Bengaluru Metro Inducts First Titagarh-CRRC Train on Green Line
BMRCL has inducted the first of 21 Titagarh-CRRC six-coach trains on the Green Line, with the new fleet set to ease maintenance pressure and free up older rakes.
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) has inducted the first six-coach train built under its Titagarh-China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) rolling stock contract into service on the 33-km Green Line, which runs between Madavara and Silk Institute.
The trainset, identified as TS16, began operations on Monday. Two more are expected to enter service shortly, though officials indicated that the additions will not immediately translate into more trips or shorter waiting times for commuters.
Maintenance backlog in focus
According to BMRCL officials, the incoming rakes are being used to free up older trainsets for scheduled maintenance. The corporation is prioritising the overhaul of trains that have completed their required service period, with each set expected to remain out of service for roughly 15 days.
"The maintenance of metro trains is essential to ensure the safety, reliability, and availability of the fleet. While the trains are designed for a long service life, comprehensive mid-life maintenance is required to inspect, overhaul and replace components that undergo wear over years of operation," a BMRCL official said.
Metro rolling stock typically has a service life of about 30 years, with major mid-life maintenance carried out during the operating period to keep critical systems functioning reliably. The process involves withdrawing trains from regular service for detailed inspection and scheduled overhaul.
BMRCL had planned to use the new arrivals to clear the accumulated maintenance backlog, but officials are reviewing the timing and pace of the programme given the pressure on train availability across the network.
Fleet of 21 trainsets
The Green Line is eventually expected to receive all 21 six-coach Titagarh-CRRC trains by the second quarter of 2027. The new fleet is likely to be deployed exclusively on the corridor, with maintenance handled at the Peenya depot.
The first trainset has now been inducted, while the remaining 20 are being manufactured at Titagarh Rail Systems' facility in Uttarpara, West Bengal. Concentrating the new fleet on a single corridor is intended to simplify operations and maintenance.
The new trains use Distance-To-Go (DTG) technology and have a design broadly similar to the rolling stock on the Yellow Line between R.V. Road and Electronics City, which is compatible with the corridor's signalling requirements.
Rolling stock redistribution
The arrival of the new trains will also lead to a redistribution of Bengaluru Metro's existing rolling stock. The 17 BEML trainsets currently operating on the Green Line are expected to be shifted gradually to the Purple Line, which runs between Challaghatta and Whitefield and carries the highest passenger demand among the Metro corridors.
Officials expect the redeployment to provide additional rolling stock on the Purple Line while allowing BMRCL to maintain the Green Line with a dedicated fleet of newer trains, improving fleet availability and supporting capacity management on both corridors.
A delayed procurement
The induction also marks progress in a procurement project that has faced prolonged delays. In 2019, BMRCL awarded a ₹1,578-crore contract to CRRC for the supply of 216 metro coaches. The project subsequently ran into difficulties after CRRC did not establish the manufacturing facility in India that was required under the contract.
The delays led BMRCL to issue multiple notices to the company and consider invoking a bank guarantee of ₹372 crore. The impasse was eventually resolved after CRRC partnered with Kolkata-based Titagarh Rail Systems, enabling the remaining coaches to be manufactured in India.