Modi inaugurates long-delayed Yellow Line of Bengaluru Metro, flags off Vande Bharat to Belagavi

Bengaluru’s long wait for the Yellow Line of Namma Metro finally ended on Sunday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 19.15-km corridor linking R.V. Road to Bommasandra. The Prime Minister also flagged off the Vande Bharat Express between Bengaluru and Belagavi, along with two other Vande Bharat services launched virtually.

The Yellow Line, a key metro link connecting the city’s IT hub in Electronics City and expected to significantly ease traffic congestion at bottlenecks like the Silk Board junction, has been plagued by delays since construction began in 2017. Originally envisioned in the 2011 Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the project was initially scheduled for completion by December 2021. However, setbacks including protracted land acquisition, disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and delays in rolling stock supply from Chinese manufacturer CRRC Nanjing pushed the timeline by nearly four years.

A packed schedule for the Prime Minister

Mr. Modi arrived in Bengaluru on Sunday morning at HAL Airport and then travelled by helicopter to the Indian Air Force Training Command in the city, where he was received by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. His first stop was the Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) Railway Station in Majestic, where he flagged off three Vande Bharat Express trains, the KSR Bengaluru–Belagavi service, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra–Amritsar service, and the Nagpur (Ajni)–Pune service, the latter two launched virtually.

Following the event, the Prime Minister proceeded to Ragigudda Metro Station to inaugurate the Yellow Line. There, he flagged off the inaugural service, tried out the QR code-enabled ticket vending machines, and boarded the metro to Electronic City. Speaking to The Hindu, a Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) official said the train was piloted by a woman loco pilot. “Schoolchildren, metro officials, and some members of the public were also onboard, and Mr. Modi interacted with them during the journey,” the official said, adding the commercial operation to be starting from Monday.

At the end of his metro ride to Infosys Foundation Konappana Agrahara Metro Station, the Prime Minister moved to the IIIT Auditorium in Electronics City Phase 1. There, he laid the foundation stone for Namma Metro’s Phase 3, also known as the Orange Line, and addressed a gathering.

Phase 3 to expand network to 222 km

Phase 3 will be fully elevated and is planned to serve underserved areas along Magadi Road and the western portion of the Outer Ring Road (ORR). Once completed in 2029, it is projected to accommodate 7.85 lakh daily commuters and will extend Bengaluru’s metro network to 222.2 km, according to BMRCL officials. The project has cleared all mandatory hurdles, receiving Union Cabinet approval in August 2024.

Political slugfest ahead of the launch

The inauguration also became a stage for political one-upmanship. At Ragigudda Metro Station, Congress supporters raised slogans in favour of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

Hours before the inauguration, Mr. Shivakumar accused the BJP-led Central government of contributing only 20% towards the cost of the Yellow Line, claiming the State government bore the remaining 80%. In certain cases, he said, the Centre’s contribution was as low as 11%.

Speaking to reporters, he urged the Prime Minister to sanction at least ₹1 lakh crore for Bengaluru’s development, stating that the State government had funded the entire land acquisition despite the Centre being expected to share 50% of the cost. “Even though Bengaluru is the country’s second-highest tax-paying city, the grants we receive are minimal,” he said, adding that Ahmedabad receives a 20% share of tax allocations compared to Bengaluru’s 10%. “We should be treated like other major cities and considered alongside the national capital.”

Mr. Shivakumar also criticised BJP MPs from Karnataka, alleging they had failed to secure meaningful grants for the State. “Posting on X and appearing in photos is not an achievement. BJP MPs should focus on bringing funds instead of playing politics,” he said.

A vital corridor

Built at a cost of ₹7,610 crore, the Yellow Line adds 16 stations to Namma Metro’s network, expanding the operational length to 96 km. The fully elevated line incorporates the city’s first driverless train technology, though services will initially be operated by loco pilots.

BMRCL officials expect the Yellow Line to carry over 2.5 lakh passengers daily once the full fleet of trains is delivered and operational. The corridor integrates with major metro lines at key junctions: R.V. Road (Green Line), Jayadeva Hospital (Pink Line), and Central Silk Board (Blue Line, Phases 2A & 2B).

Another notable feature is its integration with the city’s first double-decker flyover between Silk Board Junction and Ragigudda Metro Station, designed to ease one of Bengaluru’s most congested stretches.

The Yellow Line is expected to bring much-needed relief to thousands of employees working in Electronic City, a major IT cluster hosting several multinational companies. By offering a direct metro connection from the southern residential areas to the IT hub, the line could significantly cut commuting times, reduce dependence on private vehicles, and ease pressure on the city’s overburdened road network.

Delayed project

When construction began in 2017, expectations were high that the Yellow Line would be operational within four years. However, the project encountered several roadblocks. Land acquisition delays slowed initial progress, while the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted labour supply, construction schedules, and logistics.

A major blow came from delays in receiving rolling stock from CRRC Nanjing, the Chinese manufacturer contracted to supply the train. In 2019, CRRC was awarded a ₹1,578-crore contract to supply 216 metro coaches, with the condition that it establish a manufacturing facility in India, a commitment the company failed to meet.

This non-compliance significantly slowed the project, prompting the BMRCL to issue multiple notices to CRRC and even consider invoking a ₹372-crore bank guarantee. To break the deadlock, CRRC entered into a partnership with Kolkata-based Titagarh Rail Systems Limited, which allowed train deliveries to resume.

At present, the Yellow Line has only three train sets in operation. A fourth set is en route from the Titagarh facility and is expected to be delivered to Bengaluru Metro by mid-August, officials said.