BEML To Deliver Driverless-Capable Trainsets For Bengaluru Blue Line

30 Mar 2026 CW Team

The trainsets will undergo extensive testing and validation for at least five months before they are cleared for service. The lines will operate using communications-based train control (CBTC), a system designed for fully driverless operation at grade of automation four (GoA-4), although drivers will initially remain onboard while the system stabilises. Authorities have emphasised the need for thorough trials to ensure safety and reliability.

The Blue Line's 18 km elevated section between Central Silk Board and KR Pura is scheduled for completion by December 2026, and the longer airport extension from KR Pura to Kempegowda International Airport, spanning 37 km, is expected to be ready by December 2027. The Outer Ring Road corridor has been prioritised because of its strategic importance to the city's technology hub and its heavy commuter traffic. State government instructions were cited as the basis for prioritisation.

The metro trains being manufactured for the corridor will include several passenger-friendly features. Four of the six coaches in each Blue Line train will be fitted with luggage racks, with two seats removed and replaced by racks, while the two driver-trailer cars will not include this arrangement. The trains will also incorporate LCD-based dynamic route map displays and upgraded safety systems.

BEML has already delivered five trainsets for the Pink Line's seven point five km elevated stretch between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere, and operations on that section are expected to begin around June subject to safety approvals. The staged testing and phased introduction of services are being pursued to align operational readiness with regulatory clearances.

BEML Limited (Bharat Earth Movers Limited, BEML) is set to supply the first trainsets for the Outer Ring Road (ORR) stretch of Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Blue Line. Two driverless-capable trainsets are due to be transferred to the Byappanahalli depot to begin trials in May. Officials indicated the deliveries are intended to start the validation process ahead of passenger operations. The trainsets will undergo extensive testing and validation for at least five months before they are cleared for service. The lines will operate using communications-based train control (CBTC), a system designed for fully driverless operation at grade of automation four (GoA-4), although drivers will initially remain onboard while the system stabilises. Authorities have emphasised the need for thorough trials to ensure safety and reliability. The Blue Line's 18 km elevated section between Central Silk Board and KR Pura is scheduled for completion by December 2026, and the longer airport extension from KR Pura to Kempegowda International Airport, spanning 37 km, is expected to be ready by December 2027. The Outer Ring Road corridor has been prioritised because of its strategic importance to the city's technology hub and its heavy commuter traffic. State government instructions were cited as the basis for prioritisation. The metro trains being manufactured for the corridor will include several passenger-friendly features. Four of the six coaches in each Blue Line train will be fitted with luggage racks, with two seats removed and replaced by racks, while the two driver-trailer cars will not include this arrangement. The trains will also incorporate LCD-based dynamic route map displays and upgraded safety systems. BEML has already delivered five trainsets for the Pink Line's seven point five km elevated stretch between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere, and operations on that section are expected to begin around June subject to safety approvals. The staged testing and phased introduction of services are being pursued to align operational readiness with regulatory clearances.

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