Bengaluru’s long-awaited Yellow Line Metro—stretching 19.1 km from RV Road to Bommasandra and connecting the city’s IT hub, Electronics City—will finally be operational by May 2025, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced in the state assembly on March 4.
"The Yellow Line will be opened for public service by May 2025," Shivakumar stated while responding to a query from Bommanahalli MLA M Satish Reddy.
Pink line also on track for 2025-26 completion
Providing updates on the Pink Line (21.2 km from Kalena Agrahara to Nagawara), Shivakumar noted:
• The 7.5 km elevated section (Kalena Agrahara to Tavarekere/Swagath Cross) will be operational by December 2025.
• The 13.7 km underground section (Dairy Circle to Nagawara) is expected to be completed by December 2026.
Rolling stock shortage delaying Yellow Line operations
The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is facing a shortage of rolling stock, which has delayed the launch of the Yellow Line, according to sources.
To commence operations, BMRCL plans to start with three trains running at a 30-minute frequency. Officials stated that they are expecting the third train by April 2025, followed by the fourth train, enabling full-fledged operations.
Trial runs and coach inspections underway
On March 7, 2024, BMRCL began slow trial runs on the Yellow Line (Bommasandra-RV Road). In February 2025, the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (South Circle), AM Chowdhary, inspected two CRRC Nanjing Puzhen trains—one imported from China and the other assembled by Kolkata-based Titagarh Rail Systems.
Delays due to Indo-China border standoff and supply chain issues
The Yellow Line was originally scheduled to open in December 2021. However, coach deliveries faced setbacks due to multiple factors, including:
• The Indo-China border standoff (June 2020), affecting supplier CRRC Nanjing Puzhen.
• Delays in identifying a local partner to meet the 75% local production requirement under the Make in India initiative.
• COVID-19 disruptions, foreign direct investment (FDI) policies, and trade restrictions with China.
Eventually, CRRC partnered with Titagarh Rail Systems to manufacture and supply the required metro coaches, allowing the project to move forward.
With trial runs progressing and rolling stock procurement in its final stages, the Yellow Line’s May 2025 launch is expected to significantly improve Bengaluru’s metro connectivity, easing congestion for thousands of daily commuters in Electronics City and surrounding areas.
