Bangalore Metro: Driverless trains are prepared for trials, and the Yellow Line will launch by year’s end

With officials indicating that the highly anticipated Bangalore Metro Yellow Line may open by the end of this year, the project seems to be getting closer to reality.

The formal deadline, which was originally scheduled for July 2024, may be exceeded.

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) said that it would begin testing a prototype autonomous train that was recently brought from China on the Yellow Line within the next four days. The 19.15-kilometer route, which runs past important places including Silk Board Junction, Jayadeva Hospital, and Electronics City, links RV Road to Bommasandra.

According to Jitendra Jha, the project manager for BMRCL, the trial runs will begin between Bommasandra and Silk Board Junction and will eventually cover the whole line by mid-April, as reported by the Deccan Herald.

Commercial operations, however, are pending clearance from regulatory bodies such as the Railway Board, the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS), and the Research Designs and Standards Organization (RDSO).

Trains on the Yellow Line will initially operate every 15 minutes, but when eight more trains come the following year, the frequency of service may be reduced to five minutes or less. Even though track laying and civil work were completed, the shortage of trains had resulted in delays in commercial operations.

A contract to provide 216 coaches was awarded to CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co., Ltd. in 2019. Of these, 12 were imported from China, while the other coaches were constructed in Bengal by Titagarh Rail System Ltd. (TRSL).

At the Hebbagodi depot, the BMRCL displayed the autonomous train, highlighting its importance as the first of 15 trains for the Yellow Line. In the next few months, the train will go through a number of tests, and by June, additional trains should be arriving.

Notably, BMRCL announced that all trains on the next metro lines will use Unattended Train Operations (UTO) technology and be driverless. Although loco pilots may be used at first to control Yellow Line trains, the BMRCL expressed confidence in the UTO system to avoid collisions.

The 3.13-kilometer metro-road flyover that connects Ragi Gudda to Silk Board Junction is currently under development. It has five loops and ramps to improve connectivity.

The enhanced integration of autonomous metro trains with a signaling system is exciting because it will enable them to communicate and avoid accidents.

A gangway system for improved curve navigation and artificial intelligence-based track monitoring, obstruction and derailment warning are further features. Additionally, the BMRCL intends to reserve female-only compartments via side indicators.