Bengaluru's Namma Metro is preparing for a significant operational shift, with the full fleet of 21 CRRC-built six-coach trains expected to run exclusively on the 33 km Green Line between Madavara and Silk Institute, according to a Moneycontrol report .
The plan involves shifting all existing Phase-1 trains currently serving the Green Line to the busier the 43 km Whitefield-Challaghatta Purple Line corridor.
The first CRRC prototype train, manufactured in China, reached Bengaluru in January 2025 and was initially intended for deployment on the Purple Line. It has yet to enter passenger service, with testing now underway.
A Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) official was quoted as saying by Moneycontrol: "Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) testing has started during the night hours from 11:30pm to 3:30am between Jalahalli and Mantri Square Sampige Road stations on Green Line. The testing will be completed by January 10. The approvals will be required from RDSO, Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS), Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) and the Railway Board. Our target is to get Railway Board sanction by March 2026."
Once the prototype secures Railway Board clearance, it will enter commercial service on the Green Line.
The remaining 20 distance-to-go (DTG) trains will be assembled domestically at Titagarh Rail Systems Limited's Uttarpara manufacturing facility in West Bengal, forming part of the localisation strategy for future rolling stock.
A BMRCL official emphasised operational convenience, stating, "For ease of maintenance, we have decided that all CRRC trains will operate only on Green Line. We do not want to maintain CRRC facilities at two depots. Instead, all spares and maintenance infrastructure will be concentrated at Peenya depot (Green Line)."
As part of the reallocation, 17 Phase-1 trains will shift to the Purple Line, leaving the network with 21 CRRC trains on Green and a net gain of additional capacity across both routes.
Bengaluru Metro currently operates 57 trains, well below the ideal requirement of at least one train per km to meet a three- to four-minute frequency across corridors.
With ridership hovering around 10 lakh daily and still rising, especially after connectivity to Whitefield and Electronics City, the new trains are expected to improve frequency and reduce passenger load.
The CRRC contract awarded in December 2019 covers 216 coaches, including units earmarked for the Yellow Line.