Bhaskar reality check- bicycle beats Bhopal Metro:DB Mall to RKMP in 3 minutes, metro takes 7 minutes; 30 km route likely to stay slow

Bhopal has become the country’s 26th metro city, but the metro’s speed has raised serious questions. In the state’s capital, trains are currently moving so slowly that a bicycle can cover the same distance in less than half the time. A ground report by Bhaskar shows that short gaps between stations are the main reason behind the slow pace. Metro speed draws criticism The Bhopal Metro takes 4 to 5 minutes to travel between two stations, even when the distance is less than 1 kilometre. A 7 km metro journey takes around 25 minutes. However, the total travel time increases to nearly one hour when entry, ticketing and exit time are included. This slow pace has led to widespread criticism and memes on social media. Bhaskar conducts a two-way reality check Bhaskar tested the metro’s speed in two ways. Two reporters travelled by metro from DB Mall Station to Rani Kamlapati Station. At the same time, two other reporters raced the metro on bicycles along the same route. The bicycle reached the destination faster than the metro. Metro journey takes 22 minutes overall Location: DB Mall Metro Station Time: 10:50 am The metro was scheduled to leave Subhash Nagar at 10:55 am and reach DB Mall at 11:02 am. The Bhaskar team arrived at the station early and bought two tickets. The metro arrived at DB Mall exactly at 11:02 am. It took 4 minutes to reach MP Nagar, which is about 1 km away. The next stop was Rani Kamlapati Station. The metro reached there at 11:09 am. The 2 km journey took 7 minutes. From ticket purchase to completion of the ride, 19 minutes had already passed. Exiting the station took another 3 minutes. The total time spent was 22 minutes. Bicycle completes same journey in 3 minutes Location: Outside DB Mall Station Time: 11:02 am One team waited outside the station on Dr Ambedkar Overbridge with a bicycle. The race began as soon as the metro started moving. Up to MP Nagar, both were almost equal. After that, the bicycle moved ahead. The bicycle completed the journey to Rani Kamlapati Station in just 3 minutes. The metro took 7 minutes for the same distance. Metro designed for higher speed, but runs at 20 kmph Bhopal Metro trains are designed to run at a maximum speed of 90 kmph.During trial runs, the trains were tested at this speed. At present, the metro is operating at only 20 kmph.The main reason is the very short distance between stations. Short station gaps limit speed On the Orange Line’s priority corridor from Subhash Nagar to AIIMS, there are 8 stations over about 7 km. Not a single station is even 1 km apart. Because of this, the metro cannot gain speed before it has to slow down again. Bhopal has two metro lines under development: Orange Line and Blue Line. The priority corridor of the Orange Line is already operational. The estimated maximum operational speed on both routes is around 20 kmph. This is due to station spacing in the design. The total length of both lines is 30.9 km.A total of 30 stations will be built, meaning one station every 1 km on average. Orange Line Phase-1: AIIMS to Subhash Nagar Phase-1 is the priority corridor between AIIMS and Subhash Nagar. It covers about 7 km with 8 stations. The stations are: Subhash Nagar, Kendriya School, DB Mall, MP Nagar, Rani Kamlapati, DRM Office Tiraha, Alkapuri and AIIMS. The short distance between stations affects speed throughout this stretch. The metro was inaugurated on December 20 by Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav and Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Commercial operations began on December 21. Orange Line Phase-2: Subhash Nagar to Karond Phase-2 will run from Subhash Nagar to Karond over 9.74 km.Stations will be spread across 8.77 km. Six elevated stations will be built over a 5.38 km stretch. This will cost around Rs 650 crore. The stations include Pul Bogda, Aishbagh, Sindhi Colony, DIG Bangla, Krishi Upaj Mandi and Karond Chauraha. The remaining 3.39 km will be underground.Two underground stations will be built at Bhopal Railway Station and Nadra Bus Stand. This section will cost about Rs 890 crore.Encroachments, including sawmills, have largely been removed. Land levelling is complete and machines for underground construction will arrive soon. Blue Line details The Blue Line will run between Bhadbhada Chauraha and Ratnagiri Tiraha. Its length will be nearly 13 km. Soil testing has been completed at 550 locations. The project cost is around Rs 1,006 crore. Pillars are already being built at PT Chauraha. A total of 14 stations will come up on this line. Interchange at Pul Bogda One station is proposed near Kushabhau Thackeray Convention Centre, opposite Raj Bhavan. The 14th station will be at Pul Bogda, which will serve as an interchange. Here, the Orange Line and Blue Line will connect. Passengers will be able to change trains at this point. Construction has started as this section is close to the priority corridor. Stations on the Blue Line The Blue Line stations will include:Bhadbhada Chauraha, Depot Chauraha, Jawahar Chowk, Roshanpura Chauraha, KTCC, Parade Ground, Prabhat Chauraha, Govindpura, Govindpura Industrial Area, JK Road, Indrapuri, Piplani and Ratnagiri Tiraha. Two metro routes in Bhopal Bhopal officially became a metro city on December 20. Commercial services started a day later. The Orange Line runs from AIIMS to Karond. The Blue Line will connect Bhadbhada Chauraha to Ratnagiri Tiraha. Despite the milestone, speed remains the biggest challenge for Bhopal Metro.