Namma Metro Yellow Line: 10-min headway from February; 8th train on the way to city

Bengaluru: Namma Metro's Yellow Line is set to receive its eighth trainset shortly after Sankranthi, with the rake likely to enter passenger service around mid-February, cutting peak-hour frequency to 10 minutes or less. 

The six-coach trainset was dispatched by Kolkata-based Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd (TRSL) on Thursday night, well-placed sources said. 

The train is expected to arrive at the Hebbagodi depot in the city shortly after Sankranthi (January 15). After completing the mandatory 750-km trial run on the mainline, it will enter passenger service around mid-February. 

Meanwhile, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is planning to induct the seventh train, which had arrived on December 18, in the coming week, a senior official said. 

The seventh train is currently undergoing mainline testing, which has been slowed by night-time operations. A clear picture on when the train will be ready for passenger service will emerge shortly, the official said. 

The seventh train will help improve peak-hour frequency to 10-11 minutes. Non-peak hour frequency is also expected to improve. 

The 19.15-km RV Road-Bommasandra metro line, which opened on August 11 last year and connects the tech hub of Electronics City, operates with six trains and has an average weekday ridership of one lakh. 

With a current peak-hour frequency of 13 minutes, passengers have complained about long wait times and overcrowded trains.