Namma Metro

The Namma Metro is a fast train system.

It helps many people travel in a big city. Some tracks are high up on bridges.

Some tracks go deep under the ground.

Most stations are high up in the air. There are 83 stations for people to use. The trains run every day from early morning until midnight. It is a very busy way to move around the city.

Namma Metro is a fast train system in Bengaluru, India.

It is the second largest metro in India. The system has 96.1 km of tracks.

Most stations are high up on bridges. These are called elevated stations. There are 74 of these stations.

Some tracks go under the ground. These are underground stations. There are eight of these. One station sits right on the ground. The trains run every day. They start at 05:00 and end at 00:00.

To make the tunnels, workers used big machines. These are called tunnel boring machines, or TBMs. The machines had names like Helen and Krishna. They had to dig through hard rocks and soft soil. This work was hard and took a long time. One machine even broke a part. They had to get a new part from Italy.

At first, the trains had three cars. Now, they have six cars. This is because many people use them. The trains get power from a third rail. This rail gives electricity to the trains.

Namma Metro is a fast train system in Bengaluru, India.

It helps many people travel across the capital city of Karnataka. This network is the second-largest metro system in all of India. It has a total length of 96.1 km of tracks.

The system includes many different types of stations. Most of the 83 stations are elevated, which means they are high up on bridges. There are also eight underground stations and one station at ground level.

The trains move along standard-gauge tracks to reach their destinations. They get their power from 750V direct current. This electricity comes from a special part called a third rail.

When the metro first started, the trains only had three coaches. As more people began to ride, the trains were changed to have six coaches. This change helps carry more passengers at once. The trains run every day from 05:00 until 00:00. They arrive at stations every 3 to 15 minutes.

Planning for this project started a very long time ago. In 1977, a planning department suggested a mass transit project for the city. Later, in 1981, a team from Southern Railway studied the idea. They suggested a system with two main lines and a circular railway. In 1994, a group called Bangalore Mass Rapid Transit Ltd was created. Eventually, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited took over the work. This agency is a partnership between the Indian government and the Karnataka government.

Construction for Phase 1 began in 2006 when the foundation stone was laid.

Workers used huge tunnel boring machines, or TBMs, to dig under the city. These machines had names like Helen, Margarita, Kaveri, Krishna, and Godavari. Digging was a hard job because the ground had soft soil and hard granite. One machine, Godavari, even broke a part that had to come from Italy. The Purple Line opened in April 2016. The Green Line followed in June 2017.

Building a metro is like adding new paths to a busy city.

Phase 2 is a large plan to make the network even bigger. It will add 62 more stations to the system. This includes extending the Green Line and the Purple Line. It will also build two brand new lines. Some of these new stations will have special areas for buses or parking. This helps people reach the trains more easily from different places. The new lines will help more people move through Bengaluru every day.

Namma Metro, also known as the Bengaluru Metro, is a rapid transit system.

It serves Bengaluru, the capital city of Karnataka, India. This network is the second-largest metro system in India, following the Delhi Metro. As of August 2025, the operational length of the system is 96.1 km.

It provides a vital way for people to move through the busy city. The system is managed by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). This agency is a joint venture between the Government of India and the State Government of Karnataka.

The metro operates using standard-gauge tracks to move its trains.

Electricity is supplied to the trains via 750V direct current. This power comes through a component known as a third rail. While the trains initially began with only three coaches, they were later converted to six-coach rakes. This change was necessary to handle the increasing number of passengers. Services run daily from 05:00 until 00:00. The headway, or the time between trains, varies between 3 and 15 minutes.

The network features three distinct types of stations. Most of the 83 operational stations are elevated, meaning they are built on structures above the ground.

There are also eight underground stations, which were the first of their kind in South India.

Additionally, there is one at-grade station, which sits at ground level. This mix of station types allows the tracks to navigate the complex urban landscape of Bengaluru.

The idea for a mass rapid transit project began much earlier than the actual construction. In 1977, the State Town Planning Department first recommended looking into a metro. In 1981, a team from Southern Railway (SR) conducted a study. They suggested a two-corridor metro along with a circular railway. In 1994, the state created Bangalore Mass Rapid Transit Ltd (BMRTL) to seek private partnerships. Eventually, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was commissioned in 2003 to prepare a detailed study. The DMRC suggested a two-line, cross-shaped network that intersected underground at the Central Railway Station.

Construction of Phase 1 officially began after Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone in 2006.

The project involved building the Purple Line and the Green Line. To create the underground sections, engineers used massive Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs). These machines were given names like Helen, Margarita, Kaveri, Krishna, and Godavari. The work was difficult due to geological conditions like soft soil, high groundwater, and hard granite. One machine, Godavari, faced a major delay when its cutter head broke. Spares for the machine had to be brought in from Italy to finish the work.

Phase 1 was a massive undertaking with significant financial shifts. The initial budget for Phase 1 was ₹6,395 crore. However, due to route extensions and cost escalations, the final cost reached ₹14,405 crore.

The project saw huge public interest from the start. Within the first three days of operations, 169,019 people rode the metro. By the end of the fourth day, about 200,000 passengers had used the system. As the network grew and the lines interconnected, ridership surged. By September 2019, daily ridership reached approximately 450,000 people.

Phase 2 represents a significant expansion of the entire network.

This phase includes extending the existing Green and Purple lines. It also involves building two entirely new lines. One new line will be a long, fully elevated route from RV Road to Bommasandra. The other will run from Kalena Agrahara to Nagawara. Phase 2 is expected to add 62 more stations to the system. This expansion will include 12 new underground stations. The total estimated cost for Phase 2 has been revised to approximately ₹40,425 crore.