All 306 coaches for the 148-km suburban rail network will be manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.
On May 6, Bengaluru Integrated Rail Infrastructure Development Enterprise Limited (Bi-RIDE), the project implementation agency, issued a work order to ICF for supplying 153 coaches intended for Corridors 2 and 4. The contract also mandates obtaining statutory approvals from the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO). The trains will operate using 25 kV overhead traction, consistent with Indian Railways’ standards.
Bi-RIDE Managing Director Lakshman Singh confirmed that the prototype train will arrive by November 2027. Subsequently, three three-coach trains will be delivered each month. The plan is to open the first suburban line by December 2028. Initially, trains with three coaches will run at a peak-hour frequency of five minutes to ensure reliable service and attract passengers.
Passenger amenities such as luggage racks and bicycle stands will be finalized once detailed design and technical specifications—including braking systems, propulsion, and coach weight—are settled.
A Bi-RIDE official added that each three-coach trainset will have a crush load capacity of 1,000 passengers.
The entire train procurement is valued at Rs 4,270.30 crore, with costs shared equally by the state government and Indian Railways. The Karnataka government granted an exemption under Section 4(g) of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act to allow direct procurement from ICF without tenders. While the Railway Board has granted in-principle approval for cost sharing, Union Cabinet clearance is still pending.
Since ICF is a government agency, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed instead of issuing a Letter of Acceptance (LoA). Orders for the remaining 153 coaches for Corridors 1 and 3 will be placed at a later stage.
Bi-RIDE is preparing to float tenders in July for the final 24.34-km section of Corridor 4 (Heelalige to Rajanukunte), completing its 46.88 km length. A tender for another 22.54-km section, floated in May, will have bids opened on June 29.
Contracts for two packages of Corridor 2 (Baiyappanahalli to Chikkabanavara, 25.01 km) have been awarded to PJB Engineers Pvt Ltd and the PJB-CVCC joint venture. The tender for a 7.795-km elevated section between Benniganahalli and Shettihalli, which includes a 1.11-km double-decker stretch, was re-floated after only one bid from NCC Ltd.
Tenders for Corridor 1 (KSR Bengaluru to Devanahalli/Airport, 49.9 km) are planned between November 2026 and February 2027, pending 90% completion of land acquisition. Revenue authorities are currently conducting the Joint Measurement Certificate (JMC) survey, with land acquisition expected to take about a year due to multiple notifications and legal requirements.
Bi-RIDE targets opening Corridor 2 by December 2028, Corridor 4 by June 2029, and Corridors 1 and 3 (Kengeri to Whitefield, 35.52 km) by March 2030.
On June 12, Bi-RIDE floated tenders for constructing a train maintenance depot at Soladevanahalli, estimated at Rs 200.03 crore with a 24-month completion timeline. This depot, located near the proposed Peripheral Ring Road (PRR), will serve as the reception point for the prototype train and will maintain trains for Corridors 2 and 4. It will feature six stabling lines, six inspection lines, and four repair lines.
