Namma Metro Yellow Line train trial run.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: The long-delayed Yellow Line is just one step away from opening as Namma Metro has received the crucial Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) certification for train and signalling systems, according to an official with direct knowledge of the matter.
Italcertifer, an Italian state-owned company, submitted the ISA certification to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Thursday evening.
"We'll go through the report and then submit it to the CMRS," the official told DH.
The BMRCL required the ISA to test safety parameters of the driverless trains that will run on the Yellow Line.
The BMRCL follows Safety Integrity Level 4, the highest measurement of the safety of a metro system, according to the official.
The ISA report was delayed after Siemens India Limited-Siemens AG, the signalling contractor for the Yellow Line, detected glitches in software datasets that control all aspects of train movements.
The glitches had to be corrected in the software, tested in the field and verified, which took time.
The CMRS, or the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety, is expected to conduct the statutory inspection of the Yellow Line for three to four days later this month.
The CMRS (Southern Circle), AM Chowdhary, will inspect the metro track, viaduct, stations, and other parameters to determine whether or not they are safe for passenger operations.
The CMRS typically takes about a week to give his report, which is almost always conditional.
The BMRCL will need a few days to fulfill the conditions and then approach the state government for permission to open the line. The state is also required to seek approval from the union government, which is an equal partner in Namma Metro.
BMRCL Managing Director M Maheshwar Rao announced in early July that the Yellow Line would open by August 15.
The BMRCL currently has three trains to run on the Yellow Line. It plans to operationalise all the 16 stations, with trains running at a frequency of 20-25 minutes.
The official, who wished to remain anonymous, explained that a fourth train was expected to be dispatched by Kolkata-based rolling stock manufacturer Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL) by the fourth week of July.
"All six coaches of this trainset have been formed and are currently undergoing testing. We expect it to be dispatched by the fourth week of July. The train will arrive in Bengaluru in about 10 days," the official said.
The train will be required to undergo testing on the mainline for about three weeks before it can be introduced into passenger service.
This fourth trainset will help the BMRCL improve train frequency on the Yellow Line to 20 minutes.
TRSL is expected to supply two trains per month from September and all 15 by March 2026, as this newspaper reported recently.
The Yellow Line will provide metro connectivity to the tech hub of Electronics City and the surrounding areas in southern Bengaluru. In particular, it will help decongest the notorious Silk Board Junction.