<p class="bodytext">Bengaluru Metro’s Pink Line, like the recently delayed Yellow Line, appears headed for a slow start. The 7.5-km elevated section between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere is ready, but trial runs have been stalled for want of trains. Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), the Bengaluru-headquartered public sector manufacturer, was to deliver a prototype by June 2025. That deadline has now slipped, with prototype testing alone expected to take another six months. At the core of this crisis lies a chronic shortage of rolling stock. The problem began in 2019, when the contract for the Yellow Line was awarded to the Chinese company CRRC. A ‘Make in India’ clause required the firm to establish a local manufacturing facility, but this proved difficult amid rising geopolitical tensions and restrictions on Chinese entities. After prolonged delays, CRRC partnered with Titagarh Rail Systems, a domestic manufacturer based in Kolkata, to assemble coaches in India. The partnership eventually revived production, but the years lost proved costly for Namma Metro.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Now, even BEML – awarded a Rs 3,177-crore contract for 53 driverless trainsets for the Blue and Pink lines – has run into trouble. Delays in the import of major components such as gearboxes, motor wheel sets, and current collection devices have slowed manufacturing schedules. The absence of domestic testing facilities for crucial safety procedures, including bogey fatigue and car body squeeze tests, has compounded the lag. The result is a widening mismatch between civil completion and rolling stock readiness. The ripple effects extend beyond Bengaluru. Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Pune Metros also face low train frequencies due to similar procurement bottlenecks. The country’s rapid metro expansion is thus colliding with the limited capacity of its rolling stock supply chain.</p>.Is Pink the new Yellow for Bengaluru's Namma Metro? Equipment shortage hits train supply.<p class="bodytext">However, this challenge presents an opening for Karnataka. The state, which has long depended on the IT and services sector, is already home to BEML, the country’s largest domestic supplier of metro coaches. Karnataka can leverage this base to attract private players into the manufacturing of ancillary components – bogies, brake systems, door mechanisms, and traction equipment – that are currently dependent on imports. The state government should act decisively by offering targeted incentives, facilitating industrial clusters around BEML’s KGF unit, and investing in vocational training for specialised skills training for the rail sector. As metro systems expand into tier-2 cities, India’s demand for rolling stock and sub-systems will soar. Karnataka, with its engineering prowess and manufacturing potential, can seize this moment to become the nation’s hub for metro systems, transforming delay into opportunity.</p>
<p class="bodytext">Bengaluru Metro’s Pink Line, like the recently delayed Yellow Line, appears headed for a slow start. The 7.5-km elevated section between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere is ready, but trial runs have been stalled for want of trains. Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), the Bengaluru-headquartered public sector manufacturer, was to deliver a prototype by June 2025. That deadline has now slipped, with prototype testing alone expected to take another six months. At the core of this crisis lies a chronic shortage of rolling stock. The problem began in 2019, when the contract for the Yellow Line was awarded to the Chinese company CRRC. A ‘Make in India’ clause required the firm to establish a local manufacturing facility, but this proved difficult amid rising geopolitical tensions and restrictions on Chinese entities. After prolonged delays, CRRC partnered with Titagarh Rail Systems, a domestic manufacturer based in Kolkata, to assemble coaches in India. The partnership eventually revived production, but the years lost proved costly for Namma Metro.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Now, even BEML – awarded a Rs 3,177-crore contract for 53 driverless trainsets for the Blue and Pink lines – has run into trouble. Delays in the import of major components such as gearboxes, motor wheel sets, and current collection devices have slowed manufacturing schedules. The absence of domestic testing facilities for crucial safety procedures, including bogey fatigue and car body squeeze tests, has compounded the lag. The result is a widening mismatch between civil completion and rolling stock readiness. The ripple effects extend beyond Bengaluru. Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Pune Metros also face low train frequencies due to similar procurement bottlenecks. The country’s rapid metro expansion is thus colliding with the limited capacity of its rolling stock supply chain.</p>.Is Pink the new Yellow for Bengaluru's Namma Metro? Equipment shortage hits train supply.<p class="bodytext">However, this challenge presents an opening for Karnataka. The state, which has long depended on the IT and services sector, is already home to BEML, the country’s largest domestic supplier of metro coaches. Karnataka can leverage this base to attract private players into the manufacturing of ancillary components – bogies, brake systems, door mechanisms, and traction equipment – that are currently dependent on imports. The state government should act decisively by offering targeted incentives, facilitating industrial clusters around BEML’s KGF unit, and investing in vocational training for specialised skills training for the rail sector. As metro systems expand into tier-2 cities, India’s demand for rolling stock and sub-systems will soar. Karnataka, with its engineering prowess and manufacturing potential, can seize this moment to become the nation’s hub for metro systems, transforming delay into opportunity.</p>
