Bengaluru: Four Green Line Metro trains cleared for passenger service

Four new six-coach trainsets for Namma Metro’s Green Line have received clearance from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety for passenger service, giving BMRCL room to take older trains out for major maintenance.

Namma Metro trains cover about 450-500 km a day. Eight trainsets have now logged nearly 10 lakh km each, while about 50 coaches have crossed the same mark. BMRCL said manufacturers prescribe maintenance at one lakh, five lakh and 10 lakh km intervals.

BMRCL operates 57 six-coach trainsets on the Purple and Green Lines. During peak hours, it runs 33 trains on the Purple Line and 22 on the Green Line, at average intervals of about 3.3 minutes and five minutes respectively. The corporation said it currently runs 469 round trips across the Purple, Green and Yellow lines.

The four trains are part of an order for 21 trainsets. BMRCL said the remaining 17 are expected at a rate of two each month. Officials are redrawing the timetable and examining whether the additional trains can improve peak-hour frequency, while noting that station dwell time limits how far intervals can be reduced.