Bengaluru's Namma Metro Yellow Line Launch Postponed To July: Delay In Coach Delivery From China Blamed

Bangalore techies who dream of zipping through traffic on driverless Namma Metro Yellow Line trains have been stung by yet another delay. Despite the line being nearly complete, glitches in coach delivery have pushed the launch back from February to July.

According to Yashavant Chavan, Chief Public Relations Officer at BMRCL,''While civil works on the line are almost finished, the arrival of the engineers and two prototype trains from the coach supply company in China is pending. The delay is attributed to the yet-to-be-received permission from China.''

Chavan explained, "In total, 216 coaches supplied through Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd of Kolkata will be deployed on this line. The staff from the Chinese company is expected to arrive by the end of this month, following which the process of obtaining approval for practical tests on the yellow line will commence."

Despite India granting visas to the staff, the scheduling of their visit remains uncertain. The prototype train is expected to reach the Hebbagodi depot in Bengaluru after being transported by ship to the Chennai port. The coaches are manufactured by China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation at the Titagarh unit.

Chavan outlined the subsequent steps, stating, "Once the train arrives, approval must be obtained for the practical test on the yellow line. A practical test should be done in three stages. Then the Metro Railway Safety Commissioner will conduct a test before sanctioning approval. After that, the inauguration date will be fixed. It will take at least until June-July to complete these steps."

While 98% of the Namma Metro yellow line's construction is finished, the delay in inauguration has sparked public outrage. Completion of trial runs, test tracks, rolling stock, and signals may extend the timeline for operationalizing Metro trains on the yellow line.