Bengaluru metro’s Yellow and Pink Line to run with outsourced crew

With the deadline of August 15 fast approaching for the inauguration of Namma Metro’s Yellow Line between RV Road and Bommasandra, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) has decided to rope in outsourced personnel to run operations on the new corridor.

Also Read:Countdown begins for Bengaluru’s Yellow Line launch; BMRCL prepares for mid-August rollout

This stopgap move comes as the corporation faces a delay in hiring permanent staff through regular government channels. As a result, train operators, crew controllers, assistant managers, and managers will be appointed through private staffing agencies. A tender has already been floated to recruit candidates for these posts. Selected individuals will receive formal BMRCL training before being assigned operational duties.

This approach is also likely to be adopted for the Pink Line from Kalena Agrahara to Nagawara, a part of Metro Phase II. The Yellow Line, stretching 18.8 km, will initially operate with 15 six-car trainsets running at 5.3-minute intervals during peak hours and 8 minutes off-peak. So far, only three trainsets have been delivered, raising questions about deployment logistics for the outsourced staff.

The Pink Line, measuring 21 km, will operate 23 trainsets, with a 4.5-minute headway during peak hours and 8 minutes otherwise. Both corridors are designed for service from 5 am to midnight. Although both lines are equipped with Unattended Train Operation (UTO) systems, BMRCL has decided to stick with manual operation using trained personnel, at least for now.

The communication-based train control system installed on these lines consists of Automatic Train Protection (ATP), Automatic Train Operation (ATO), and Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) technologies.

A senior BMRCL official clarified that outsourcing is a temporary solution to keep the project timeline on track and said Chennai and Hyderabad Metros have implemented similar strategies. The official assured that regular recruitment will proceed in parallel.

Pay scales for outsourced staff have been fixed:

• Rs 34,355 for train operators
• Rs 37,798 for crew controllers
• Rs 51,045 for assistant managers
• Rs 86,095 for managers

However, the final salary packages may vary based on discussions with contractors. Notably, a previous attempt to hire contract-based train operators was withdrawn earlier this year following public backlash, especially over alleged exclusion of local Kannadigas from recruitment.