Tejasvi Surya Demands Bengaluru Metro Yellow Line Opening In Lok Sabha Again Ahead Of Likely August Launch

News18

5 days ago

He urged the union government to intervene and expedite the launch of the Yellow Line, which connects Bengaluru's residential areas with the Electronic City. 'I want to request the union minister…the opening of the already delayed Yellow Line of the Bangalore Metro. This connects the residential part of Bengaluru to Electronic City. Once opened, more than 8 lakh people will travel in it every day. My request is to kindly open [it] as soon as possible," he said.
The 18.82-km elevated corridor from RV Road to Bommasandra has been ready for more than a year, but its launch was held up due to the delay in coach supply from Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL), based in West Bengal. The line has received a safety certificate from the BMRCL, and a final inspection by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) was to be completed.
Three trains, no drivers
Once operational, the Yellow Line will become the first driverless metro route in the city's prestigious IT corridor. Currently, BMRCL is preparing to launch it with just three six-coach trains, expected to run every 20 minutes—regardless of peak hours. While the line requires at least 14 trains for full-scale operations with a 15-minute frequency, only three are ready so far.
Civil works, including track laying and station construction, were completed last year in September. The first prototype driverless train arrived in April 2024 and underwent three months of testing. The second and third trainsets arrived in January and May this year. BMRCL is now targeting an August 15 opening, with limited operations planned at 20-minute intervals.
Two more coaches were dispatched from TRSL on July 28, forming part of the fourth trainset. Four more are ready and set to leave on Tuesday, which together will make up another full train.
The Yellow Line will link RV Road to Bommasandra with 16 stations, including key stops such as Infosys Foundation-Konappana Agrahara, Electronic City, Kudlu Gate, Bommanahalli, BTM Layout, Jayadeva Hospital, and Ragigudda.
'Why hide the fare hike report?'
Surya also took on the Congress-led state government and BMRCL for their refusal to release the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) report behind the sharp metro fare hike earlier this year. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, he said, 'Four months ago, BMRCL hiked the metro prices by 130 per cent. Public transport, especially services like the metro, must be affordable to the common man. This increase in fares has led to a deep and steep reduction in ridership."
'In the last four months, despite multiple requests, BMRCL has not made public the fare fixation report. This is a democracy—riders deserve the right to know on what basis the fares were increased by 130 per cent. My request to the minister is to instruct the officials of BMRCL to publish the fare fixation report immediately," the MP demanded.
Speaking to News18, Surya said, 'Why is the Congress government in Karnataka and BMRCL hiding the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) report? The Karnataka government seems to be waging a war against public transport. This is not the first time a fare hike has been mandated by an FFC. The Delhi Metro has made at least four of its FFC reports public."
Earlier this month, Surya filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court seeking the immediate release of the FFC report. The court has issued a notice to the Centre, the state government, and BMRCL.
His counsel told the court that three representations had been sent to BMRCL since December 2024, but the report remains undisclosed. 'The media have filed queries under the Right to Information Act. However, BMRCL has refused to reveal the report," the counsel argued.
'Mathematical gymnastics' and 'rollback drama'
This isn't the first time Surya has accused BMRCL of playing games. Earlier this year, in February, he had slammed what he called 'mathematical gymnastics" after BMRCL claimed to roll back fares following public backlash.
advetisement
Surya said in Parliament then that short-distance travel fares had doubled, making Bengaluru Metro the most expensive in the country. 'It defeats the very purpose of offering affordable and sustainable public transport to the middle class," he said.
Red Line stuck in red tape
Surya also pushed for approval of the proposed Red Line—part of Phase 3A of the Namma Metro network—which is awaiting a green signal from the union ministry of railways.