Four firms — Alstom Transport India, BEML, CAF, and Titagarh Wagons — are in the race to supply 318 new metro coaches (rolling stock) for the Bangalore Metro project phase II.
The coaches are for Outer Ring Road-Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) Metro corridor and Pink Line (Kalena Agrahara-Nagawara) corridors.
BMRCL floated a tender for this project in September 2022.
The project’s scope of work includes designing, manufacturing, supplying, installing, testing, and commissioning 318 standard gauge metro cars, as well as, providing training staff up to fifteen years.
Out of 318 coaches, 16 six-car train sets (96 coaches) will be used for the Pink Line, 16 six-car sets (96 coaches) for the outer ring road (Central Silk Board to KR Puram), and 21 six-car sets (126 cars) for the Airport Metro (KR Puram-KIA), reports Times of India.
K R Puram To Whitefield Stretch
The 13 km stretch, of the 15 km K R Puram to Whitefield line, is set to be ready for commercial operations after 15 March, according to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).
The KR Puram to Whitefield line is a part of the Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield line (Purple line extension) under Namma metro Phase II.
Currently, trail runs are being undertaken by BMRCL. During a high-speed trail run conducted by BMRCL, the train reached a speed of 80 kmph. Next week, the train will run at 90 kmph in certain stretches.
Five train sets will be used by the BMRCL to complete service trials.
The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS), who grants the final approval following safety inspections, has already received documents from BMRCL that it has begun to submit.
The safety inspections are expected to start by 20 February. The inspection will take four days to complete.
BMRCL will open 12 metro stations along the extended Purple Line that runs from Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield. Later on, the Benniganahalli metro station, which is situated between K.R. Puram and Baiyappanahalli will be opened (likely by mid-year).
The BMRCL is not able to open the full 15-kilometre line (from Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield) at once, due to open web girder work across the Bengaluru-Salem railway line near Benniganahalli.
The completed Byappanahalli-Whitefield stretch will include stops at Mahadevapura, Garudacharpalya, Hoodi Junction, Seetharama Palya, Kundalahalli, Nallurhalli, Sri Sathya Sai Hospital, Pattandur Agrahara, Kadugodi, Channasandra and Whitefield.
Currently, the Purple Line is 25.7 km long and spans 23 stations from Kengeri in the southwest to Baiyappanahalli. The Purple Line is mostly elevated, with 17 elevated stations, five underground stations and one at-grade station.