Bangalore Metro Purple Line’s 1st CRRC Train Arrives in Peenya

CRRC on Sunday delivered their first of 21 new train-sets for the purple & green lines of the Bangalore Metro Phase 2 project at Green Line’s Peenya Depot.

This 6-coach prototype train is part of Phase 2’s 36 train (216 coach) contract 4RS-DM which was awarded to CRRC by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) in December 2019. It’s configured for DTG (Distance to Go) signaling and had rolled out of CRRC’s Nanjing plant in December 2024.

Out of 36 new trains, 21 trains will be deployed on the purple and green lines, alongside the existing 56 trains supplied by BEML. The new trains are necessary for high frequency operations since both lines’ lengths were extended, almost doubled, by 33.38 km over the past couple years towards Challaghatta (October 2023), Whitefield (March 2023), Silk Institute (January 2021), and Madavara (November 2024) – view history.

The rest 15 trains will be deployed on the new Yellow Line which will connect RV Road – Electronic City – Bommasandra via 16 stations. Two of those trains have been manufactured so far – one by CRRC in Nanjing, China and one by Titagarh Rail Systems in Uttarpara, West Bengal. Those trains are capable of operating on GoA4 “driverless” unattended train operations (UTO) mode using Siemens’ communications-based train control (CBTC) signaling solution.

The train had arrived at Chennai Port earlier this month and was then transported to Bengaluru on top of trailers.

Here are snaps of the train’s coaches shot at Peenya Depot this weekend via @Lolita_TNIE on X

Although this train has a purple stripe, BMRCL can choose to deploy it across either the purple or green lines via the system’s somewhat unique 210m long rake interchange link located at the north-east corner of the Majestic Station.

With this development, BMRCL has received both prototype trains in the city for Yellow and Purple/Green lines, and will soon take delivery of the first Titagarh-assembled train for the Yellow Line at Hebbagodi Depot.

Going forward, all trains from this contract will be assembled by Titagarh with assistance from CRRC’s engineers. I’m fairly certain BMRCL’s immediate priority is to operationalize the Yellow Line – even at the expense of the extended green/purple lines’ reduced frequency – and believe the next batch of at least 5 trains will all be meant for the Yellow Line.

Titagarh’s recent press release offers a glimpse of what’s to come but I’ll believe it when I see it, “Titagarh will deliver two more trainsets to the Yellow Line by April this year. The company will then ramp up production, delivering two trains a month by September 2025“.

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– TMRG