Bengaluru Metro’s loop trains terminating midway irk Whitefield-bound passengers

Further, passengers also complain that the loop trains towards the east were introduced at the cost of the west, resulting in more waiting time for trains.

P C Mohan, BJP MP for Bangalore Central, said, “Despite Namma Metro starting 15 loop trains on the purple line from Majestic, terminating at Garudacharpalya inconveniences thousands of Whitefield commuters. Passengers travelling to Whitefield must disembark and wait for another crowded train. BMRCL must promptly address this issue.”

Praveen Shetty, a techie who takes the metro to Kundanahalli, said he has had to change his login time because of the new arrangement. “During the peak hours, especially between 8.30 and 9.30 am, the crowd is unimaginable. We have to wait at the Majestic interchange station in the rush till we get a train to Whitefield. The loop trains to ITPL and Garudacharpalya are not serving Whitefield-bound passengers who usually travel beyond these stations.

“Deboarding at Garudacharpalya means we have to wait for a subsequent train which is packed. It doesn’t serve any purpose. As a result of this mismanagement, I delay my login at the office and take the train only after 11.30 am, once the peak hour is over,” he said.

Amal H, another Whitefield-bound passenger, said, “Travel to Whitefield on the metro is very exhausting. Taking the loop trains towards Garudacharpalya and ITPL during peak hours is painful and frustrating.”

Shashi, an X user, wrote on the social media platform, “This mandatory trips to Garudachar Palya continues @OfficialBMRCL @srivasrbmrccoi1 why??? This doesn’t make sense at all….Now my friends say that trains starting from Mysore Road are removed and frequency is 10 or 12 minutes from Kengeri. Classic case of rob Peter to pay Paul.”

‘Increase number of coaches and frequency’

Metro passengers believe that only an increase in the number of coaches and frequency will solve the issue.

Satya Arikutharam, a resident of Kengeri, said, “A similar situation exists on the other end of the line, where many trains terminate at Mysore Road and passengers travelling further have to wait for another crowded train. The number of coaches and frequency has to increase to improve the service on the popular purple line.”

BMRCL introduced loop trains from Majestic to ITPL and Garudacharpalya to meet the growing demands for services towards the east and to clear the crowd at the Majestic interchange station. Accordingly, 15, instead of nine, trains originate from Majestic during the morning hours. Out of these, 10 trains run up to ITPL and one up to the Baiyappanahalli station, following which the subsequent train is operated towards Whitefield at a 3.5 minute headway.

Maheshwar Rao, MD, BMRCL, defended the loop train services.

“Because of the huge influx of passengers at Majestic and to cater to the services towards the east side, we had to introduce the loop trains. Another option would be to operate the trains at a seven-minute frequency during peak hours. It would cause more inconvenience. Passengers have to slightly bear with the crunch in the coaches with which we are operating. We are expecting the rolling stock to be delivered for the purple and green lines by May 2025,” he said.