Bengaluru Metro Yellow Line to open August 10: What commuters need to know

The much-anticipated Yellow Line of Bengaluru’s Namma Metro is finally set to open on August 10. Spanning 19.15 kilometres, this new corridor connects RV Road in the city’s south to Bommasandra in the industrial southeast. It includes 16 stations such as BTM Layout, Silk Board, Electronics City, and Hebbagodi.

The Yellow Line is part of Phase 2 of the Metro project and is expected to be a major relief for lakhs of daily commuters. It links vital tech and industrial hubs like Electronics City and HSR Layout to the existing Green Line, offering better access to job centres and easing traffic on notoriously clogged roads such as Hosur Road and Silk Board Junction.

When will trains run and how often?

Passenger services on the Yellow Line will begin on August 11, the day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the corridor. Trains will run between 5 am and 11 pm, similar to the existing metro schedule.

Initially, trains will be available every 25 minutes due to the limited number of train sets. At the start, only three driverless trains will be in operation. One-way travel is estimated to take 38 minutes from end to end. As more trains are inducted, frequency is expected to improve significantly by early next year.

Which stations will be open?

Contrary to earlier plans to open just seven stations, BMRCL has now decided to make all 16 stations operational from day one. This move is aimed at encouraging ridership even with limited frequency.

Key stations on the route include Jayadeva Hospital (which will connect to the upcoming Pink Line) and Silk Board (which will link with the future Blue Line), thereby enhancing city-wide connectivity.

How many people are expected to use it?

In the beginning, daily ridership is expected to hover around 25,000 passengers. BMRCL believes this will steadily grow to over 2 lakh commuters per day once full-scale operations begin with all 15 trains running.

The metro operator also estimates a revenue increase from Rs 10–15 lakh per day initially to at least Rs 60 lakh when the line is fully functional.

Why did the project face delays?

The Yellow Line’s construction began in 2017 and was initially scheduled for completion in 2021. However, delays occurred due to slow civil work progress and setbacks in train delivery. A contract for 36 train sets was awarded in 2019 to a Chinese firm, which later faced restrictions following the Galwan Valley standoff.

Eventually, the Chinese company partnered with India-based Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL). Due to visa delays for Chinese engineers and a failed plan to set up a local manufacturing unit, the project saw further setbacks. While three train sets have now been delivered, the fourth is expected by August 10 but will only be ready for service after testing.

What’s next for Bengaluru’s Metro?

Alongside the Yellow Line inauguration, Prime Minister Modi will also lay the foundation stone for Phase 3 — the Orange Line — covering 44.65 km at a projected cost of ₹15,611 crore. Once completed, both the Yellow and Orange Lines are expected to benefit nearly 25 lakh commuters in South Bengaluru.

With this launch, the total length of the Namma Metro network will increase to 96.1 km, with Phase 2 contributing 53.8 km.