Last Updated:
The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) is facing a shortage of rolling stock, which has contributed to the delay in launching the Yellow Line.
Bengaluru Metro. (Representational Image)
Bengaluru’s long-awaited Yellow Line, connecting RV Road to Bommasandra and linking to the tech hub of Electronics City, will be operational by May 2025.
Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister, DK Shivakumar, confirmed on 4 March that the 19.1 km Yellow Line would be ready for public use by May 2025. This announcement came in response to a query by Bommanahalli MLA M. Satish Reddy in the state assembly, as per Money Control.
As for the Pink Line (21.2 km, from Kalena Agrahara to Nagawara), Shivakumar added that the 7.5 km elevated section (from Kalena Agrahara to Tavarekere) will be open by December 2025, and the remaining 13.7 km underground section (from Dairy Circle to Nagawara) will be completed by December 2026.
Sources within Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) revealed that a shortage of rolling stock has caused delays for the Yellow Line. Initially, BMRCL plans to launch the line with three trains running at 30-minute intervals. An official mentioned that they expect the third train by April, with the fourth to follow shortly.
On 7 March 2024, BMRCL began slow trial runs on the Yellow Line, and in February 2025, AM Chowdhary, the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (South Circle), inspected two CRRC Nanjing Puzhen trains – one imported from China and the other assembled locally by Titagarh Rail Systems.
The contract for 216 coaches was awarded to CRRC Nanjing Puzhen in December 2019, with a delivery timeline of 173 weeks. However, the initial plan to open the Yellow Line in December 2021 was delayed due to various factors.
The border standoff with China in June 2020, difficulties in finding a local manufacturer to meet the Make in India requirements, as well as the impact of COVID-19, trade restrictions, and foreign investment policies, all contributed to the delays. Eventually, CRRC partnered with Kolkata-based Titagarh Rail to meet the demand for coaches.
