Bengaluru Metro's Whitefield line chokes after return-to-office mandates, more trains only next year

Bengaluru Metro's Whitefield line chokes after return-to-office mandates, more trains only next year (Picture via @prajsn7 on X)

Poor frequency of trains, overcrowded coaches, trains stopping mid-way, doors not closing due to overcrowding, and fights breaking out. These are everyday scenes now for passengers traveling on Bengaluru Metro’s 43 km Purple Line, which connects Challaghatta in West Bengaluru to Kadugodi (Whitefield) in East Bengaluru.

A recent viral video showed two passengers trading blows inside a crowded Metro train, reportedly stemming from an argument over one passenger pushing another.

Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) officials said there is a spike in ridership on the Purple Line after tech companies insisted that employees work from the office most days.

Companies such as Google, Amazon, Meta, Flipkart, TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech, Cognizant, and others have mandated employees to return to the office. For instance, TCS stated that almost 70 percent of its employees are now back in the office following the new policy of linking variable pay to attendance.

Also, read: Nearly 70% of TCS employees return to office after variable pay is linked to attendance

Officials said daily ridership peaks at 8 lakh on most weekdays. “We are seeing a spike in daily ridership with most tech companies insisting employees return to the office. We are doing all we can to ease the congestion, including operating short-loop services from Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Majestic interchange station towards Whitefield. Crowding at stations and trains will reduce once the new trains get inducted next year,” said an official.

Also, read: MC Explains: Overcrowded Bengaluru Metro coaches: Fallout of Indo-China conflict

Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) records show that Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Majestic Interchange station, Indiranagar, Benniganahalli, MG Road, Nagasandra, Mantri Square Sampige Road, and KR Puram are among the busiest stations. The surprise addition to this list is Benniganahalli on the Purple Line, which commenced operations in October 2023. This could be because people from areas along Hebbal and Hoskote are using the station.

Also, read: Whitefield, Bengaluru's first tech corridor, to be connected by Metro

Metro trains on Bengaluru’s two operational lines – Purple (Challaghatta-Whitefield) and Green (Silk Institute-Nagasandra) – are overcrowded due to delays in the delivery of coaches from Chinese company CRRC.

Ramesh Venkataramu, General Secretary of Outer Ring Road Companies Association, said, "Most employees in companies along the Outer Ring Road (ORR) are working from home, while a few are offered hybrid work facilities. Many employees use KR Pura Metro to commute to ORR. BMTC is running AC feeder bus services between KR Pura and Central Silk Board. There is a proposal to allow these buses inside the campuses."

Also, read: Corporates promote use of Bengaluru Metro amid return to office push; congestion may worsen, warns traffic police

Shashidhar B, a regular Metro passenger who works at ITPB, Whitefield said, "During morning peak hour, BMRCL is running trains at three-minute intervals, but trains are jam-packed and there is hardly any space for passengers to enter. In the evening, frequency is worse from Whitefield side. At 5:45 pm, they were operating at eight-minute frequency."

He said that most companies, which earlier allowed people to work from the office three days a week, are now insisting employees come to the office all five weekdays. "Those who have the option to work completely from home are now coming to the office two-three days a week. Due to severe congestion on the roads, people prefer travelling by Metro. However, BMRCL is not responsive to public suggestions on social media."

Also, read: Bengaluru car users spend 1-1.5 hours in each direction; 95% keen to shift to Metro: Survey report

Additional trains only next year

Experts said BMRCL should ideally have one train per Km to maintain an optimal frequency of three to four minutes. Despite the Bengaluru Metro network expanding to a total length of 73 km, it has only 57 trains.

"The prototype DTG (Distance-To-Go) train for the Purple and Green Lines will be dispatched from China in August 2024 and is expected to arrive in Bengaluru by the end of September 2024. We plan to complete all tests by February 2025 using one DTG prototype train" a senior official told Moneycontrol.

He said the existing Purple and Green Lines will get 21 DTG trains next year. "Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL) will supply DTG trains for existing lines only after the delivery of 14 communication-based train control (CBTC) trains for the Yellow Line (RV Road – Bommasandra in Electronics City)" he said.

He said TRSL will begin supplying DTG trains starting June 2025 after the completion of the delivery of 14 CBTC trains for the Yellow Line. "We will complete all tests using the DTG prototype train. It is a challenging task since the Purple and Green Lines are already operational so we will have limited four-hour slots during the night for testing the train," the official said.

Spike in ridership

While Metro systems in cities like Jaipur, Agra, and Lucknow operate are underutilised, Bengaluru faces a unique problem: overcrowded Metro coaches. This is despite poor last-mile connectivity, with no shared auto rickshaws or adequate feeder buses.

Also, read: How poor last-mile connectivity has hit public transport use in Bengaluru

While regular autos often refuse to ply or demand exorbitant fares, and feeder buses have poor frequency, app-based cabs, and auto rickshaws impose surge pricing during peak demand or rain.

BMRCL records show average daily ridership has increased from 5.6 lakh before Shakti (the state government's free bus travel for women) to around 8 lakh now.

Also, read: Bengaluru Metro sees ridership and revenue surge despite free bus travel for women

BMRCL  officials said there is a spike in daily ridership after the completion of crucial links between KR Pura and Byappanahalli stations, as well as the extension to Challaghatta on the Purple Line.

Also, read: Whitefield line boosts Bengaluru Metro's average daily ridership by 80K; cuts traffic congestion by 14%

Officials said they operate short-loop services between Majestic and Garudacharpalya on the Purple Line during peak hours. However, passengers complain about low frequency and inadequate services from Garudacharpalya to Pattandur Agrahara (ITPB), where most tech companies are located. However, officials said short-loop trains can only reverse at Garudacharpalya station.

BMRCL officials said they have decided to install platform screen doors (PSDs) at Nadaprabhu Kempegowda station, Majestic, and Sir M Visvesvaraya station, Central College to prevent incidents like passengers falling onto the tracks due to overcrowding. Temporary platform railings were installed at the Majestic in February 2024 as a stopgap measure. For instance, on July 3, station footfall (entry and exit) at Nadaprabhu Kempegowda interchange was 2.2 lakh

Also, read: In a first, Bengaluru Metro to install platform screen doors at two existing stations

Reason behind delay in inducting trains

In December 2019, CRRC's subsidiary, CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd, emerged as the lowest bidder to deliver 216 new coaches. In February 2020, BMRCL signed a contract with CRRC, and the firm was scheduled to supply all of them within 173 weeks.

The first train was supposed to be delivered in 87 weeks. Of the total, 126 (21 six-coach trains) were for deployment on the Purple and Green lines. The remaining 90 coaches (15 six-coach trains) were for the Yellow Line (RV Road - Bommasandra), connecting Electronics City.

Supply chain challenges emerged as CRRC struggled to identify a local manufacturer, affecting compliance with the 75 percent local production requirement under the Make in India initiative. Delays were also attributed to factors such as COVID-19, foreign direct investment policies, and trade restrictions with China. Subsequently, CRRC partnered with Kolkata-based Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL) to manufacture and supply the coaches.

Also, read: Titagarh to supply the first train for Bengaluru metro’s Electronics City corridor in August 2024