Bengaluru: The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) will carry out the inspection of the first driverless train for the Yellow Line which arrived from China on February 24, said Metro officials.
Meanwhile, in another significant development, the six domestically manufactured coaches for the Line which reached Hebbagodi depot a fortnight ago have been coupled to form the second train for the Yellow Line.
A senior official told TNIE, “We had filed our application to the CMRS for sending them to the Railway Board. The Commissioner has cleared the documents and will inspect the train on February 24. This will only be a train inspection and the Yellow Line will be inspected by the end of March.”
The train had reached Hebbagodi depot over a year earlier on Feb 14, 2024.
The 19.15-km line from R V Road to Bommasandra via Electronic City was ready long ago but could not be launched due to a delay in the supply of driverless trains.
An updated version of the Automatic Train Control Software for the train is expected to be received by BMRCL on February 28, he added. “This will enable us to test the train with driver or without driver,” he explained.
The Railway Design and Standards Organisation had cleared the train design on January 21, the official said.
“Since the train is based on the Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) technology and a first for Bengaluru Metro, the RDSO clearance was mandatory,” he added.
Giving a timeline of the steps before the launch of the line, the official said, “Signalling static tests are in progress. Signalling dynamic tests on the line will start after receipt of the software. Multiple train tests will be completed by the middle of March. The third-party certification by an Independent Safety Assessor for certification of signalling will be done by the last week of March.”
The line will be ready for CMRS inspection by April, he specified. The coaches for the third driverless train is expected to reach the City by the first week of April from Titagarh.