With the first driverless train set from Titagarh Rail System Ltd (TRSL) being dispatched to Bengaluru on Monday, Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is reviewing options of operationalising the Yellow Line connecting to Electronic City by March or April 2025 with just two trains. 

BMRCL managing director Maheshwara Rao said, “The first driverless train from Tiatagarh will leave for Bengaluru tomorrow by road and will reach the Hebbagodi depot by January 15. We are contemplating starting the operations (on the Yellow Line) with two trains- a prototype train from China and a second train from Titagarh. If it is not viable, we will wait for the third train and start the operations by April with a headway of 20 minutes between the two trains,” said Rao. 

West Bengal-based rolling stock manufacturer TRSL officially handed over its first driverless trainset to the BMRCL’s Yellow Line connecting R V Road and Bommasandra via Electronic City. The stainless steel, automated trainset is the first made-in-India passenger rolling stock set to run on the key 18-km stretch, linking the Electronics City to the rest of the city. The second train from TRSL is expected to be delivered by the end of January or the first week of February, and the third in April this year. These trainsets operate in driverless (GOA4) mode, enhancing efficiency through advanced automation. Their sleek design features modern interiors, reduced power consumption, and improved sustainability, all while prioritising safety for a seamless and secure passenger experience. Titagarh plans to deliver two additional trainsets to the Yellow Line by April this year. Following this, the company aims to ramp up production, delivering two trains per month by September 2025. 

The first prototype train from China’s CRRC Corporation Ltd reached Bengaluru on February 14 last year. BMRCL officials stated that the second train will undergo oscillation tests once it reaches the Hebbagodi depot. China’s CRRC Corporation Ltd was awarded a contract to supply 216 new coaches for Bengaluru Metro’s 73.95 km Phase 2 project’s Purple Line (Line-1), Green Line (Line-2) and Yellow Line (Line-3). CRRC has partnered with TRSL to make trainsets in India to comply with local manufacturing norms. Of these, 126 coaches (21 six-coach trains) are for the Purple and Green Lines, and 90 coaches (15 six-coach trains) are for the Yellow Line (R V Road–Bommasandra).