Latest news with #TheYellowLine
The Hindu
01-08-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Bengaluru metro's Yellow Line gets safety clearance from CMRS for operations
Bengaluru's long-awaited Yellow Line of the Namma Metro corridor has finally cleared a crucial hurdle, with the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) receiving the statutory safety clearance from the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS), Southern Circle. This development brings the metro a step closer in the journey to operationalise the 19.15-km stretch connecting R.V. Road in South Bengaluru to Bommasandra. Speaking to The Hindu, Yashwanth Chavan, chief public relations officer of BMRCL, confirmed that the CMRS has issued the mandatory safety certification necessary for passenger services to begin on the new route. Another senior BMRCL official said that the clearance comes with certain conditions, which must be fulfilled before commercial operations can commence. 'The CMRS typically makes a series of observations and recommendations during inspection. Once we comply with all the directives, we will submit a compliance report. Only after receiving final clearance can passenger operations begin,' the official told The Hindu. The CMRS inspection, led by A.M. Chowdhary, took place over three days starting July 22. The review covered all aspects of safety and readiness, including power supply systems, signalling, tracks and viaducts, curves, fire safety measures, passenger information systems, and amenities at the metro stations. Will PM Modi launch new line? While a formal date for the line's inauguration has not yet been finalised, BMRCL is working towards an August 15 launch. 'We have informed both the State and Central governments about receiving safety clearance, as per protocol,' another official said. Regarding reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend the inauguration, an official said it is subject to his schedule. However, there is no official confirmation of his participation yet. Initially, limited services are expected, with three driverless trains operating at a 20-minute frequency. BMRCL plans to gradually scale up to full-fledged operations with peak hour frequencies of five minutes or less by March 2026. Delayed project The Yellow Line passes through several high-density areas, including Central Silk Board, HSR Layout, and Electronics City, making it a vital corridor for commuters and tech workers in the city. The line was originally scheduled to open in 2021, but missed multiple deadlines, the most recent being a revised target of June 2024. Delays were primarily due to complications in procuring rolling stock. In 2019, BMRCL awarded a ₹1,578-crore contract to Chinese firm CRRC to supply 216 coaches and set up a manufacturing unit in India. However, CRRC failed to meet contractual obligations, severely hampering the project's timeline. This led BMRCL to issue several warnings and explore invoking a ₹372-crore bank guarantee. To revive progress, CRRC partnered with Kolkata-based Titagarh Rail Systems Limited. This collaboration allowed deliveries to resume, though at a slower pace than originally planned. So far, BMRCL has received three train sets for the Yellow Line. A fourth train is currently undergoing trials at the Titagarh facility and is expected to be shipped by July 28, reaching Bengaluru around August 12.
Sydney Morning Herald
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Drawn from the experiences of a former prison guard, this play crosses an invisible line
Prisons are often considered hidden, closed-off places – areas defined by how removed they are from everyday life. Most will go their entire lives not seeing the inside of one, perhaps fearing them or the people inside. This is not the case for Tyson Tuala, a former prison guard stationed at the soon-to-be closed Port Phillip Prison. After working at the maximum-security jail for nearly four years, Tuala learnt every facet of the prison experience, including the 'yellow line', a metaphorical and literal boundary between guards and inmates. This divide was rarely crossed; however, Tuala became one of the few who managed to. Now president of Melbourne-based Māori association Ngā Mātai Pūrua Inc., Tuala knew he wanted to share his story, along with those of the inmates he guarded, to lift the curtain on the prison system. But it wasn't until he met Alaine Beek, founder of Essence Theatre Productions, that he discovered the best way to do so. Together, they created The Yellow Line, a stage play based on Tuala's real-life experience of attempting to teach a group of disinterested inmates the haka. 'If people can see and hear these stories, it starts to break down those barriers or the assumptions of what it's like for different people – for guards, for prisoners,' Tuala says. 'If you only ever hear stories like your own, your beliefs will never be challenged … seeing this with 200 to 500 other people, it helps you change your mind, it creates empathy, it helps you release anger and frustration.' The Yellow Line doesn't just reveal what it's like inside a prison, it also shines a light on Māori and Pacifika communities, which are disproportionately impacted by incarceration in Australia. This, Tuala says, will hopefully resonate with First Nations people, who are also overrepresented in the Australian criminal justice system, and who helped pave the way for him to share his story on Woiwurrung Country now. Many Australians' only existing encounter with the haka – a Māori ceremonial war dance – may be while watching the All Blacks before a rugby game. However, Tuala says the play explores its deeper cultural and emotional significance.
The Age
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Drawn from the experiences of a former prison guard, this play crosses an invisible line
Prisons are often considered hidden, closed-off places – areas defined by how removed they are from everyday life. Most will go their entire lives not seeing the inside of one, perhaps fearing them or the people inside. This is not the case for Tyson Tuala, a former prison guard stationed at the soon-to-be closed Port Phillip Prison. After working at the maximum-security jail for nearly four years, Tuala learnt every facet of the prison experience, including the 'yellow line', a metaphorical and literal boundary between guards and inmates. This divide was rarely crossed; however, Tuala became one of the few who managed to. Now president of Melbourne-based Māori association Ngā Mātai Pūrua Inc., Tuala knew he wanted to share his story, along with those of the inmates he guarded, to lift the curtain on the prison system. But it wasn't until he met Alaine Beek, founder of Essence Theatre Productions, that he discovered the best way to do so. Together, they created The Yellow Line, a stage play based on Tuala's real-life experience of attempting to teach a group of disinterested inmates the haka. 'If people can see and hear these stories, it starts to break down those barriers or the assumptions of what it's like for different people – for guards, for prisoners,' Tuala says. 'If you only ever hear stories like your own, your beliefs will never be challenged … seeing this with 200 to 500 other people, it helps you change your mind, it creates empathy, it helps you release anger and frustration.' The Yellow Line doesn't just reveal what it's like inside a prison, it also shines a light on Māori and Pacifika communities, which are disproportionately impacted by incarceration in Australia. This, Tuala says, will hopefully resonate with First Nations people, who are also overrepresented in the Australian criminal justice system, and who helped pave the way for him to share his story on Woiwurrung Country now. Many Australians' only existing encounter with the haka – a Māori ceremonial war dance – may be while watching the All Blacks before a rugby game. However, Tuala says the play explores its deeper cultural and emotional significance.
