BEML Wins Contract to Convert Bangalore Metro Trains into 6-Coaches
Bangalore-based BEML Ltd. yesterday announced that it had won a Rs 1,421-crore contract from the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) for supplying 150 intermediate metro coaches. These coaches will be used to convert the existing 3-coach 50 train fleet into 6-coach formations to provide more capacity & convenience to commuters on the Purple and Green lines on which roughly 30 trains are currently being operated.
The BMRCL had invited bids for this contract in October 2016 after the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) approved its funding, and the award of this contract to BEML shouldn’t really come as a surprise as the new coaches have to be compatible with the existing 150 coaches which were supplied by the BRMM consortium led by BEML between October 2010 – May 2014. Due to those technical compatibility reasons, BEML was also the only bidder for the contract.
Press Release by BEML:
BEML Limited, a Public Sector Mini Ratna Category-I Company under the Ministry of Defence and the premier manufacturer of Metro Cars, has bagged a prestigious order of Rs. 1421 Crore from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation for supply of 150 sets of Intermediate Metro Cars to augment the existing 3 Car Trains supplied by BEML to 6 Car trains.
An agreement to this effect was signed. Shri Pradeep Singh Kharola, Managing Director, BMRCL and Shri Deepak Kumar Hota, Chariman and Managing Director, BEML have exchanged Contract Agreements. Shri Aniruddh Kumar, Director, Rail & Metro Business of BEML was also present on the occassion. The supply of Intermediate Metro Cars to BMRCL shall commence from July 2018 and to be completed by December 2019. – link to press release
Technical Specification
• Current 3-coach train composition: DMC-TC-DMC
• Future 6-coach train composition: DMC-TC-MC + MC-TC-DMC
For reference, DMC = Driving Motor Car ; MC = Motor Car ; TC = Trailer Car
As per the BMRCL’s notice inviting tenders – of the 150 new coaches, 63 will be supplied to the Purple Line (Challegata-Whitefield) for converting 21 3-coach trains into 6-coach trains while 87 will be supplied to the Green line (BIEC-Anjanapura Township) for converting 29 3-coach trains into 6 coach trains. These numbers could change in the future as per ridership demand, after which the BMRCL can choose to move coaches on top of trailers via ground transport or simply utilize the 210m rake interchange line at Majestic Station which connects the Green & Purple lines.
Bangalore Metro train – Photo Source: Churumuri
Although the press release mentions that deliveries will commence in July 2018, the first 6-coach train for commercial revenue service is expected to be pressed into service only towards the end of 2018 or early 2019 as the train & sub-systems would first have to be tested at one of the BMRCL’s depots followed by testing on the main-line during non-revenue hours. BEML is currently also fulfilling orders for Kolkata Metro’s Line-2 and Delhi Metro’s Blue & Red lines, and with a fixed production capacity at their facility, I expect the last 6-coach train to be put into service only in 2021.
On a related note – this year the BMRCL is expected to invite bids for procuring new trains for Phase 2’s new lines: Line-3 (RV Road – Bommasandra) and Line-4 (Nagawara-Gottigere). Trains for that contract are expected to consist of 6-coaches from the onset.
For more updates, check out the Bangalore section of The Metro Rail Guy!
– TMRG
Does BEML has the capacity to handle so many orders and ensure timely supply
I feel Delhi metro people are more cleaver . They have given half order to Bombardier and half to BMRCL.
For us we have only one supplier due to some technical constraints
even BMRCL should have split up the contract or set a earlier target date
It is not like that, Delhi had different Projects like RS1,RS2,RS3 till RS13 from Early 2006-2017…Were different projects where Bombardier and Hyundai Rotem (BEML) won the project…RS 1 and 2 were the initial projects and the subsequent projects were just extension where Either Bombarider or hyundai Rotems cars were in service.
Metro Corp will not place orders on 2 car builder for the same project as it becomes difficult to maintain cars, Spares, Service etc.
Yep….Beml can give..they hav plan set up for 1 coach per day, that is 360 coach per..year ( 300)
Manufacturing from B,lore…unit
If logistics is time bound…..they can take few more…
Yes very much, they are as good as any international car builder.
Does this mean that even after the phase-2 extensions there will only be 21 6-rake trains on the purple line and 29 6-rake trains on the green line? Or they will place orders for more trains?
Yes , all the trains for phase 1 and phase 2 are already procured by BMRCL a couple of years back. Now only conversion of trains to 6 coaches needs to be done.
In Delhi metro they have scope for 8 coaches trains but my understanding is that Bangalore stations are designed only for 6 coaches max
Even Bangalore stations should have been designed for 8 Coach Train
We may require later on after 5 or 10 years
Having only 21 6-car trains after the extension lines are completed will be grossly inadequate. You won’t be able to achieve 3 min intervals with just 21 trains
In fact even in Ph1 3 min interval can’t be achieved because of round trip being about 75 mins.
This grossly shows that, the corruption level in design. All the money would have gone to politicians.
There should be CAG audit on bangalore metro and culprits should be punished.
Expecting 6 car trains as early as possible… Please as a request am asking. Please standardised all mechanical parts and fixtures from small as split pin to big as bogie. We are facing lot for problems in existing 3car trains.
Sir my education is iti electrician.please your company was ricuirment is send my email.sir
Is it not gross short-sightedness that originally only 3 coach trains were procured and run ? Is it not even more short-sighted that the trains were not modular and not capable of adding individual coaches based on demand. For even an ordinary person from outside, it was clear that 3 coach trains were too little. Similarly, everywhere the short-sightedness and lack of planning or thinking big is showing – the parking lots, last mile connectivity, station size, not targeting metro service to populated office districts such as Whitefield / Electronic City / Hebbal etc. The same short-sightedness prevented a multi-level clover type flyover from being constructed in 2003 at Silk Board and now this is the worst choke point in the city. We are being failed by an inept babudom and political leadership and whatever crumbs whenever made available to the people will need to be lapped up in quite submission.