The Bengaluru Suburban Transport Project received a major boost as Bi-RIDE on Monday said it had officially issued a work order to the ICF, Chennai.
The order is for the supply of 153 air-conditioned, broad-gauge, metro-type coaches for corridor-2 and corridor-4. The total value of the work order is Rs 1,513.75 crore, officials said.
The project, aimed at easing traffic congestion in the city, is expected to emerge as a reliable and sustainable transportation system for Bengaluru and its surrounding areas in the future, officials added.
According to a statement by Bi-RIDE, under the contract awarded on May 6, 2026, the Integral Coach Factory must commence supply of the coaches within 18 months.
This deadline has been set to enable the opening of the Chikkabanawara–Yeshwanthpur section of corridor-2 for public service on schedule.
Bi-RIDE (Bengaluru Integrated Rail Infrastructure Development Enterprise Limited) also said this aligns with the timeline directed by PM Modi during the PRAGATI review meeting held in December 2025.
An official MoU between the two organisations will be signed shortly.
The contract includes not only the manufacturing of the coaches but also detailed design, rolling stock production, quality inspection, integration, testing, and commissioning.
Integral Coach Factory has also been tasked with obtaining necessary statutory approvals from the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), as well as coordinating with contractors handling signalling, traction, power supply, and platform screen doors.
Additionally, ICF will be responsible for meeting RAMS (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, and Safety) standards required for the successful operation of the corridors, the statement said.
“This work order is a historic milestone for the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project. Through this partnership with ICF, we are ensuring that the required coaches will be available by the time track and systems infrastructure work for corridors 2 and 4 is completed,” said Lakshman Singh, Managing Director, Bi-RIDE.
He added that this synchronisation would help deliver a world-class suburban rail network to Bengaluru without delay, fulfilling the vision of sustainable urban transport and easing the city’s traffic congestion.
Published on May 11, 2026