Bangalore Metro Yellow Line’s 1st CRRC Train Arrives at Chennai Port

The prototype CRRC train-set for 19.143 km Bangalore Metro Yellow Line (Reach 5) arrived at Chennai Port on Tuesday after a 13 day sea journey from the Port of Shanghai in China.

This 6-coach train is the first of 15 trains to be manufactured for Bangalore Metro Phase 2 project’s Yellow Line which will connect RV Road – Electronic City – Bommasandra via 16 elevated stations.

The train’s first look inside CRRC’s Puzhen plant in Nanjing was leaked in September 2023 when it was undergoing factory acceptance tests (FAT). The train’s roll-out ceremony was held in October-end with officials from the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) in attendance.

This 6-coach train is the first of two trains that will be shipped from China as part of Bangalore Metro Phase 2 project’s 36 train (216 coach) contract 4RS-DM awarded by BMRCL in December 2019. The rest 34 trains will be assembled locally by Titagarh Rail Systems in West Bengal.

Here are some snaps of Spring Mota docked at Chennai Port shared by S. Lalitha on X with the train’s coaches claimed to be shot late on Tuesday night:

The train will first have to clear customs at Chennai Port which can take anywhere from 2-5 days looking at historic timeframes of other projects’ metro coaches and tunnel boring machines (TBMs). Coaches will then be loaded onto trailers and transported by road to Hebbagodi Depot which can take anywhere from 4-7 days.

Looking at that, I reckon we’re looking at an arrival into Hebbagodi somewhere between February 15-20. Once at Hebbagodi Depot, the train will be unloaded, coupled (assembled) with CRRC’s engineers’ assistance, and undergo static tests followed by dynamic tests at the depot’s test track.

Since this an entirely new train design, the train during main-line testing will have to undergo oscillation tests and get certified by Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO). This statutory test can take anywhere from 1-3 months and the results will be included in BMRCL’s report when it seeks the final safety clearance from the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS).

At this time I see this line opening up no sooner than Q4 (October – December) 2024 and wouldn’t be surprised if the line ends up opening in 2025.

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– TMRG