BEML will officially hand over the first set of three coaches to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd on February 14, said Managing Director and Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development Department, Mahendra Jain. “The testing of the coaches is over since last 10 days”, he said. BEML has assured a regular supply from May/June 2018, at the rate of 2-3 coaches per month and complete conversion of the existing 50 train sets into 6 coaches by June 2019. 150 more coaches will arrive at a cost Rs 1,421 core.
“It took 10 days for the tests and trials for the first set. The six-coach train will run together. We tested the load it has taken, the alignment, service, etc. The Commissioner of Rail Safety certified the new coaches. Testing is already successful at BEML and Safety trials were given time, before beginning commercial operations,” said BMRCL Chief Public Relations Officer Vasanth Rao. On the official Twitter handle, Rao recently explained, “For conversion into six coaches, Metro will add 2 Driving Motor Car (DMC) + 1 Trailer Car (TC) to achieve 66% motorisation and negotiate sharp and vertical curves of the alignment.”
Given the rush experienced during peak hours, the extra coaches will provide the necessary and overdue relief to commuters. The highest ridership until date was on January 24 with, 2.32 lakh riders on Purple Line and 1.79 lakh on Green Line, totalling at 4.1 lakh. Last December, Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George had said that BEML opened one more line of production to increase supplies of Metro cars. “Frequency too will increase from 6 minutes to 3, with one coach reserved for women, physically challenged and senior citizens,” he had announced.
Sixty-three coaches are expected to be deployed on the Purple Line, including the extension from Challaghatta to Whitefield, and 87 on the Green Line including extensions from BIEC-Anjanapura, due to the longer length of the line.
The first set that arrives soon will be deployed on the Purple Line to ease congestion, especially from Kempegowda to Baiyappanahalli station.