Bengaluru: BMRCL MD and Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development Department Mahendra Jain has said that delivery of the first six- coach metro rake from BEML will be delayed and it will happen only in January.
Earlier Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George had said the first set would arrive this month.
However, Jain told Deccan Chronicle, "As far as I know, the first set from BEML was meant to arrive from January onwards."
"Three coaches will be received next month and added to the existing three-coach trains. Three coaches will be added each month thereafter. From June 2018, more number of coaches will be delivered by BEML," he elaborated.
Jain visited the BEML factory in the city on Thursday and inspected the coaches, which are under various stages of completion and also reviewed the delivery schedule.
As per what was announced by BEML earlier, 150 coaches, costing Rs 1,421 core, will be rolled out in a phased manner till December 2019.
On Wednesday, Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George had tweeted, "BEML has opened one more line of production to increase supplies of Metro Cars. Frequency will increase to three minutes from the current six minutes, with one coach reserved for women, physically challenged and senior citizens."
It is expected that 63 coaches will be deployed on the Purple Line, including the extensions from Challaghatta to Whitefield and 87 on the Green Line extensions from BIEC to Anjanapura, due to longer length.
However, the first set that arrives soon will be deployed on the Purple Line to ease congestion, especially betweenKempe Gowda and Baiyappanahalli stations.
