Namma Metro’s New Driverless Trains: BEML Kicks Off Manufacturing

BEML Limited has initiated the production of prototype driverless trains for Namma Metro's Blue and Pink lines. The launch event, held at the BEML plant on Suranjandas Road near CV Raman Nagar, was attended by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Managing Director M Maheshwar Rao, Director (Rolling Stock) NM Dhoke, and BEML Chairman and Managing Director Shantanu Roy.

In August 2023, BEML won Namma Metro's largest coach contract, worth Rs 3,177 crore and funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), outbidding global rolling stock manufacturers. The contract includes the design, manufacture, supply, installation, testing, commissioning of 318 coaches (53 trainsets), and maintenance services for up to 15 years.

Under this deal, 16 trainsets (96 coaches) will operate on the Pink Line (Kalena Agrahara-Nagavara; 21.26 km) and Phase 2A (Silk Board Junction-KR Pura; 19 km), while 21 trainsets (126 coaches) will serve Phase 2B (KR Pura-Kempegowda International Airport; 38 km). Phases 2A and 2B together form the Blue Line. The Pink Line, which features the city's longest underground section, is expected to open by the end of 2025, with the Blue Line launching by June 2026.

All coaches will feature Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC), enabling driverless operation and 90-second train frequencies. The Blue Line trains will also have specially designed luggage racks.

BEML's in-house engineering teams in Bengaluru will fully design and develop the trainsets. The trains will be built with high-tensile austenitic stainless steel, and each coach will include two roof-mounted saloon air-conditioners. Additional features comprise an IP-based Passenger Announcement (PA) and Passenger Information System (PIS), a Passenger Saloon Surveillance System (PSSS) with real-time station information, and an LCD-based dynamic route map display.

To ensure passenger safety, the trains will have electrically driven automatic doors synchronized with Platform Screen Doors. The interiors will be outfitted with FRP panels, stainless steel grab poles, ergonomic seats with lumbar support, and aesthetically designed elements.

BEML has previously delivered over 2,000 coaches to metro systems in Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Mumbai.