Massive crowds, unhelpful signage render Majestic interchange chaotic in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: With the expansion of the Namma Metro network, the Kempegowda Interchange Station at Majestic has witnessed a significant increase in passenger footfall — nearly 2.2 lakh people currently use the station on an average every day. Of them, 1.4 lakh passengers utilise the station to switch between the Purple and Green lines.

While the growing patronage is a positive sign, Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is facing challenges in managing the rush during peak hours due to its inability to add more coaches to the existing fleet.

The interchange is swarmed with thousands of people during peak hours. People literally rubbing shoulders on escalators or muscling their way through alighting and boarding passengers on platforms is a common sight, especially during peak hours.

Passengers are demanding improvements in signage directing them to the platforms, installation of platform screen doors and better queue management during rush hours.

Subhash R, a passenger who appreciates the cleanliness of the Metro station, said, “What I have noticed is that signage directing to the platforms needs to be improved. For newcomers, it is quite confusing. Not only inside, there is no proper signage outside also for the public who alight at the BMTC bus stand and want to travel in a Metro. The same is the case with the KSRTC bus stand.”

“During peak hours, there should be better management of the queue system on platforms, especially towards Whitefield. As there is not much space, the queues become haphazard. Metro security staff often direct passengers to go towards the rear of the train for boarding. But finding a passage to go towards there becomes difficult when passengers deboard the train in large numbers and boarding passengers stand in long serpentine queues,” he explained.

Arunika Shah, a regular passenger, said, “I find commuting on Metro during peak hours exhausting. The crowd is relentless, and even though there’s a women-only coach, it’s often overcrowded by the time the train reaches Majestic. Travelling in the loop train towards Whitefield sometimes becomes very troublesome. Changing trains halfway through, especially when I’m running late, adds unnecessary stress. I wish BMRCL would add more trains in the coming days and increase the frequency of services.”

Meanwhile, women are demanding that one more coach be reserved for them. “ Metro helps us combat traffic problems, but it gets very crowded. I’m a college student, and with my books and bags, it’s tough to travel during rush hours. The women only coach gives me a break from overwhelming crowd. However, one coach is not enough for all the women who commute. The only comfort is I can stand without feeling crushed and sometimes even get a seat. It’s a small privilege that makes a big difference to my routine,” said Ananya S, 21, from Vijayanagar.

Currently, BMRCL operates 57 train sets of six coaches each on both lines, and passengers may have to wait until mid-2025 for more trains due to delays in the supply of new coaches.

We’re managing with available means: BMRCL

On handling rush during peak hours, BL Yashwanth Chavan, BMRCL’s chief PRO, said the corporation is managing the passenger movement “with the best possible planning and available means”.

“Many don’t wish to go to rear coaches, leading to underutilisation of train space. They also carry bags on their backs, causing inconvenience to others. Some passengers do not board the trains intentionally and wish to stand on the platform waiting for empty short loop trains at Kempegowda station, causing congestion on the platform,” he said. The official also said signage available at this station is “now under review”.

Chavan added that at Majestic, additional passages have been created as an alternative arrangement to ease the crowd on the existing escalators and lifts.

On the demand for higher frequency of trains, he said: “Based on the actual requirement, short-loop operations are planned so that the trains commensurate with passenger movement are placed in different sections to run during peak hours.”

BMRCL maintains that all available entries, except the insignificant ones, are opened at Kempegowda Interchange. “This station has more interchange passengers than entry/exit passengers, and hence there is no crowd buildup at the entry or exits,” Chavan added.

In light of recent incidents of some individuals jumping against moving trains in suicide attempts and thus disrupting Metro services, passengers have been demanding the installation of platform screen doors. However, BMRCL is still considering the proposal, citing high costs as one of the reasons for the delay. The official said: “The proposal is under finalisation by the project team.”