Chinese-made driverless train for Bengaluru Metro's Yellow Line arrives in Chennai

Bengaluru: The first-ever driverless train for Namma Metro arrived at the Chennai port from China on Tuesday, sparking hopes for the long-delayed Yellow Line. 

The six-coach prototype trainset will be used to conduct trial runs on the 19.15-km Yellow Line, which will connect RV Road with Bommasandra via Jayadeva Hospital, Silk Board Junction and Electronics City. 

The train has been manufactured by China's state-owned CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd, which won a Rs 1,578-crore contract in 2019 to supply 216 coaches to the BMRCL. 

The prototype train will now go for customs clearance, which could take up to five days. After that, it will be brought to Bengaluru by road, with the six coaches transported by as many trailers. This could take another three to four days, one of the sources explained. 

Another well-placed source was confident that the train would reach Bengaluru by February 20 or earlier. 

Once in the city, the train will be taken to the Hebbagodi depot near Electronics City, where it will be assembled under the supervision of Chinese engineers. 

This will be followed by 32 different tests, including 8-10 static tests, several dynamic tests, 15 tests on the mainline and 7-8 interface tests. The tests on the mainline will include oscillation tests under the supervision of the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), the first source added. 

"The test results will have to be submitted to the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) and then to the Railway Board for technical sanction," the source said. "The whole process will take five to six months." 

Five Chinese nationals have received visas to visit Bengaluru to supervise the assembly and testing of the prototype train. Another 10 could get the visas by February-end. "The testing process will run smoothly only if all the Chinese officials reach here. Any delay will impact the testing," the source said. 

Civil and track-laying works on the Yellow Line have long been completed but statutory trial runs couldn't begin because no coaches were available. 

CRRC won the contract because its bid was the lowest (Rs 7.31 crore per coach). "BEML (Bengaluru-based PSU) quoted a far higher sum (Rs 9.28 crore/coach). We saved nearly Rs 432 crore of taxpayers' money," a third source said. 

Another reason for picking the Chinese company was because its coaches have very good electronics that "India will need years to catch up," the source said. 

CRRC, however, struggled to find a local partner to manufacture 208 coaches as part of the contract. Even though it eventually tied up with the Bengal-based Titagarh Wagons Limited, India's cold relations with China further delayed the plans. 

The BMRCL expects to receive two more trains by May and two trains every month afterwards. It needs eight trains to start the Yellow Line, which will likely happen in the third quarter of 2024. 

Train can run every 90 secs 

The Chinese-made train can be run driverless at a frequency of 90 seconds. The coach is 21 metres long and weighs 32 to 37 tonnes.