Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) announced the introduction of two early morning services on the Yellow Line every Monday following a protest by passengers at the RV Road Metro station on November 17.
The new services will operate at 5.05 am and 5.35 am from both RV Road and Bommasandra. On all other weekdays services will resume at 6:00 a.m. On Sundays the first train will run at 7:00 a.m.
Senior BMRCL officials said the decision was taken primarily to streamline crowd management, especially on Monday mornings when many commuters return to the city from their hometowns.
“Lots of people arrive at Majestic and other parts of the city early on Monday. Since trains start earlier on all other lines but not on the yellow line, these passengers could not continue their journey by metro. With the introduction of the early morning service on the yellow line, these commuters can now take the metro early as well,” the official said.
Relief for commuters
For many regular travelers, the adjusted timetable brings significant relief. Ravi Kishan, a commuter from Bommanahalli, welcomed the move. “I usually travel to my hometown Hosapete on weekends and return early on Monday morning around 4:30 am. When I reach Majestic, I board the Green Line to reach RV Road, but I don’t get a train there at all because the service starts at 6:00 am. Now that BMRCL starts services at 5:05 am, I think it will help all the early return passengers like me.
Another commuter, Pavana K., a resident of Kudlu Gate, said the revised timings were helpful but insufficient. She urged BMRCL to increase the frequency of trains and extend the morning service to all days of the week. “It is very helpful that the yellow line metro services start early but the frequency needs to be improved. They should consider starting the train earlier every day so that more people can benefit. It seems like an eyewash after the protest that happened recently,” she said.
The November 17 protest caused disruption during rush hour. BMRCL officials said that a section of passengers coming through the Green Line, which starts operations at 5 am, staged a demonstration at RV Road after learning that the Yellow Line services would only start at 6 am. Frustrated commuters reportedly blocked the train’s doors and prevented the first departure, causing a 35-minute delay.
The police were called to deal with the situation, after the intervention of the officers, services were restored.
The sixth train set in December
The 19.15 km RV Road to Bommasandra line currently operates trains every 15 minutes during peak hours. One spare train is kept on standby as an emergency measure.
The Yellow Line, a key corridor connecting south Bengaluru and Electronics City to the rest of the Namma Metro network, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 10 August and opened to the public the following day. Despite its importance, the line struggled with overcrowding due to the limited number of trains.
Only three trainsets were deployed during the launch, resulting in crossings of over 25 minutes and severe overcrowding. BMRCL introduced the fourth train set on 10 September, reducing the frequency slightly to 19 minutes. On November 1, the corporation commissioned the fifth train, which brought relief to the riders.
More improvements are expected soon, according to officials. The Namma Metro is set to introduce the sixth train set in December, with Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL) having already dispatched the buses by the end of November. The addition of additional trains is expected to reduce waiting times and ease congestion, especially during the morning and evening rush hours.
Published – 24 Nov 2025 18:42 IST
