In a major move towards transforming commutation in the country, the first driverless metro train comprising six coaches arrived at Bengaluru’s Hebbagodi depot on Wednesday,
As per the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), these coaches arrived at Bengaluru’s Electronic City, the IT hub in South Bengaluru, after being shipped from Shanghai to Chennai. The coaches were then transported in four trailer vehicles by road from Chennai port and reached Bengaluru.
“We have ordered 216 cars of which 90 will operate on the Yellow line forming 15 trains. The one which has arrived is a prototype,” the BMRCL official informed.
Notably, the train will operate on the Yellow Line of the BMRCL from RV Road to Electronic City via Silk Board. Of the 216 coaches, 90 coaches are expected to be deployed on the yellow line while the rest will be divided between the Purple and Green line, BMRCL officials said.
The making of Bengaluru metro
Manufactured by the China-based CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd, the prototype train consisted of six cars while the rest of the coaches will be manufactured domestically with Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd under the Make-in-India initiative.
It is noteworthy that these driverless trains will be introduced as part of the communication-based train control (CBTC) signaling system which uses a modern radio-based communication system to transfer timely and accurate train control information.
In 2019, the Chinese firm won a Rs 1,578 crore contract to supply 216 coaches to BMRCL.
As per the BMRCL officials, the prototype train is expected to be up for mainline testing on the 18.82 km stretch connecting R V Road and Bommasandra (Reach 5) by March after undergoing a plethora of testing at the depot level.