Exclusive | Titagarh Rail Systems plans to start supplying driverless metro train coaches for Bengaluru Metro from April: Sources

The 19-km Yellow Line, connecting the tech hub of Electronics City to RV Road in South Bengaluru, is expected to be operational by September 2024.

Titagarh Rail Systems is on track to start supplying driverless train sets for Bengaluru Metro’s Yellow Line (RV Road-Bommasandra) from April, senior company officials told Moneycontrol on the condition of anonymity.

"Our assembly line is almost commissioned. The machines are all here. The work is all done, so now it's just under commissioning, and commissioning should be complete within the next 45 to 60 days, and immediately after that, the manufacturing starts," a senior company executive said.

He added that Titagarh Rail Systems will supply two train sets of six coaches each every month to Bengaluru Metro Rail Corp (BMRCL) from April.

BMRCL has imported the first two sets of six-car trains (12 coaches) from China, while the remaining 204 coaches will be manufactured by Titagarh Rail in India.

“The commissioning of the assembly line would get finished in March, so tentatively by around let's say, April, we would be able to start supplying two train sets a month," the senior Titagarh official said.

Titagarh plans to complete the order within the timeline of March 2025.

Driverless train

Bengaluru’s first driverless train set of six coaches reached Hebbagodi depot in Electronic City early on February 14, about 20 days after being shipped from Shanghai to Chennai.

According to the BMRCL, the coaches were transported in four trailer vehicles by road from Chennai port and reached Bengaluru at 0330 IST.

The prototype train consisting of six cars is manufactured by the China-based CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd while the rest of the coaches will be manufactured with its domestic partner Titagarh Rail, as part of the Make In India initiative.

In December 2019, CRRC Nanjing Puzhen was awarded the contract to supply 216 coaches, with delivery to BMRCL expected within 173 weeks.

However, the supply was delayed due to challenges faced by CRRC in identifying a local manufacturer to meet the 75 percent local production requirement under the Make in India initiative, as well as factors such as Covid-19, foreign direct investment policies, and trade restrictions with China. Subsequently, CRRC partnered with Kolkata-based Titagarh Rail to manufacture and supply the coaches.

Yellow line

The Yellow Line connects Electronics City, which has offices of companies such as Infosys and Biocon, and RV Road in South Bengaluru.

Sources said BMRCL requires 8-10 trains to commence operations on the Yellow Line. The entire Yellow Line was initially expected to be operational by 2021 but the deadline was revised multiple times.

While the entire Yellow Line was initially expected to be operational by 2021, the deadline was revised to December 2022, then to June 2023, and now to December 2023. The Yellow Line will greatly benefit residents of areas such as Jayanagar, BTM Layout, and HSR Layout, as well as employees working in Electronics City and Bommasandra Industrial Area. Infosys has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop the Konappana Agrahara station and Biocon Foundation for the Hebbagodi station.

The Yellow Line has 16 stations: Rashtreeya Vidyalaya Road (RV Road), Ragigudda, Jayadeva Hospital, BTM Layout, Central Silk Board, Bommanahalli (HSR Layout), Hongasandra (Oxford College), Kudlu Gate (Muneshwara Nagar), Singasandra (Chikkabegur), Hosa Road (Basapura Road), Beratena Agrahara (Hosa Road), Electronic City, Infosys Foundation Konappana Agrahara (Electronic City–II), Huskur Road, Hebbagodi, and Bommasandra.