BENGALURU: The wait to take a Metro to Electronics City gets longer. Reason: The supply of the first batch of six-car train sets for the RV Road-Bommasandra Line (Yellow Line) has been deferred to mid-October. This in turn could delay the proposed launch of the Reach-5 line by December this year.
Titagarh Wagons, which has its manufacturing unit near Kolkata, is set to supply 204 coaches (34 train sets) for the line while two train sets are to arrive from China. This follows its tie-up with China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation which was supposed to supply all the coaches initially as per its 2019 contract. Multiple deadlines have been missed.
A reliable source of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) told TNIE, “We got to know of the development only on Friday that the first set of train sets for the line will be supplied from China only by October 16. Train sets need to undergo testing and trial run for a minimum of three months. We had planned for their arrival in September so that the launch of the Yellow Line could happen in December. It is not possible now.”
Asked about the reasons for the delay, a senior official said, “Atleast 35% of the components of the train sets are imported from elsewhere. Hence, a delay in their supply will affect the delivery of the rolling stock on time.” Asked about the status of the ongoing works on the Reach-5 Line, an official said that for the stretch between RV Road and Central Silk Board, civil and station works will be completed by September while signalling and traction works are progressing. “The civil works are fully ready in the 16 stations between Silk Board and Bommasandra,” he added.
The critical Electronics City figures on the route along with South India’s tallest road-cum-rail flyover which is ready but cannot be launched as ramps are yet to be built. Meanwhile, Chief Public Relations Officer BL Yashvanth Chavan said, “There will be a continuous delivery of 2 or 3 train sets per month. All trains will be received by the end of July 2024.”