Bengaluru Metro to get coaches from China by mid-2022

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) said that China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation Ltd (CRRC) would begin supplying metro coaches to Bengaluru Metro by mid-2022.

Officials said that CRRC which bagged the Rs 1,600 crore tender to supply 216 coaches is currently finalising its upcoming manufacturing plant at Sri City in Andhra Pradesh.

BMRCL said it would start getting supply in the second half of 2022. Orders had been placed for 216 coaches. The first 24 coaches are to come from China. The remaining 192 coaches will be manufactured in India, and the supplies will go on till 2023, said BMRCL.

Out of the 216 coaches, 126 will operate on the Green lines (Silk Institute-Madawara) and Purple lines (Whitefield-Kengeri). The remaining 90 coaches or the 15 six-car trains will be used on the Yellow line between Bommasandra and RV Road. These 90 CBTC complaint-coaches can run at high frequency without the train operators (driverless).

BMRCL is currently planning to use the existing but under-utilised 50 trains on Phase II extensions which will be commissioned before the arrival of the new coaches. The frequency of trains on both Purple and Green lines might drop once the Kengeri stretch is ready for inaugural. The southern extension of the Green Line was inaugurated last week.

Also read: Bengaluru Metro phase 2 underway

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