Click it and Unblock the Notifications
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has inducted its first six-coach train manufactured under the Titagarh-China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) contract on the 33-km Green Line, which runs between Madavara and Silk Institute.
The first train, identified as TS16, was inducted into service on Monday, and two more trains are expected to be added soon. However, these new trains will not immediately lead to more services or shorter waiting times for passengers.
Bengaluru Metro's Green Line: New trains to support maintenance
According to BMRCL officials, the new trains are being introduced mainly to help the Metro withdraw older trains for scheduled maintenance. Each train undergoing maintenance is expected to remain out of service for around 15 days. Metro trains have a service life of around 30 years, but they require major mid-life maintenance to inspect, overhaul, and replace components that have experienced wear and tear over years of operation. BMRCL is using the new trains to clear the accumulated maintenance backlog gradually.
Bengaluru Metro's Green Line to get 21 new trains
The Green Line is expected to receive 21 six-coach Titagarh-CRRC trains by the second quarter of 2027 to operate exclusively on the Green Line, while their maintenance will be carried out at the Peenya depot.
The first train has now been inducted, while the remaining 20 trains are being manufactured at Titagarh Rail Systems' facility in Uttarpara, West Bengal.
The introduction of these trains will also allow BMRCL to gradually shift the 17 existing BEML trainsets operating on the Green Line to the Purple Line between Challaghatta and Whitefield, which has the highest passenger demand among the Metro corridors.
The new trains use Distance-To-Go (DTG) technology and have a design similar to the trains operating on the Yellow Line between R.V. Road and Electronics City.
The project had faced delays after BMRCL awarded CRRC a ₹1,578-crore contract in 2019 to supply 216 Metro coaches. The project was delayed after CRRC failed to establish the required manufacturing facility in India. BMRCL had issued notices and considered invoking a ₹372-crore bank guarantee. The issue was eventually resolved after CRRC partnered with Kolkata-based Titagarh Rail Systems to manufacture the remaining coaches in India.