Bengaluru Metro Faces Capacity Crunch Amid Rising Ridership

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) is struggling to manage a surge in passenger traffic on its purple and green lines, leading to overcrowding and extended wait times. Despite a significant rise in ridership, the number of metro trains has not increased, causing considerable inconvenience for daily commuters.

Over the past two years, the average daily ridership has surged from 4.32 lakh to 6.04 lakh, reflecting a growing dependence on the metro. However, the BMRCL has been unable to expand train services to keep pace with this increase. While train frequency has been augmented during peak hours on the Majestic-Whitefield corridor, passengers on other routes face delays and long wait times.

Commuters, particularly those on routes like Mysore Road-Challaghatta, report waits of up to 10 minutes for a metro. The primary cause of the congestion is the delay in receiving new coaches.

The BMRCL has ordered 21 new coaches, expected to arrive by December. Additionally, eight coaches will be allocated to the upcoming RV Road-Bommasandra Yellow Line, set to launch in December. The pink and blue lines, scheduled to open in 2025 and 2026 respectively, will also receive new coaches from the manufacturer, BEML.

Until these new coaches are delivered, commuters will continue to face overcrowding and extended wait times. The BMRCL has urged patience, promising that conditions will improve once the new trains are operational.

The rapid rise in metro ridership highlights the project’s success but also underscores the need for timely network expansion and increased rolling stock to meet the growing demand.