Bengaluru Metro train derailment at Yellow Line depot; panel to submit report soon

• Driverless train derailed at Hebbagodi depot on Jan 15, 2026
• BMRCL formed a six-member panel to investigate the derailment
• Yellow Line automation delayed, awaiting approvals

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A driverless train on Namma Metro’s Yellow Line derailed inside Hebbagodi depot in Electronics City on January 15, 2026, and a fact-finding panel constituted by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited is expected to submit its report soon, sources told Moneycontrol.

The incident involved train set 3, which derailed at around 5.30am at depot on January 15. While BMRCL has not issued an official statement even a month after the incident and had initially played it down, sources said a six-member in-house fact-finding enquiry committee was constituted on January 16 to investigate the circumstances surrounding the derailment.

Also, read: 19 km, 32 minutes: First-hand account of Bengaluru Metro’s RV Road–Bommasandra ride

BMRCL Managing Director J Ravishankar was unavailable for comment.

According to sources, the derailment damaged a few sleepers (track supports), third rail, and components related to traction and rolling stock. The full extent of the damage and the associated costs will be known only after the investigation is completed.

“The committee was mandated to establish a clear and factual account of the incident, identify all contributory factors, and provide a comprehensive summary for management review and approval,” a senior BMRCL official told Moneycontrol.

Sources said this is the third such derailment in Bengaluru Metro, as similar incidents were reported at Byappanahalli depot (Purple Line) in October 2016 and March 2019.

Also, read: Bengaluru Metro's Yellow Line: 19-km took 8 years to complete; cost escalated to around Rs 400 crore per km

“The panel is examining whether the primary cause was human error, latent systemic deficiencies, or a faulty signalling system. The role of the train operator, depot controller, and other personnel is also under scrutiny,” another official said.

The committee is also expected to recommend operational and safety improvements for depot operations, including modifications to signalling systems. Route setting in the signalling system is under review. Officials said the green signal should turn on only after the route is fully set and locked, and confirmation messages should appear only after the process is complete. The system should issue clear alerts if a route is not properly set so that operators can quickly detect and rectify issues during train movements.

Suryanarayana Murthy, vice-president of BMRCL Employees’ Union, told Moneycontrol: “The derailment at Hebbagodi depot is a serious cause for concern. “The main culprit here is the signalling system, as its integration with Train Control and Monitoring System (TCMS) has not been properly executed on the Yellow Line. This is also putting passenger safety at risk. Senior officials are responsible but are trying to make juniors scapegoats. There should be a third-party external investigation into this derailment.”

Also, read: Bengaluru Metro’s Yellow Line set for August 10 launch; fully automated driverless operations to begin later

The 19.15-km Yellow Line (RV Road–Bommasandra), connecting Electronics City, was inaugurated on August 10, 2025, and is designed for driverless (GoA-4) operations. However, it now runs in semi-automated GoA-2 mode with drivers onboard.

The shift to fully automated operations has been delayed due to pending software finalisation and regulatory approvals. The Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety has cleared only GoA-2 operations so far, with major elements such as full system integration, staff training and safety validations still pending.

Also, read: Bengaluru to debut driverless trains: All you need to know