BMRCL MD M Maheshwar Rao and Director (Rolling Stock) MN Dhoke with Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL) officials at the company's plant in Bengal.
Credit: TRSL
Bengaluru: Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL) announced on Friday that it would deliver the first trainset for Bengaluru metro's Yellow Line in August.
TRSL, based in West Bengal, is the India partner of China's CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co, which secured a Rs 1,578-crore contract in December 2019 to supply 216 coaches (34 trainsets) to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited.
While two trainsets (12 coaches) are being manufactured in China, the remaining 204 coaches (34 trainsets) will be produced by TRSL.
To meet the project's specific requirements, TRSL said it had established a dedicated stainless steel production line. Production began on May 18 and the first trainset is slated for delivery in August, it added.
BMRCL Managing Director Maheshwar Rao M and Director (Rolling Stock, Signalling and Electrical) MN Dhoke recently visited Titagarh's Passenger Rail Systems Unit to review the production of trainsets.
As per the contract, CRRC-TRSL should deliver two trainsets every month following the initial delivery. All trains will feature Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) technology, enabling driverless operations, though BMRCL initially plans to employ loco pilots.
All trains will be equipped with the Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) technology that allows driverless operations. However, the BMRCL initially plans to deploy loco pilots on these trains.
The BMRCL hopes to receive five to six trainsets in the next months to be able to open the Yellow Line with a 20-minute headway, Rao told DH on Thursday.
Civil and track-laying on the 19.15-km Yellow Line have long been completed, but the lack of trains has delayed commercial operations.
On Thursday, the BMRCL began full-scale trial runs on the entire line (Bommasandra-RV Road) with the prototype six-coach train that arrived from China in February this year.
Early start for metro
On Sunday, metro train services will start at 6 am, instead of the usual 7 am, from all terminal stations (Whitefield, Challaghatta, Nagasandra and Silk Institute) to help candidates taking the UPSC civil service (preliminary) exam.
No metro at Challaghatta on Monday
Metro trains will not operate between Kengeri and Challaghatta from 5 am to 1 pm on Monday (June 17) due to scheduled maintenance.
Normal services on the entire Purple Line (Challaghatta-Whitefield) will resume at 1 pm as per schedule.
There will be no change in the Green Line operations.