Bengaluru: In response to ongoing congestion and frequent disruptions on the Bengaluru metro, MPs PC Mohan and LS Tejasvi Surya took a metro ride during peak hours on Monday to engage with commuters and gather feedback. The journey, which began at KR Pura and ended at Majestic, was part of an effort to understand and address the challenges faced by daily metro users.
Union Minister and Bangalore North MP Shobha Karandlaje also briefly visited the KR Pura metro station during the inspection.
The parliamentarians encountered the usual heavy crowds but also noted the added chaos caused by heightened security and crowd management due to their presence. Among the key issues raised by commuters were poor connectivity between Garudacharpalya and Pattandur Agrahara and confusing signage at the Majestic interchange station.
Regarding women’s safety, Mohan mentioned the possibility of reserving the first two coaches exclusively for women, based on demand.
Namma Metro, which sees an average daily ridership of over 8 lakh, has been struggling with severe overcrowding since the complete Purple Line opened in October last year. Currently, Namma Metro operates 57 trains with six coaches each, 34 on the Purple Line and the remainder on the Green Line. Due to high demand, some Green Line trains are also being redirected to the Purple Line.
However, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is unable to add more trains this year. New trainsets, ordered from China’s CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd and Indian partner Titagarh Rail System Ltd, are expected to arrive starting June 2025, with two trains delivered monthly. Surya stated that these additional 21 trainsets would boost ridership by about 40%.
Surya also announced plans for new infrastructure projects, including skywalks and travelators connecting Banashankari metro station to the BMTC TTMC, funded jointly by Namma Metro and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which has already allocated ₹50 crore for the project.
In light of recent suicides on metro tracks, there are plans to install platform screen doors at Majestic station. Additionally, a detailed analysis of the Yellow Line (RV Road-Bommasandra, 19.15 km) will be conducted in the coming weeks to improve transport infrastructure based on public feedback.
To aid commuters switching between the Purple and Green lines, BMRCL has opened a new entrance at the Majestic metro station.