Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) needs ISA certification for driverless trains that will run on the 19.15-km RV Road-Bommasandra line.
PTI File Photo
Bengaluru: Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) certification, a crucial document for train and signalling tests on Namma Metro's Yellow Line, is in its final stages and expected to arrive any day, according to two officials directly aware of the development.
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) needs ISA certification for driverless trains that will run on the 19.15-km RV Road-Bommasandra line.
An Italian state-run company is providing the certification by working with Siemens India Ltd-Siemens AG, the Yellow Line's signalling contractor.
The certification has taken longer than anticipated after glitches detected during a review of the datasets mandated software corrections.
The officials, both speaking anonymously, told DH that the ISA certification was "in the final stage" and will "arrive any day".
The BMRCL will formally request the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) to conduct the statutory inspection only after the ISA certification arrives.
The officials declined to give dates for the safety inspection that would take at least three days.
The CMRS will need about a week to give a report, which is usually conditional. The BMRCL will need a few days to fulfill the conditions.
Although the BMRCL has promised to open the Yellow Line by August 15, it remains to be seen whether this deadline will be met.
Boost to mobile connectivity in metro
The BMRCL has signed a 13-year licence agreement with a private company to ensure uninterrupted mobile phone connectivity during metro journeys.
Advanced Communications and Electronics Systems Company (ACES) India Pvt Ltd will rent designated spaces on BMRCL premises to deploy and operate telecom infrastructure.
It will install, operate and maintain both elevated and underground telecom infrastructure comprising IBS, BTS, cellular towers and poles at metro stations in both Phases 1 and 2, the BMRCL said.
The initiative is part of the BMRCL's efforts to increase non-fare revenue.
M Maheshwar Rao, BMRCL MD, said: "The new telecom infrastructure will support multiple mobile network operators, facilitate efficient use of space, minimise duplication, reduce deployment costs, and enable faster rollout of advanced 4G/5G mobile services."
The agreement was signed by BMRCL Executive Director (Systems) AS Shankar and ACES India Managing Director Mohamed N Mazher.
BMRCL Director (Rolling Stock and Electrical, Operations and Maintenance) Sumit Bhatnagar and ACES Group CEO Akram Aburas were also present.