Green Line to get two six-car trains from Oct 28

There’s some good news for commuters travelling on the jam-packed metro trains on the Green Line (Nagasandra-Yelachenahalli).

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) will introduce two six-car trains from Monday on the route, a small consolation for harried commuters who have waiting for them eagerly.

In a release on Saturday, the BMRCL said four six-car trains would operate on the Green Line from Oct 28.

The announcement comes six months after all the trains on the Purple Line (Baiyappanahalli-Mysuru Road) were converted into six-car trains.

However, this may not bring much respite to passengers, who endure huge inconvenience while commuting on the line, especially on the stretch between R V Road and Peenya.

At a given time, about 14 to 16 trains operate on this line, and those who miss the bigger trains have to make do with the three-car trains for some more months.

A senior official attributed the delay in the introduction of six-coach trains to underestimating the ridership on the line during the planning of Phase 1.

“The upgradation of traction infrastructure and linking the same with the substation took time. The estimation was partly true as the ridership did not pick up on the Green Line for nearly a year after the inauguration of Phase 1 in June 2017. Today, the difference in the number of passengers between Green and Purple lines hovers around 20%,” the official said.

Rise in ridership

Meanwhile, official data showed that the total ridership of Namma Metro inched closer to 5 lakh mark on Friday, as the weekend rush saw 4.83 lakh commuters taking the metro.

The Purple Line recorded a ridership of 2.63 lakh, while the number reached 2.19 lakh on the Green Line. Consequently, the BMRCL raked in a revenue of Rs 1.12 crore, including Rs 2.56 lakh paid for recharge of smartcards.