Bengaluru Metro has announced that it will begin services at an early hour due to the 10K Marathon in Bengaluru. Here are the details
Published: April 24, 2026 8:24 PM IST
Metro train services in Bengaluru will begin early on Sunday (April 26)to facilitate public movement for the TCS World 10K Bengaluru. The announcement was made by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) across their social media accounts.
What time will the services begin?
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) announced special early services, with trains leaving Bommasandra at 3 am, Madavara at 3:20 am, Whitefield (Kadugodi) and Silk Institute at 3:30 am, and Challaghatta at 3:35 am.
During the first hour, trains will operate at a frequency of 15 minutes. It will then reduce to 30 minutes until 7 am, following which services will run as per the regular timetable, the BMRCL said.
The run is scheduled to start from Manekshaw Parade Ground in Bengaluru, located near Main Guard Cross Road.
Bengaluru commuters can use Metro and BMTC buses using a single card
Bengaluru commuters will be able to navigate the Namma Metro and BMTC buses using a single unified mobility card. BMTC is set to begin accepting all National Common Mobility Cards from June, including Namma Metro’s RBL Bank-issued card, with new electronic ticketing machines to be deployed across its buses.
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Who will maintain the ETMS?
Mumbai-based mobility startup Chalo will supply and maintain 11,000 advanced ETMs that will accept NCMC payments from June this year. Valued at nearly Rs 30 crore, the four-year contract includes ticketing software and backend infrastructure. BMTC’s requirement is projected to expand to around 15,000 machines over the next few years.
“A pilot has already been completed with 400 ETMs deployed in two depots, including Yeshwantpur and Subashnagar (Majestic). An additional 1,400 machines are being rolled out across depots such as Banashankari, Kengeri, Chikkanagamangala, Koramangala, and Shivanpura. Full deployment across all depots is expected by the end of April,” one of the officials told Moneycontrol.
How will it work?
Currently, passengers can use UPI to pay fares in these buses, as conductors generate QR codes for each transaction instead of using static QR stickers.
Aimed at curbing fraud and boosting transparency, the new system comes after BMTC suspended 10 conductors accused of swapping official QR codes with personal ones to siphon payments. Tickets will now be issued only after payment confirmation, reducing misuse and fake screenshots.
Adoption by BMTC buses remains slow
Although BMRCL introduced NCMC with RBL Bank in March 2023, its use remained limited because BMTC buses did not accept the card. Officials said BMTC’s move to enable acceptance will allow NCMCs issued across India to work on Bengaluru’s bus network, boosting interoperability.
With around 45 lakh daily riders on BMTC and nearly 10 lakh on Namma Metro, officials expect the integrated ticketing system to boost public transport usage. “We are expanding feeder bus services to strengthen last-mile connectivity and are prepared to operate 7-metre electric buses as Metro feeders if BMRCL provides viability gap funding,” an official said.
