Namma Metro Yellow Line Set to Open in January 2025: Trains To Operate With 30-Minute Headway

After months of delays, Namma Metro has announced plans to open the much-anticipated 19.15-km Yellow Line between the second and fourth weeks of January 2025. The line connects RV Road to Bommasandra, passing through key areas such as BTM Layout, Silk Board Junction, and Electronics City.

While the infrastructure for the Yellow Line is complete, commercial operations have been stalled due to a shortage of trains. Currently, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) possesses only one prototype train, which arrived from China in February. This train has been undergoing trial runs and has received necessary approvals from the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), according to a senior BMRCL official.

Car body shells for three additional trains are being assembled at Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL) in West Bengal. TRSL, in partnership with China's CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd, has secured a contract to supply 36 trains to the BMRCL at a cost of Rs 1,578 crore. The third train's body shell recently arrived at the TRSL plant from Mumbai, with expectations for the first train to be completed in the first week of December and the second by the end of December.

BMRCL Managing Director M. Maheshwar Rao expressed optimism regarding the timeline, stating, "With three trains, we can operationalize the Yellow Line between the second and last weeks of January." He emphasized the importance of obtaining statutory clearance from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) by the end of December and requested the state government to expedite the approval process.

Initially, the Yellow Line will operate with a 30-minute headway between trains, a frequency that will improve as more trains arrive.

In another development, the Karnataka Urban Development Department (UDD) has reached out to the Ministry of Urban Affairs and Housing (MoHUA) for permission to operationalize a 3.14-km metro line between Nagasandra and Madavara, part of the Green Line. This extension will expand the Bengaluru metro network to 76.95 km and aims to alleviate severe traffic congestion on Tumakuru Road.

Built at a cost of Rs 298.65 crore, this elevated metro line features three stations: Manjunath Nagar, Chikkabidarakallu, and Madavara. It has faced significant delays, taking 91 months to complete instead of the originally planned 27 months. Although the line received statutory safety clearance from the CMS (Southern Circle) on October 4, its formal inauguration has been postponed due to pending government permissions.

BMRCL Managing Director M. Maheshwar Rao stated that the line would open "very soon," but he refrained from providing a specific date. A well-placed source indicated that the ministry is currently reviewing the UDD's request, suggesting that the line might open shortly after Deepavali.