BMRCL officials visit China to inspect Bengaluru metro Yellow Line coaches

BMRCL plans to run these coaches on the newly opened K.R. Pura-Whitefield stretch.
| Photo Credit: special arrangement

A group of senior Bengaluru Metro officials visited the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) factory in China, which is yet to supply Namma Metro coaches that the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) wants to deploy on the recently inaugurated K.R. Pura to Whitefield metro line and the upcoming Yellow Line, set to be operational by December 2023.

In 2019, the Chinese firm secured a ₹1,578-crore contract to supply 216 metro coaches to BMRCL. However, they couldn’t fulfil the contract as they hadn’t established a manufacturing plant in India as required.

A senior official confirmed the development and said, “The firm will deliver two sets of six-coach trains soon this year. The remaining coaches will be supplied to BMRCL in phases. The officials have gone to China to inspect and facilitate transit of the coaches.”

Previously, BMRCL had sent multiple notices to China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation, even considering encashing its ₹372-crore bank guarantee. Now, the Chinese company has partnered with Kolkata-based Titagarh Wagons to supply the remaining coaches from September onwards. “CRRSC has signed an MoU with an Indian company for coach manufacturing. We anticipate the arrival of these coaches, which will operate on the R.V. Road – Bommasandra line,” the official explained.

The R.V. Road – Bommasandra line of Namma metro, the 19-km elevated Yellow Line, is expected to become operational by December 2023. This will benefit a large number of those employed in Electronics City, apart from others.