What if every metro reached in 4 minutes? Bengaluru may reach there soon. Bengaluru-News News

Bengaluru’s metro network is preparing for one of its biggest service upgrades ever. Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited has outlined plans to run trains every four minutes on all operational lines within the next two years.

To meet this target, BMRCL is rapidly expanding its rolling stock, signing new contracts and accelerating the delivery schedule for new coach sets.

As part of this expansion, BMRCL has now signed a new agreement with BEML for procurement of six additional driverless trains for the Yellow Line. These new trains are expected to be delivered by 2027 and will be key to increasing service frequency as passenger numbers on the line continue to grow.

New driverless trains for the Yellow Line

The Yellow Line, running from RV Road to Bommasandra, has been designed as a high-demand corridor connecting industrial areas, technological hubs and residential clusters. To maintain the expected ridership, BMRCL has awarded a contract worth Rs 414 crore to BEML for six new train sets. These six train sets with a total of 36 coaches will join the fleet by 2027.

Once the Yellow Line is extended from Bommasandra to Attibele in the coming years, BMRCL estimates that an additional 10 to 12 trains will be required. The current order is to ensure that the supply pipeline remains stable and no delays hinder frequency improvement.

Current operation and short-term frequency boost

Currently, the Yellow Line operates with five trains, with the sixth expected to be operational within a month. At present trains run on this line every 15 minutes. After the sixth train enters service, the waiting time will reduce to about 12 minutes. Although this is still far from the final four-minute goal, it is a first step toward a more consistent service pattern.

The remaining trains required for the Yellow Line are being supplied by the Kolkata to Titagarh Rail System. Delivery of nine more trains from this contract is still pending.

Major investment in all metro corridors

This new order adds to the long list of rolling stock contracts secured by BMRCL with BEML over the years. Till now BMRCL has signed agreements worth about Rs 4000 crore with the company.

In 2023, BEML received one of its largest metro contracts when BMRCL ordered 53 train sets at a cost of Rs 3177 crore. Of these, 37 sets have been earmarked for the upcoming Blue Line and 16 sets for the Pink Line. In March this year, BMRCL signed another agreement worth Rs 405 crore for seven more train sets exclusively for the Pink Line.

With these additions, BEML will now supply a total of 66 metro train sets to Bengaluru, comprising a total of 396 coaches. BEML has already delivered 57 train sets for the Purple and Green lines, and will continue to provide maintenance support for 15 years.

Higher costs, larger fleets

The cost of each metro coach has increased over time. At present, BMRCL pays around Rs 11.5 crore per coach, whereas earlier it was around Rs 9.99 crore. With increasing ridership, increasing network size and emphasis on automation, increased costs reflect upgraded features and specifications.

Delayed Chinese contract and its consequences

In December 2019, BMRCL had signed a Rs 1578 crore agreement with China-based CRRC Nanjing Puzen for the supply of 36 train sets within 173 weeks. Of these, fifteen were for the Yellow Line and 21 each for the Purple and Green Lines. But the company could not set up the necessary manufacturing operations in India, leading to delays.

As a result, Titagarh Rail Systems in West Bengal was entrusted with the supply of the remaining trains. Prototype trains from the original CRRC contract are expected to be used on the Purple (Chaillaghatta to Whitefield) and Green (Madavara to Silk Institute) lines from next year.

More reliable metro for growing city

With the city’s growing population and increasing pressure on public transport, BMRCL’s plan to reduce waiting time by four minutes on all lines is an important step towards a seamless metro experience. Frequent trains mean less waits, less crowding, better last-mile planning and more predictable journeys.

As new lines open and more trains join the fleet, Bengaluru’s metro network is set to move into a new phase of capacity and reliability that daily commuters have been expecting for a long time.