Bengaluru Metro’s Yellow Line delayed again, limited progress in 2024

BENGALURU: Namma Metro witnessed minimal advancements in 2024, with the much-anticipated Yellow Line facing another delay. While the year saw the inauguration of a minor Green Line extension, other significant projects, including the Yellow Line, experienced setbacks.

As reported by The Hindu, the Yellow Line, connecting R.V. Road to Bommasandra, was initially slated to open by December 2024. However, delays in rolling stock delivery have postponed its commissioning to January 2025, according to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). Only one prototype train, manufactured in China, arrived at the Hebbagodi depot on February 14, 2024, and is currently undergoing static testing. The line, spanning 18.82 kilometres with 16 stations, is designed to improve connectivity in Bengaluru’s southern areas, benefiting key commercial hubs like Infosys and Biocon.

The Yellow Line’s challenges trace back to 2019 when China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) secured a Rs 1,578-crore contract to supply 216 metro coaches. CRRC faced delays due to its failure to establish a manufacturing plant in India, prompting BMRCL to issue notices and consider encashing a Rs 372-crore bank guarantee. Recently, CRRC partnered with Titagarh Wagons to complete the coach deliveries, easing some concerns but failing to prevent further delays.

In 2024, only a 3.14-kilometre Green Line extension from Nagasandra to Madavara (BIEC) was opened on November 7, after seven years of construction. Initially expected to be completed in 27 months, the project faced numerous hurdles.

In other developments, the Karnataka Cabinet approved Phase 3A of the Red Line on December 6. This phase will connect Sarjapur to Hebbal, with the Pink Line’s first phase set to open in September 2025. An underground section of the Pink Line is expected by June 2026.