Bengaluru’s metro operator plans to deploy a full fleet of 21 new six-coach trains supplied by China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation on the Green Line, a move intended to relieve severe overcrowding on the Purple Line.
Bengaluru metro trains to relieve Purple Line congestion
Under the plan, the new CRRC train sets will be stationed at the Peenya depot on the Green Line and used exclusively on that corridor. Once the new trains are commissioned, 17 existing Phase-1 train sets now operating on the Green Line will be transferred to the 43-kilometre Purple Line between Whitefield and Challaghatta. The net effect will be that the Purple Line gains 17 trains while the Green Line records a net increase of four trains.
Officials at the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited said the reallocation aims to improve headways and reduce overcrowding during peak hours on the Purple Line, which is the busiest corridor in the city’s metro network. Passenger numbers on that stretch have grown steadily, and the authority considers the redistribution the most immediate way to increase capacity ahead of further fleet expansions.
Technical features and commissioning
The CRRC trains are distance-to-go enabled and resemble the CBTC-equipped sets planned for the Yellow Line serving the Electronics City corridor. They are expected to offer upgraded passenger amenities and modern train control features that can improve operational efficiency and service frequency.
Following their arrival, the prototype and the subsequent rakes will undergo extensive trials and safety checks. Approvals are required from statutory agencies including the Research Designs and Standards Organisation and the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety before passenger services can begin. BMRCL has indicated that, subject to all mandatory clearances, the prototype CRRC train could enter service on the Green Line by March 2026.
Background on procurement and local manufacturing
The induction follows a prolonged delay. In 2019 CRRC was awarded a ₹1,578-crore contract to supply 216 metro coaches to BMRCL. Progress slowed when CRRC did not set up the required manufacturing facility in India, prompting BMRCL to issue multiple notices and to consider encashing a ₹372-crore bank guarantee.
To resolve the impasse, CRRC later partnered with Titagarh Rail Systems of Kolkata to manufacture and supply the remaining coaches domestically. A prototype manufactured in China arrived in Bengaluru in January 2025. The remaining 20 rakes are expected to arrive gradually, with the BMRCL planning to complete deliveries by the middle of 2026.
Once in service the additional trains should improve journey comfort and reduce overcrowding on the Purple Line while strengthening fleet capacity on the Green Line. The reallocation is a pragmatic step that uses depot capacity at Peenya and the new train technology to increase usable rolling stock quickly, pending the completion of all regulatory checks and operational trials.
Key Takeaways:
- Bengaluru metro trains: 21 new six-coach CRRC sets to be deployed on the Green Line.
- Seventeen Phase-1 train sets will be shifted to the Purple Line, boosting capacity on the city’s busiest corridor.
- Prototype arrived in January 2025; remaining rakes due by mid-2026 subject to statutory clearances and trials.
