Bengaluru Yellow Line effect: Metro hits record 10.5 lakh ridership
The newly opened 19-km Yellow Line, connecting RV Road and Bommasandra, is expected to ease traffic for thousands in southern Bengaluru
Bengaluru’s Namma Metro hit its highest-ever single-day ridership on Monday (August 11), just a day after the long-awaited Yellow Line was launched.
According to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), nearly 10.5 lakh passengers travelled across the 96 km network of Purple, Green, and Yellow lines on Monday.
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Record ridership
BMRCL data shows that the Purple Line (Line 1) carried 4,51,816 commuters, while the Green Line (Line 2) saw 2,91,677 boardings.
The newly opened Yellow Line (Line 3) recorded 52,215 passengers on its first day of commercial service. Additionally, 2,52,323 passengers used interchange stations.
The previous highest daily ridership was on June 4, when 9,66,732 passengers used the metro, at a time when only the Purple and Green lines, covering 76.95 km, were operational, according to BMRCL. That spike coincided with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) victory celebrations, which later turned tragic.
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Yellow Line
Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inaugurated the Yellow Line on Sunday (August 10), with commercial services starting the next day.
The 19.15 km corridor, built under Phase 2 of the metro project for RS 7,160 crore, connects R.V. Road to Bommasandra, passing through major commercial and IT hubs.
The line comprises 16 stations and connects southern Bengaluru to key employment zones, aiming to significantly ease road congestion.
Currently, the corridor operates with just three trains at 25-minute intervals, connecting to the city’s tech hub, Electronics City.
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96 km metro corridor
Officials credited Monday’s surge to the addition of the Yellow Line, which had been delayed for over four years before its opening. With this launch, Bengaluru’s operational metro network has expanded to 96 km.
BMRCL anticipates that the new line will serve over eight lakh commuters in South Bengaluru daily and push the city’s overall metro ridership towards an estimated 12.5 lakh passengers per day.
On Tuesday (August 12) , Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy flagged off new feeder bus services for the Yellow Line, connecting six stations along Hosur Road.
Operating on four routes with 12 buses, these services will make nearly 100 trips daily, linking Huskur Road, Beretena Agrahara, Electronics City, Infosys Foundation Konappana Agrahara, Hebbagodi, and Bommasandra stations.