Bengaluru Metro will get its first travelator at Central Silk Board, where a 250-metre elevated pedestrian link will connect the Yellow Line station with the upcoming Blue Line station. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) has awarded the ₹55.48-crore contract for the travelator and an adjoining walkway to Milan Road Buildtech LLP.
The two stations are located near Central Silk Board on separate metro corridors. The Yellow Line connects RV Road with Bommasandra and is already operational, while the Blue Line is being constructed to connect Central Silk Board with Kempegowda International Airport. The travelator will begin operations when the Blue Line station opens for passenger services, according to information attributed to BMRCL officials.
The connection is being planned because the two elevated stations are separated by the Outer Ring Road. Without an elevated link, passengers changing between the corridors would need to descend to road level and cross the road before reaching the other station. The proposed skywalk travelator is intended to allow passengers to move between the stations without making that road-level crossing.
A walkway will be built alongside the travelator for passengers who prefer to walk. On the travelator, passengers can stand while the moving platform carries them horizontally from one station to the other. The system is commonly used in airports, railway stations and shopping malls where users must cover longer distances on the same level.
BMRCL chief public relations officer Yashwant Chavan said the system was being introduced at a metro interchange because the distance between the two stations is significant and the stations are positioned on elevated corridors separated by a major road. The travelator will function as the principal connection between the Yellow and Blue Line stations at the interchange.
The design will differ from Bengaluru’s other interchange arrangements. At Majestic, the Green and Purple lines are accommodated within the same underground station at different levels. At RV Road, the Green and Yellow Line stations are adjacent elevated stations. At MG Road, the Purple Line station is elevated while the Pink Line station is underground, with a connection between them.
Central Silk Board will instead have two elevated stations on separate corridors, with the Outer Ring Road running between them. The proposed link is therefore being constructed above road level as a skywalk equipped with a travelator. BMRCL officials have also said that the design is intended to enhance the visual appeal of the interchange.
The project will become operational alongside the Blue Line’s opening at Central Silk Board. Until then, the Yellow Line station will continue to operate without the inter-station travelator connection. The contract awarded to Milan Road Buildtech LLP covers the installation of the travelator and construction of the adjoining pedestrian walkway.
