India Metro Executive: Metro Expansion To Drive Need for VT

Expansion of the Namma Metro in Bengaluru, India, from 96 km and 83 stations to nearly 175 km and 127 stations over the next two years will drive the need for additional elevators, escalators and moving walks, Bangalore Metro Rail Corp. Ltd. (BMRCL) Director Sumit Bhatnagar said during the second Smart Lift & Mobility World 2026 held on February 5-7 in Bengaluru, which was covered by outlets including The Hindu. Nearly 78 km of the metro is currently under construction across the city, and stations with high footfall will be in particular need of vertical-transportation (VT) equipment, he said, observing that "managing passenger movement within stations is as important as train operations." In the Namma Metro's next phase of growth, it will be operating with an inventory of approximately 500 elevators and nearly 1,00 escalators, along with moving walks at select stations, Bhatnagar said.