Bengaluru Metro Gets Stung: Bees Find Solace On Metro Pillar, Slows Down Trains Running On Purple Line

The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) maintenance team during a regular inspection found a mysterious coarse and rocky object, resembling a ‘honeycomb’ on the concrete beam near the Trinity Metro Station. As a result, the Purple Line is facing slowed down services, Deccan Herald has reported.

Due to repair work in progress by engineers, various speed restrictions are imposed on the trains travelling on the Purple Line between Mysore Road and Byappanahalli, making the trains run late by at least 15 minutes.

Karnataka Chief Minister, H D Kumaraswamy, who was in Belagavi, said, “Somewhere near Miller’s Road, one column has collapsed. This came to my notice two days ago itself. Yesterday (Tuesday), the experts did a check and said that it’s okay to run trains at slow speeds and that the problem can be rectified. Still, I’ve asked them to cross-check.”

Various factors lead to the growth of honeycombs in concretes, of which one is a poor cement-to-water ratio, which reduces its workability.

“While regular inspections were carried out by our maintenance team, a honeycomb under the concrete beam was found, and soon the BMRCL engineers were alerted. The restoration work is in progress now,” Yeshwanth Chavan, PRO, BMRCL said while adding they would need three days to complete the repair work.

On Wednesday evening, there were messages circulated on Whatsapp saying the metro pillar is twisted and asked users to avoid the line and road.

Clarifying the message as wrong and misleading, Chavan said, “It is clarified there is no twisting of any pillars. We have raised a steel platform to do corrective action. Tests are being conducted by the engineers and no harm is suspected from this.”