Bengaluru Yellow Line Metro relief soon: Fourth trainset to join by mid-September

Bengaluru Metro train. (File photo)

Commuters on Bengaluru’s Namma Metro Yellow Line, who often face long waits of up to 25 minutes for a train, may finally get some relief as the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has said that a fourth trainset is expected to join operations on the line by the second week of September, The Times of India reported.

An official from BMRCL confirmed that the new train, which arrived in the city last month, has already started its trial runs.

The train is being tested on the mainline during non-revenue hours at night, and so far, things are moving as planned.

Notably, before any train is allowed to carry passengers, it must complete at least 750 kilometres of trial runs to ensure safety and smooth functioning. Officials expect this process to be finished in the coming week, which means the train can be inducted into commercial service by mid-September.

Currently, only three trainsets are running on the Yellow Line, which stretches across 19 kilometres and carries more than 60,000 passengers every day.

Because of the limited number of trains, services are overcrowded, particularly during morning and evening peak hours.

The shortage has also forced BMRCL to start operations on this line only at 6.30 am, while trains on the Purple and Green Lines begin as early as 5 am.

As per TOI, Titagarh Rail Systems, the Indian manufacturer working in partnership with China-based CRRC Nanjing, is preparing to send the fifth trainset by mid-September.

Though BMRCL expects the arrival of the fifth train in Sept, delays in the supply of bogies from CRRC to Titagarh Rail Systems will impact the manufacturing of the sixth trainset and subsequent ones.

Without timely delivery of the bogies, the production of the sixth and later trainsets will face setbacks. According to a BMRCL official, the delivery of bogies has already been delayed, which means the sixth trainset may now be pushed back by two to three weeks. To resolve these challenges, a team from BMRCL is expected to meet company officials in Kolkata soon.

Meanwhile, Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya has said to avoid delays in manufacturing the coaches, there is an urgent need for airfreight of bogies required for at least two trainsets.

"I had a detailed conversation with the MD of Titagarh on speedy supply of more trains for the Yellow Line Metro. He informed me they are ready to deliver up to eight trains by Sept 30; all other materials are ready except the bogies, which CRRC must bring from China. The only practical solution is for CRRC to airfreight bogies for two trains. If shipped by sea, delivery will slip by 30-45 days, causing further avoidable delays... I urge deputy CM DK Shivakumar and BMRCL to act immediately and do what is needed for airfreighting the materials. Timely delivery will not only save money but also ease commuter life and generate additional revenue...," Surya posted on X.

I had a detailed conversation with the MD of Titagarh on the speedy supply of more trains for the Yellow Line Metro.

He informed me they are ready to deliver up to 8 trains by 30th September; that all other materials are ready except the bogies, which CRRC must bring from…

— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) September 1, 2025