First India-assembled, driverless metro train for Yellow Line to reach Bengaluru by Jan 15

Bengaluru: Ending months of uncertainty, Namma Metro announced on Friday that the first India-assembled, driverless trainset for the Yellow Line will arrive in Bengaluru by January 15, 2025.

This is the first time that Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has publicly specified a date for the arrival of the six-coach trainset.

The 19.15-km metro line, which will connect RV Road and Bommasandra via Silk Board Junction and Electronics City, has long been ready but commercial operations haven't begun for want of trains.

In 2019, the BMRCL awarded a Rs 1,578-crore contract to China's CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd to supply 36 trainsets: 15 for the Yellow Line and 21 for the Purple and Green lines. The Yellow Line trains will be equipped with the Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) for driverless operations, while Purple and Green Line trains will rely on Distance To Go (DTG) that requires loco pilots.

Only two prototype trains have been manufactured in China, while the remaining are being assembled by Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL), CRRC's Indian partner.

Earlier this year, TRSL began assembling three trainsets using car body shells imported from China. The first trainset is expected to arrive at Bengaluru's Hebbagodi depot by January 15, 2025, according to BMRCL.

The BMRCL received the Yellow Line prototype train in February 2024 and is conducting trial runs. While the train has received necessary approvals from Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), a mandatory collision test is pending, which can take place when another train arrives.

A well-placed source said TRSL would dispatch the train by road by December-end.

There is still no word yet on commercial operations. The BMRCL had previously stated that at least three trains are required to operate the Yellow Line with a 30-minute headway.

A senior BMRCL official declined to specify a deadline. "We are working to operationalise the line as soon as possible," he said.

Based on collision test results, safety certification and the third train's arrival, the Yellow Line will likely open only after March 2025.

According to the first source, CRRC-TRSL will deliver trains every month after the first dispatch.

Meanwhile, the China-made prototype train for the Purple Line will reach the Chennai port by year-end and Bengaluru's Peenya metro depot by January 10, 2025, the BMRCL said.

It will undergo tests before being certified for passenger service. Overcrowding on the Purple and Green Lines will likely continue until more trains arrive in the second half of 2025.