CRRC Awarded Bangalore Metro Phase 2’s 216 Coach Rolling Stock Contract
China’s CRRC Corporation Ltd. has quietly been awarded with a contract to supply 216 new coaches from the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd for the 73.95 km Phase 2 project’s Purple Line (Line-1), Green Line (Line-2) and Yellow Line (Line-3).
The contract won by CRRC’s subsidiary CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd. for the stainless steel body cars is turn-key and includes their design, manufacture, testing, commissioning and training of BMRCL personnel.
Out of 216 coaches, 126 coaches (21 trains x 6 coaches) will be deployed on the purple and green lines, alongside the existing 50 x 6 BEML rolling stock, which are being extended by 24.071 km and 9.321 kms respectively in Phase 2. The first train is planned to be delivered in 87 weeks and will be equipped to run with the lines’ old-school distance-to-go (DTG) fixed block signaling.
The remaining 90 coaches (15 trains x 6 coaches) will be deployed on the 19.143 km Yellow Line (Line-3 / Reach 5), a new line being constructed to connect RV Road – Silkboard – Electronic City – Bommansandra. The first train is scheduled to be delivered in 95 weeks and will be equipped to run with the line’s planned CBTC signaling system to enable high frequency unattended train operations (UTO) or driverless operations.
BMRCL hasn’t updated their website’s tender section to reflect this news yet nor have they issued a press release. It was first brought to my attention by a Twitter follower and has now been confirmed by China’s Rail-Transit and East-Day sites, which indicates the Letter of Award was given to CRRC’s representatives in mid-December 2019.
Tenders / Bids for this rolling stock contract were invited in February 2019. The BMRCL included a 75% local production clause to support the ‘Make in India’ initiative, which CRRC plans to meet with an expected delivery of all trains within 173 weeks – most likely from a new manufacturing plant based in Dholera, Gujarat. A previously planned plant at Butibori near Nagpur, Maharashtra never materialized.
Update: Speaking to the Times of India, the BMRCL’s MD has revealed that CRRC will setup a plant at Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, and has committed to manufacture 34 (204 coaches) from there.
This is the second of three rolling stock contracts the BMRCL plans to sign in Phase 2. Recap –
• 1st order – Won by BEML in March 2017 for 150 coaches to convert the Purple Line and Green Line’s 50 3-coach train-sets into 6-coach train-sets.
• 2nd order – Won by CRRC for 216 coaches (this post) for 21 additional 6 coach train-sets on the Purple Line and Green Line, and 15 new 6-coach train-sets for the Yellow Line.
• 3rd order – Tenders / Bids are yet to be invited for the 21.386 km Pink Line’s rolling stock, most likely for 96 new coaches as disclosed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) in 2017.
This is CRRC’s 7th and largest order for a metro project in India. Recap –
• Mumbai – 16 train-sets of 4 coaches for Line-1 (view design)
• Gurgaon – 12 train-sets of 3 coaches for Line-1 (view design)
• Navi Mumbai – 8 train-sets of 3 coaches for Line-1 (view design)
• Kolkata – 14 train-sets of 8 coaches for Line-1, Line-4 & Line-6 (view design)
• Noida – 19 train-sets of 4 coaches for Line-1 (view design)
• Nagpur – 33 train-sets of 3 coaches for Line-1 and Line-2 (view design)
For more updates, check out the Bangalore section of The Metro Rail Guy!
– TMRG
Why hasn’t BMRC disclosed this? What are they hiding?
Chinese tag I’m guessing
Frequency will go down on green line when Anjanapura line opens and remain so until above trains are commissioned. Wish the planning was a little bit better.
Just me or the design looks a bit like Noida Metro?
we need Indian BEML coaches not some chinese , very sad to hear this
Working with the CRRC team is very difficult.
We are facing lot of issues in integration with other sub systems.
Working with the CRRC team is very difficult.
We are facing lot of issues in integration with other sub systems.
Problem with our bidding process is they only look at the lowest bid no matter whether they can meet the requirements or not.
Why can’t we improve our country by giving orders to them and why should we improve other country
Why not beml, a Bangalore based government company… shame to promote a Chinese firm when our indigenous company is there… integration n maintenance would be much smooth if a local firm is awarded….can we ever imagine China to promote any Indian company…shame on our system and bmrcl
BMRCL has no problem when their project cost jumps from Rs.5400 Cr to Rs. 11,600 Crs due their poor planning and implementation. Whereas they cannot pay little more to BEML our own Bengaluru company which makes world-class coaches and encourage them.
Shame on you BMRCL.
What is the meaning of Make in India call given by Modiji
When bmrcl is going to start fob in yellow line.. people are struggling to cross roads and it’s creating lot of traffic jams
What’s wrong with BMRCL?? Why China..??
That’s What. BMRCL officials have Gone Crazy LOL.
The design of the Coach is looking so boring. I thought the new coach will be more stylish..
I am talking about the new coach’s look. It is Boring..
And BTW, can existing DTG lines be converted into CBTC ??
Do you have price details for other bidders for DMRC Contract 4RS-DM?
Unconfirmed:
CRRC: Rs 1578 crore
Bombardier: 1801 crore
Beml: 1996 crore
Alstom 2052 crore
CRRC bagged the contract because they were LI. Unfortunate that Indian companies quoted higher and lost a valuable order.
Looks like Patriotism and Nationalism is something that ordinary Indians need to prove. Others can do whatever they want.