Bengaluru's Namma Metro Welcomes Arrival Of First Driverless Train, Chinese Engineers To Oversee Coupling Of Coaches

The first driverless train for Namma Metro has arrived at the Hebbagodi depot near Electronics City in southern Bengaluru, announced the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) as per a report by Deccan Herald.

This six-coach prototype trainset will undergo trial runs on the 19.15-km Yellow Line, linking RV Road with Bommasandra via Jayadeva Hospital, Silk Board Junction, and Electronics City.

Manufactured by China's CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd, the train was awarded a Rs 1,578-crore contract in 2019 to supply 216 coaches to the BMRCL.

The train departed from China on 24 January and arrived at the Chennai port on 6 February. After unloading and customs clearance, the train was transported by road to Bengaluru.

At the Hebbagodi depot, Chinese engineers will oversee the coupling of the coaches.

Following this, 32 tests will be conducted, including 8-10 static tests, various dynamic tests, 15 mainline tests, and 7-8 interface tests.

Mainline tests, including oscillation tests, will be supervised by the Lucknow-based Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), according to BMRCL officials.

"The test results will be submitted to the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) and then to the Railway Board for technical approval," said one official, adding, "The entire process is expected to take five to six months."

Five Chinese nationals have received visas to oversee the assembly and testing of the prototype train in Bengaluru, with another 10 expected to receive visas by the end of February.

While civil and track-laying works on the Yellow Line are complete, statutory trial runs could not begin due to the lack of coaches.

CRRC was awarded the contract because its bid was significantly lower (Rs 7.31 crore per coach) than that of the Bengaluru-based PSU BEML (Rs 9.28 crore per coach).

Another reason for selecting the Chinese company was its advanced electronics, which according to a senior BMRCL official, "India will need years to catch up with."

Despite CRRC's struggles to find a local partner to manufacture 208 coaches, it eventually partnered with Bengaluru's Titagarh Wagons Limited. However, India's strained relations with China further delayed the plans.

BMRCL expects to receive two more trains by May and two trains every month thereafter.

The operation of the Yellow Line is anticipated to commence with eight trains, likely in the third quarter of 2024.