After years of delay, Bengaluru’s much-anticipated Namma Metro Yellow Line will finally be operational from August 11, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to inaugurate the corridor on 10 August. This launch will expand the city’s metro network to 96.1 km, with Phase 2 coverage reaching 53.8 km.
According to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), trains on the Yellow Line will run between 5 am and 11 pm, matching the operational hours of the rest of the metro network.
(Also Read: PM Modi to inaugurate Bengaluru Namma Metro's Yellow Line on August 10)
Limited trains
Despite a shortage of trains, the BMRCL has opted to open all 16 stations on the Yellow Line, dropping an earlier plan to start with only seven. Trains will run at 25-minute intervals, with just three driverless trainsets available initially, Deccan Herald reported.
“With a 25-minute frequency, we don’t expect many passengers to use the Yellow Line at first,” a senior BMRCL official told Deccan Herald. “But ridership should rise to 1.5–2 lakh per day once all 15 trains are in operation early next year.”
For now, the daily ridership is expected to hover around 25,000 passengers, generating an estimated ₹10–15 lakh in daily revenue. Once full services begin, daily earnings could exceed ₹60 lakh, the official added according to the publication.
{{/usCountry}}For now, the daily ridership is expected to hover around 25,000 passengers, generating an estimated ₹10–15 lakh in daily revenue. Once full services begin, daily earnings could exceed ₹60 lakh, the official added according to the publication.
{{/usCountry}}The one-way travel time on the Yellow Line is estimated to be 38 minutes.
The Yellow Line's construction began in 2017, with contracts awarded in three packages worth a total of ₹5,056.99 crore.
Currently, India ranks third globally in operational Metro network length and is soon to become the 2nd largest Metro network in the world. As metro systems cover greater distances, it is estimated that networks across the country serve around 1 crore people daily.
Bengaluru's 'Namma metro' is itself the second-longest metro network in the country, serving over 8 lakh commuters daily.
(With agency inputs)