Preparations begin for Yellow Line inauguration, speculation over PM Modi's participation

The Hindu

7 days ago

Preparations are underway for the inauguration of Bengaluru's much-delayed Yellow Line Metro, though officials of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) clarified that no formal confirmation has yet been received regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi presiding over the event.
As speculation grows over the possibility of the Prime Minister inaugurating the new corridor, BMRCL officials said that both the Central and State governments have been informed of the event. 'Nothing has been finalised at this stage,' a senior official said, while confirming that work related to the inauguration protocol has already begun.
BMRCL has roped in a private production firm to create a promotional video highlighting the 19-kilometre stretch, which will include footage of metro stations, aerial drone shots, and key features of the line. This documentary-style film is expected to be showcased at the inauguration, tentatively scheduled for the second week of August 2025.
Officials confirmed that each station along the Yellow Line has been asked to designate a nodal officer to coordinate with the production crew during the shoot.
The Yellow Line, connecting R.V. Road in South Bengaluru to Bommasandra via crucial junctions such as Central Silk Board and Electronics City, was originally set to open in 2021. However, the project has been missing deadlines multiple times, most recently missing a revised launch target of June 2025.
CMRS inspection
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) is scheduled to conduct inspections of the Yellow Line from July 22 to July 25. This inspection is a statutory requirement and involves rigorous assessment of the tracks, fire safety protocols, entry and exit points, and the operational readiness of the driverless train sets.
Although the physical infrastructure has been in place for some time, operational delays have largely been due to setbacks in receiving the train sets. Initially, in 2019, Chinese company CRRC was awarded a ₹1,578-crore contract to supply 216 coaches with a mandate to build a manufacturing facility in India, something the firm failed to deliver on.
This non-compliance caused a substantial slowdown in the project's progress, prompting BMRCL to issue multiple notices to CRRC and consider enforcing a ₹372-crore bank guarantee. To salvage the situation, CRRC partnered with Titagarh Rail Systems Limited, a Kolkata-based firm, enabling train deliveries to resume.
Currently, BMRCL has only three train sets available for the Yellow Line. A fourth set is undergoing trials at the Titagarh facility and is expected to be dispatched by July 28, with delivery to Bengaluru likely by August 12, officials said.
'Following the CMRS inspection, BMRCL will need around two weeks to incorporate any safety or operational recommendations. If timelines are met, partial commercial operations on the Yellow Line could begin by mid-August,' an official added.