T he inauguration of Namma Metro’s Yellow Line in August 2025 was expected to be a moment of celebration for Bengaluru. Instead, an incomplete line operating at one-fifth of its planned capacity has delivered overcrowded trains, packed stations, and a suboptimal commuter experience.

By 2023, Bengaluru had a finished metro line, but no trains to run on them. The delay in procuring trains is linked with geopolitics. In 2019, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) invited bids for the train sets that would be used on Phase-2 of Bengaluru’s metro system. Eventually, Chinese state-owned rail manufacturer, CRRC, secured a ₹1,578-crore contract for 36 train sets of six coaches each. The cost per coach for this contract (₹7.3 crore) was significantly cheaper than other competitors.

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