Bengaluru: Every Namma Metro train covers an average of 450 to 500km a day, and eight six-coach trainsets have now clocked nearly 10 lakh km of operations. With four new trainsets for Green Line expected to enter service soon, operator BMRCL will have an opportunity to undertake major mid-life maintenance of its older rolling stock.BMRCL has received CMRS (Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety) approval to use the new rolling stock for passenger services.The corporation currently operates 57 six-coach trainsets on the Purple and Green Lines. During peak hours, 33 trains operate on the Purple Line and 22 on the Green Line, with an average frequency of around 3.3 minutes and five minutes, respectively. During non-peak hours, a few trains are withdrawn for scheduled maintenance.An official said maintenance schedules are prescribed by the manufacturers for every one lakh, five lakh, and 10 lakh kilometres. “About 50 coaches have now crossed 10 lakh km of operations,” he said.BMRCL currently operates 469 round-trips across Purple, Green and Yellow Lines. Of these, Purple Line accounts for 186 trips, Green Line 160, and Yellow Line 123.Asked whether the induction of new trains would improve peak-hour frequency, the official said BMRCL was examining the issue. “We’re working on it now and will inform about the frequency. We’ll redraw the timetable,” he said.However, he pointed out that there were limitations to increasing frequency, including dwell time — the duration a train remains stationary at a station platform to allow passengers to board and alight. “We can’t drastically squeeze the dwell time because people are involved. We’ll see how best we can induct more trains to ease congestion,” he said.The new trains will also give BMRCL greater operational flexibility to withdraw older trainsets for major maintenance. “Till now, we’ve been hard-pressed to take out Metro trains for major maintenance. With the induction of new trains, we’ll get an opportunity to carry out these works,” the official said.BMRCL began commercial Namma Metro operations with the opening of a 7km stretch between Byappanahalli and MG Road. The network has since expanded to 96km, with services operating on Purple, Green and Yellow Lines. Initially, BMRCL operated three-coach trains before introducing six-coach services in 2020, when the network had expanded to 42km.BOX2 trainsets a monthThe general life of a Metro trainset is around 35 years, a Metro official said, adding that the planned work could be considered mid-life maintenance. “This will improve the efficiency of the trains,” he said. Maintenance requirements vary because the trainsets entered service in different years.A BMRCL press release stated that of 21 trainsets, four have been received and will be progressively introduced into revenue service, while the remaining 17 are expected to be delivered regularly at the rate of two a month.
