Good News, Bengaluru! Yellow Line Metro Frequency To Improve To 12 Minutes As Sixth Train Joins Fleet
Bengaluru’s Yellow Line will see faster services from Dec 22 as a sixth trainset joins operations, cutting peak-hour wait times to around 12 minutes.
Bengaluru’s Yellow Line is set for a significant service boost this month, with the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) preparing to deploy its sixth trainset on December 22. The new six-coach unit, manufactured near Kolkata by Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL) under a sub-contract with China’s CRRC Nanjing Puzhen, arrived in the city in late November. It is part of a larger Rs 1,578-crore procurement of 36 trainsets aimed at expanding capacity across the network.
Trial Runs Before Rollout
Before it begins carrying passengers, the train must complete a 750-km endurance run and undergo signalling interface tests on the mainline. A senior BMRCL official confirmed that the corporation is working toward a December 22 launch, timed just ahead of the Christmas travel rush, as per a report on Deccan Herald. While the fresh addition will allow peak-hour frequency to tighten to roughly 12 minutes, officials clarified that daily operations will continue to start at 6 am, with no immediate plans to advance the opening time.
Another BMRCL officials indicated that at least one train may be kept in reserve as a traffic spare to ensure seamless operations during disruptions or maintenance needs.
Passenger Demand and Rising Ridership
Since the 19.15-km RV Road–Bommasandra corridor opened on August 11, ridership has surged past one million across the network. Yet many commuters have raised concerns about long waits and comparatively late opening hours on the Yellow Line.
Currently, trains operate at 15-minute intervals during peak periods, causing crowding at several stations, particularly in and around Electronic City.
Steady Expansion Since August Launch
The Yellow Line, inaugurated on August 10 with three trainsets, serves as a key link for tech workers commuting between south Bengaluru and the highly trafficked Electronic City belt. BMRCL has been steadily adding capacity: a fourth train joined the fleet on September 10, bringing down headways from 25 minutes to about 19 minutes, as per a report on Indian Express. Subsequent additions have further eased congestion.
With the upcoming induction of the sixth train, the corridor—now handling an estimated 80,000 passengers daily including interchange commuters—will see another improvement in frequency, dropping from 15 minutes to around 12 minutes. The new TRSL-built train is expected to bolster operations on a line that has quickly become one of the city’s busiest since its launch.
Top Headlines
