6 months ago
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Some alleviation is successful show for Bengaluru’s Namma Metro commuters, with the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) readying to deploy the full fleet of 21 caller six-coach trains supplied by China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) connected the Green Line.
The determination is expected to importantly easiness congestion connected the Purple Line, the busiest corridor successful the city’s metro network, arsenic existing Green Line bid sets volition beryllium shifted to the Purple Line.
The Namma Metro officials said that the program involves shifting existing Phase-1 bid sets presently operating connected the Green Line to the 43-km Purple Line corridor betwixt Whitefield and Challaghatta. “With rider numbers steadily rising connected the Purple Line, the reallocation is expected to amended headways and trim overcrowding, particularly during highest hours,” an authoritative said.
A prototype CRRC train, manufactured successful China, arrived successful Bengaluru successful January, 2025, aft respective years of delay. Although it was primitively meant to beryllium inducted connected the Purple Line, the BMRCL is present readying to induct it connected the Green Line. The authoritative said, “All 21 CRRC bid sets, including the prototype and the remaining 20 rakes expected to get gradually by the mediate of this year, volition beryllium deployed exclusively connected the Green Line.”
“As each 21 caller bid sets volition beryllium housed astatine the Peenya depot, which is portion of the Green Line infrastructure. Once these trains are commissioned, 17 existing Phase-1 bid sets volition beryllium shifted to the Purple Line. In nett terms, the Purple Line volition summation 17 further trains, portion the Green Line volition spot a nett summation of 4 trains,” the authoritative added.
DTG trains
The caller CRRC trains are DTG (distance-to-go) enabled and are akin successful plan to the CBTC-equipped trains planned for the Yellow Line (Electronics City corridor). They are expected to connection improved rider amenities.
Following their arrival, the prototype and consequent bid sets volition acquisition extended trials and information checks. Approvals volition beryllium required from statutory agencies specified arsenic the Research Designs and Standards Organisation and the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety earlier rider services tin begin.
“Subject to each mandatory clearances, we person planned to property the prototype CRRC bid into work connected the Green Line by March, 2026,” the authoritative said.
Delays
The induction of the caller trains comes aft a prolonged delay. In 2019, the CRRC was awarded a ₹1,578-crore declaration to proviso 216 metro coaches to the BMRCL. However, the task ran into hurdles aft the CRRC failed to found a manufacturing installation successful India, a cardinal contractual requirement. This led the BMRCL to contented aggregate notices to the institution and see encashing a ₹372-crore slope guarantee.
To resoluteness these issues, the CRRC aboriginal partnered with Titagarh Rail Systems, a Kolkata-based firm, to manufacture and proviso the remaining coaches successful India.
