BENGALURU: Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd . (BMRCL) has awarded a contract to China’s CRRC Corporation Ltd to provide 216 coaches.

BMRCL officials said CRRC’s subsidiary, CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd, received the contract to supply rolling stock for Metro's Phase 2 project. “CRRC is setting up a plant in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh. They have committed to manufacture 34 (204 coaches) out of 36 (216 coaches) train sets in India. The awarded cost is almost Rs 235 crore less than that of L2 (second lowest tender) cost. The supplies will start in the third quarter of 2021,” BMRCL managing director Ajay Seth told TOI.

BMRCL had set deadlines for completion of the upcoming lines: Yelachenahalli-Anjanapura Township in August 2020, Mysuru Road-Kengeri in October 2020, Byappanahalli-Whitefield in August 2021 and Nagasandra-BIEC in January 2022. Standalone lines RV Road-Bommasandra and Gottigere-Nagawara are expected to be ready in November 2021 and June 2024, respectively.

The 216 coaches include 126 coaches (21 six-car trains) for Purple and Green Lines and remaining 90 coaches (15 six-car trains) for Yellow Line (R V Road-Bommasandra). "These coaches are mainly needed in Whitefield and BIEC corridors on Purple and Green Lines" said a senior BMRCL official.

“The 90 coaches procured for the Yellow Line will be Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) enabled coaches”. CBTC-equipped Yellow line’s automation systems will meet GOA4 standards enabling trains to operate without drivers with better frequency.

CRRC also suppled rolling stock to Metro systems in Mumbai, Gurgaon, Navi Mumbai, Kolkata, Noida and Nagpur. In March 2017, BEML received the contract to supply 150 coaches to convert 50 3-coach trains on both the Purple and Green Lines to 6-coach trains.

In fact, L&T, the contractor for the Vellara Junction-Pottery Town Metro stretch, is procuring tunnel boring machines (TBMs), made by China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Corporation Limited. Two TBMs have already reached Chennai port. The other two are in transit and are likely to arrive in the city in March.

