Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) has signed a contract extension agreement with BEML Ltd. to procure an additional 7 train-sets of 6 coaches for Pink Line (Reach-6) of the 73.92 km Bangalore Metro Phase 2 project.

This 42 coach contract for the 21.38 km Pink Line (Kalena Agrahara – Nagawara) is worth Rs. 405 crore and takes the total number of trainsets under Package 5RS-DM from 53 trains (318 coaches) to 60 trains (360 coaches).

BMRCL had originally awarded BEML with rolling stock contract 5RS-DM’s Rs. 3177 crore contract in August 2023 with a 15 year comprehensive maintenance period. A history of its bidding timeline can be viewed here. Manufacturing activities formally began in August 2024 during which the trains’ design was unveiled.

The new trains’ procurement is being funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with whom the Government of India signed a Rs. 3,717 crore loan agreement in March 2021 to procure critical systems such as rolling stock, CBTC signaling and platform screen doors.

With this development, here’s a breakdown of how all 360 new coaches are intended to be distributed:

Bangalore Metro Coaches Details

Line	Coaches
Phase 2: Pink Line (Kalena Agrahara – Nagawara, 21.386 km)	138 (23 x 6)
Phase 2A: Blue Line (Silk Board – KR Puram, 18.2 km)	96 (16 x 6)
Phase 2B: Blue Line (KR Puram – Airport, 37 km)	126 (21 x 6)

Bengaluru’s new lightweight train-sets will be operated in formations of DMC + TC + TC + TC + TC + DMC where DMC = Driving Motor Car and TC = Trailer Car. They will have a maximum design speed of 95 kmph and operational speed of 85 kmph.

With Alstom’s CBTC signaling and train-control solution from Package 10 S&T-DM, the trains will be capable of running “driverless” on GoA4 (grade of automation 4) for Unattended Train Operations (UTO)

As shared in one of my earlier posts, the first prototype train is expected to roll out no sooner than Q4 2025. Phase 2 project’s 21.38 km Pink Line (Kalena Agrahara – Nagawara) is in the most advance stage of construction among the 2 lines, so I reckon Kothanur Depot will be the recipient of the first train-set.

Bangalore’s 5RS-DM contract with 360 coaches is one of the largest metro rolling stock contracts in recent times, just a little larger than Delhi Metro’s 312 coach RS-17 contract for Phase 4 which was awarded to Alstom in October 2022.

The largest ongoing contract is for Mumbai Metro Line 2 & 7’s 576 coaches which BEML is currently fulfilling. That contract started with 504 coaches with another 72 coaches added in November 2020 in a similar contract extension agreement.

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