Alstom has unveiled the first driverless Metropolis trainset for Mumbai Metro Lines 4 and 4A at its facility in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh. The French manufacturer is scheduled to deliver the trainset to Mumbai in December 2026 as part of an order for 39 trainsets. The first train is expected to be dispatched by the end of November and could arrive in the first or second week of December after a journey of about a week to 10 days.

The new trains will feature wheelchair accessibility, dedicated bicycle racks and airflow-based cooling. Alstom said the trainset is the first of its trains in India to include dedicated bicycle racks. It has a designed speed of 90 kmph and an operational speed of 80 kmph, with the equipment intended to support faster and more convenient travel across the corridor.

Train-level testing is nearly complete, while signalling integration and other validation work are expected to require another three to four weeks. The train will then undergo certification by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation and the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety. The approval process will include high-speed trials, braking tests and ride-quality assessments before passenger operations can begin.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, or MMRDA, plans to use trains from Metro Lines 2 and 7 for the corridor’s phased opening. Alstom is targeting the passenger-operations milestone by August 2027, although the start date will depend on testing, certification and other approvals.

The 32.32-km elevated Metro Line 4 will connect Wadala in Mumbai with Kasarvadavali in Thane through 30 stations. MMRDA estimates that the corridor could reduce existing travel times by 50 to 75 per cent, depending on road conditions. Metro Line 4A will extend connectivity towards Gaimukh.

The trains were designed in Bengaluru and manufactured at Sri City. Propulsion systems and bogies are being supplied from Coimbatore and Savli, respectively. Alstom is also providing signalling systems, depot equipment and five years of maintenance services for the project.