Manager Nageswaran Nagarajan and his team successfully installed 16 escalators. Their biggest challenge was the logistics – navigating the constant traffic on Service Road and the Chennai Highway, both of which run parallel to the metro line, to ensure the timely delivery of parts.
"I'm extremely proud that we accomplished this smoothly and with the precision Schindler is known for," says Nageswaran Nagarajan. "In the end, the customer expects nothing less from us."