Bengaluru's Newly Inaugurated Yellow Line Sees Double-Than-Expected Ridership

The newly inaugurated Namma Metro Yellow Line, connecting RV Road and Bommasandra, has reached an average daily ridership of 60,000 commuters.

Following its opening on Aug. 10, the latest route of Bengaluru Metro has achieved a remarkable rise in daily ridership within just weeks despite limited service, according to a Deccan Herald report. 

When services first began on the Yellow Line, daily commuter numbers were in the range of 50,000 to 58,000. In the following weeks, the count steadily increased, even though BMRCL was running just three trains at 25‑minute intervals on the route, the report added, quoting a senior official from the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.

“Due to the low frequency, we hadn’t expected such high ridership. After the initial rush, we had expected it to drop down to around half, at 30,000. But commuters seem unfazed by the low frequency. This just goes to show that consumer behaviour can’t always be predicted,” the senior official told Deccan Herald.

Commuter numbers remain significantly higher on working days. The evening peak is typically around 20% more than the morning rush and is the major factor behind the consistent growth in ridership.

“The line is mainly being used by working professionals travelling to Electronics City, Bommasandra and all the places in between. While in the mornings, they might opt for cabs, we’re seeing that towards the evening, people are preferring the metro,” the official said. 

The senior BMRCL official also mentioned that the daily passenger count on the Yellow Line is likely to go up once a fourth train is introduced. This is planned within the next two to three weeks.

On Aug. 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Yellow Line of Namma Metro, a new 19.15 km stretch developed under Phase 2 at an investment of Rs 7,160 crore. On its opening day, Namma Metro’s Yellow Line received 83,000 commuters. Ahead of the launch, BMRCL anticipated that the new stretch would benefit more than eight lakh commuters in South Bengaluru daily.

Running from RV Road to Bommasandra with 16 stations, the corridor cuts across major IT and business areas. It provides the southern parts of Bengaluru with direct access to key employment centres. The project is expected to ease traffic congestion on busy roads.