Bengaluru: 

The Yellow Line covers 19.15 km, running from R.V. Road to Bommasandra. The tracks and other structures have been ready for some time, but the launch got delayed several times. The main reason was the late arrival of the special driverless trains needed for this line. Despite the issues, BMRCL now plans to start with just three trains. These will run every 30 minutes.

People in Bengaluru have been waiting eagerly for the Yellow Line of the Namma Metro to begin, and now officials from the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) have confirmed that the line will open in June. However, the full service won’t start right away. At first, trains will stop at only a few main stations. The complete route with all stops will be opened later.

“At the beginning, only five main stations will be active, besides the starting point at R.V. Road and the end point at Bommasandra. With only three trains for now, we can manage one every half hour. As more trains arrive, we’ll add more trips and open more stations,” a BMRCL official said.

Passengers unhappy

Another resident, Sneha M. from Kodichikanahalli, added, “We’ve seen the metro work finished for months. Now they say it’s opening, but only some trains will run and not at all stations. It’s very frustrating. There’s no proper bus to Bommanahalli from my place. I’m not even sure which stations will be open. I might just use my scooter or take an auto.”

Many people who were hoping to use this new metro line daily are now disappointed. Ramesh Hegde, a software professional working in Electronics City, said, “I was waiting for the Yellow Line because the BTM Layout station is very close to my home. Now I’ll have to go all the way to Jayadeva or Central Silk Board just to board the train. It doesn’t make sense. We’ve waited so long, and now it’s only partly useful.”

Delays in delivery of coaches major issue

The third train set reached Hebbagodi depot near Electronics City on the night of May 13. “All six coaches have been taken off the truck, and testing will start on May 15,” a BMRCL official said. Two more trains are expected to arrive by the end of July or early August. Once everything is ready, the Yellow Line will have 15 trains in total, each with six coaches — making it 90 coaches altogether.

The Yellow Line is very important because it links southern parts of Bengaluru, especially areas like Electronics City, to the rest of the metro. But the progress hasn’t been smooth. In 2019, a Chinese company named CRRC got a ₹1,578 crore contract to provide 216 train coaches. But the company didn’t set up a factory in India as required, and this caused a lot of trouble.

BMRCL had to send several warning letters and even thought about taking ₹372 crore from CRRC’s bank guarantee. Later, CRRC joined hands with Titagarh Rail Systems, a company from Kolkata, to finish the job. This partnership has helped deliveries move forward, but delays are still happening. Test runs began on March 7, 2024, and BMRCL has been testing the system using only two train sets.

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