Chinese-made driverless train prototype for Electronics City Metro reaches Bengaluru

Chinese made Metro coaches in Bengaluru

For Bengaluru, the Valentine's Day broke with the arrival of the Metro's first driverless train prototype that was manufactured in China.

BL Yashavanth Chavan, chief public relations officer of Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL), told Moneycontrol that all six coaches reached Hebbagodi depot in four trailer vehicles at Hebbagodi depot near Electronics City around 3:45 am on February 14.

While the prototype of the first six-coach train for the Electronics City Metro line (19-km Yellow Line) was shipped from the Shanghai port on January 24, it reached the Chennai port on February 6. From the Chennai port, it was transported in four trailer vehicles during night hours.

Also, read: Bengaluru Metro's first driverless train arrives at Chennai port from China

The civil work for the Yellow Line was almost complete, but the delay in the delivery of trains caused the Yellow Line to miss multiple deadlines. The Yellow Line (RV Road - Bommasandra) is a crucial Metro corridor linking South Bengaluru with Electronics City, which is home to major companies like Infosys and Biocon. It was first supposed to be completed by 2021.

BMRCL officials have stated that the testing, trial runs, and approvals will take around six months. "It needs to be assembled before moving to the test track for static and electrical circuits testing. Later, it will be moved to the mainline for around 15 tests. Following this, Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO) trials, approvals from Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS), Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS), and the railway board will be required," said Chavan.

Multiple tests need to be conducted since it is a new rolling stock. "There will be 37 tests lasting for four months, followed by signalling tests for 45 days," he added.

In December 2019, CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd, the Chinese vendor, received the contract to supply 216 coaches, with an expected delivery to BMRCL within 173 weeks. Out of these, 126 coaches (21 six-coach trains) are for the Purple and Green lines, while the remaining 90 coaches (15 six-coach trains) are for the Yellow Line.

BMRCL officials said that driverless trains would be introduced as part of the Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system for the Yellow Line. This is the first time CBTC, commonly known as 'driverless technology,' is being used in Bengaluru Metro. Namma Metro uses the DTG (distance-to-go) signalling system, where the time between two trains is two and a half minutes. However, CBTC can reduce train headway to less than 90 seconds. While BMRCL can operate driverless trains on the Yellow Line, it has decided to continue deploying loco pilots.

CRRC partnered with Kolkata-based Titagarh Rail to manufacture and supply the coaches in compliance with the 75 percent local production requirement under the 'Make in India' initiative. Titagarh will manufacture the remaining 204 coaches, with the assurance that all 216 coaches for BMRCL will be delivered by March 2025.

BMRCL officials said that CRRC and Titagarh have to supply six to seven trains before they can start operations on the Yellow Line. CRRC has already delivered two train car body shells to Titagarh for outfitting works, and these two trains are likely to be delivered in May, followed by two trains every month. While BMRCL's target is July 2024 for operations to commence on Yellow Line, it appears to start operations only by the fourth quarter of 2024.

The delay in the delivery of coaches from CRRC has also led to overcrowding on Bengaluru’s two operational lines – Purple (Challaghatta - Whitefield) and Green (Silk Institute - Nagasandra).

Also, read: MC Explains: Overcrowded Bengaluru Metro coaches: Fallout of Indo-China conflict