Namma Metro: The Complete Guide to Lines, Fares, Timings and Not Getting It Wrong

“There is a specific expression on the face of someone in a cab on Hosur Road as a metro train goes past overhead. I have worn it myself.”

• On learning the hard way

Namma Metro is the single best thing to happen to daily life in Bengaluru. It began with a short stretch in Bengaluru East in 2011, spent a decade being useful only if you happened to live near it, and has now grown into a network that genuinely crosses the city: east to west on the Purple Line, north to south on the Green Line, and down the Hosur Road corridor on the Yellow Line since August 2025.

The reason to care is predictability. Bengaluru road times swing by an hour depending on rain, an event, or nothing at all. A metro journey takes what it takes. For anyone whose route is served, this is not a marginal improvement, it is the difference between planning your day and hoping about it.

This guide covers every line and interchange, how fares and tickets actually work, timings, the rules people get caught out by, parking, and what is under construction. If you read one thing before your first trip, read the fares and tickets section.

Which Namma Metro Lines Are Running in 2026?

Three lines are operating: Purple, Green and Yellow. Between them they cover the east-west axis, the north-south axis and the Hosur Road corridor, and they meet at a small number of interchanges that are worth memorising.

• Purple Line, east to west. Whitefield Kadugodi through Hope Farm, KR Puram, Indiranagar, MG Road, Majestic, Vijayanagar and Mysore Road out to Challaghatta. The line that made Whitefield viable.
• Green Line, north to south. Madavara in the north-west through Yeshwanthpur, Mantri Square Sampige Road, Majestic, Lalbagh, South End Circle, Jayanagar and Banashankari down to Silk Institute.
• Yellow Line, the southern corridor. Rashtreeya Vidyalaya Road through Jayadeva Hospital, Central Silk Board, HSR Layout and Electronic City to Bommasandra. Opened August 2025 and transformed the Hosur Road commute.
• Blue Line, under construction. Central Silk Board along the Outer Ring Road through the Bellandur tech belt and KR Puram, then north to the airport. The most anticipated line in the city.
• Pink Line, under construction. Kalena Agrahara to Nagawara, largely underground through the central and southern city.

How Do the Metro Interchanges Work?

Four interchanges hold the network together, and knowing them turns three separate lines into one usable system.

• Majestic, or Nadaprabhu Kempegowda station. Purple and Green. The central interchange, next to the city railway station and the Kempegowda bus stand. Large, busy, and the point almost every cross-city journey passes through.
• Rashtreeya Vidyalaya Road. Green and Yellow. The southern gateway to the Hosur Road corridor.
• Jayadeva Hospital. Green and Yellow. Useful for Jayanagar, JP Nagar and the Bannerghatta Road side.
• Central Silk Board. Yellow, and the Blue Line when it opens. The junction that will eventually link the southern corridor to the ORR tech belt and the airport.
• KR Puram. Purple, and the Blue Line when it opens. The eastern link between Whitefield and the ORR.

How Much Does Namma Metro Cost, and How Do I Buy a Ticket?

Fares run by distance, roughly from a Rs 10 minimum to around Rs 90 for the longest journeys, and the cheapest way to travel is a smart card. There are four ways to pay, and only one of them involves standing in a queue.

• QR ticket in the Namma Metro app. The default for most people now. Buy on your phone, scan at the gate. Fastest option and no queue.
• WhatsApp ticket. BMRCL runs a WhatsApp ticketing service that issues a QR in chat. Genuinely convenient and popular with occasional travellers.
• Smart card. The regular commuter's choice, with a discount on every fare and no per-trip transaction. Buy and recharge at station counters or online.
• Paper QR at the counter. Still available at every station. Fine for a one-off, slow at peak hours.
• Concessions and passes. BMRCL periodically offers student, group and multi-trip options. Check the current list on bmrc.co.in before assuming one exists.

Fares are revised periodically, so treat any figure you read online, including this one, as indicative. The official fare chart on bmrc.co.in is the only version that is current.

What Are the Namma Metro Timings?

Broadly 5 AM to 11 PM, with a later start on Sundays and occasional extensions for major events. First and last train times differ by line and by station, because the terminus and the middle of a line are not the same thing, and this is where people get stranded.

The rule that matters: the last train time posted is the departure from the terminus, not the time it reaches your station. If you are catching a late train, check the specific station board or the app rather than the headline figure. BMRCL also runs extended services on big concert and festival nights, which is worth knowing if you are coming back from the northern venues.

What Are the Rules People Get Caught Out By?

A handful, and all of them are enforced. Security screening happens at every station entrance, so allow a couple of minutes at peak times.

• Luggage. One bag per passenger within a size limit. Large suitcases are frequently refused, which matters if you were planning a metro-and-airport-bus combination.
• No cycles or pets. Bicycles are not permitted, including most folding cycles, and pets are not allowed.
• No eating or drinking. Enforced inside stations and trains. Finish your coffee before the gate.
• Prohibited items. Standard security list, plus things people forget: gas cylinders, paint, large tools and anything flammable.
• Reserved coaches. Trains carry a coach reserved for women. It is well used and the marking is clear on the platform.
• Exit time limits. Tickets have a validity window. Sitting in a station for an hour to wait out rain can attract a penalty on exit.

Can I Drive to a Metro Station and Park?

Yes at many stations, and it is the most underused trick in Bengaluru commuting. BMRCL operates paid parking at a large number of stations, mostly on the outer stretches where it is most useful, for both two wheelers and cars, at rates that are trivial compared with a cab across town.

The strategy that works: drive or ride to the nearest outer station, park, take the train into the centre or the tech corridors, and avoid every junction that would otherwise have ruined your morning. Availability varies by station and fills early on weekdays, so check the BMRCL parking list for your station rather than turning up hopeful.

Which Metro Lines Are Under Construction and When Will They Open?

Two matter enormously, and both are under active construction. Phase 2 and its extensions have been arriving in stages rather than all at once, which is why the network has changed shape three times in three years.

• Blue Line, the airport line. From Central Silk Board along the Outer Ring Road through the Bellandur and Devarabeesanahalli tech belt to KR Puram, then north via Hebbal to Kempegowda International Airport. It will serve both the worst traffic corridor in the city and the airport.
• Pink Line. Kalena Agrahara in the south to Nagawara in the north, largely underground through the central city, adding a second north-south spine.
• Further extensions. Additional Phase 3 corridors, including west and outer ring alignments, are at various stages of approval and design.
• On timelines. BMRCL dates move. Treat any opening date, including ones you read in the news, as provisional until trains are running.

If you are buying property on the basis of a coming line, check the alignment and the station location against the official BMRCL plan rather than a brochure map. Our buying property guide has more on the checks worth doing.

Is the Metro Actually Better Than a Cab or a Bike in Bengaluru?

If your route is served end to end, yes, and it is not close. A cross-city cab in peak hours costs several times a metro fare and takes an unpredictable amount of time. The metro's weakness is the last mile: Bengaluru is spread out, and a station three kilometres from your office still needs an auto, a bus or a walk.

In practice most people who use the metro well use it in combination. Bike or auto to a station, train across the city, walk or auto at the far end. BMTC runs feeder services at many stations, and the auto supply outside major stations is reliable. Our getting around Bangalore guide covers buses, autos, cabs and rentals alongside the metro, with advice on which combination works for which trip.

Same city, new stories, always.

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