Bengaluru’s Yellow Line Metro gets fifth trainset, frequency to improve by mid-October

Bengaluru’s Yellow Line Metro has received its fifth trainset, which arrived at the depot early on Tuesday (September 30, 2025). According to officials of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), the train will be inducted into service by mid-October after mandatory testing, improving the frequency of operations to around 15 minutes.

Testing cycle

The coaches were dispatched from Kolkata-based Titagarh Rail Systems Limited on trailers in the early hours of September 19. Once assembled at the depot, the train will undergo a 20-day testing cycle. “The trainset must undergo various kinds of tests, including system integration with signalling, telecommunications, and power supply networks,” a senior BMRCL official said.

The Yellow Line, an important 18.82-km corridor connecting R.V. Road to Bommasandra, was inaugurated on August 10 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and opened for commercial operations the following day. It links southern neighbourhoods and Electronics City to the metro network. However, with only three trains available at launch, commuters faced long waits of over 25 minutes during peak hours, leading to severe overcrowding. The situation improved little when a fourth trainset was added on September 10, reducing frequency to 19 minutes.

With only three trains available at the launch of the Yellow Line, commuters faced long waits of over 25 minutes during peak hours, leading to severe overcrowding. File
| Photo Credit:
Murali Kumar K

Easing congestion

Officials say the arrival of the fifth set will ease congestion further, but additional trains will still be required to reach optimal service levels.

Each train on the corridor is equipped with Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) technology, enabling driverless operations, a first for Namma Metro. While the CBTC system is capable of reducing intervals between trains from the current 150 seconds to 90 seconds, manual operation by trained locomotive pilots continues during the initial phase.

Delays in the procurement of rolling stock have slowed the project. Civil works for the corridor were completed nearly a year before commissioning, but trains were not available on time. In 2019, Chinese rolling stock manufacturer CRRC had won a ₹1,578-crore contract to supply 216 coaches, with a stipulation to establish manufacturing in India. After failing to meet this requirement, CRRC faced several notices from BMRCL and the threat of a ₹372-crore bank guarantee being invoked.

The project gained momentum only after CRRC partnered with Titagarh Rail Systems, which began supplying the trainsets. Even so, deliveries have been behind schedule, compelling BMRCL to open the Yellow Line with a skeletal fleet.