Bhopal Metro rail to be inaugurated today:Union Minister Khattar CM Yadav to flag off; corridor from Subhash Nagar to AIIMS

The long-awaited Bhopal Metro will be officially inaugurated by the Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, nearly seven years after the official announcement.
With the inauguration, the state capital will formally join India’s metro map.
As part of the inauguration, the leaders will flag off the metro and travel on board from Subhash Nagar to AIIMS, covering a metro corridor of 6.22 kilometres.
Metro will be open to the public from December 21. Grand inaugural event at Minto Hall The inauguration ceremony will be held at the Kushabhau Thakre International Convention Centre (Minto Hall). Apart from Union Minister Khattar and Chief Minister Yadav, Urban Administration Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, in-charge minister Chaitanya Kashyap, ministers Vishwas Sarang and Krishna Gaur, along with other public representatives, will attend the event. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also address the gathering through a recorded video message. Final preparations across all stations Ahead of the launch, preparations are in full swing at all eight metro stations. Stations are being decorated with flowers, and round-the-clock work is underway to ensure smooth arrangements for the inauguration. Officials said that while the metro will begin operations as scheduled, some external works such as road construction and slope finishing will continue for the next three months. These works will not affect metro services. Route and Stations The Subhash Nagar–AIIMS corridor includes eight stations: During the inaugural ride, the metro will halt briefly at each station. Metro services for public from December 21 From December 21, Bhopal will officially function as a metro city. The first public service will commence at 9 am from AIIMS station. A total of 17 trips will operate daily: All stations are equipped with escalators, lifts and ramps. Foot overbridges have been constructed at Subhash Nagar, DB Mall and MP Nagar stations for easy cross-access. Seamless connectivity with railways and AIIMS Rani Kamalapati Metro Station has been directly connected to the railway station through a foot overbridge, enabling rail passengers to access the metro seamlessly. Similarly, at the AIIMS station, passengers can enter the hospital campus directly via a foot overbridge, eliminating the need for long detours. Fare structure: Three zones, no free rides Metro tickets will be available only through manual counters at all stations; online ticketing has not been introduced yet. The fare structure has been divided into three zones: For example, travel from DB Mall to Rani Kamalapati will cost Rs 20, while a journey from DB Mall to AIIMS will cost Rs 40. Unlike Indore Metro, which offered free rides during its initial phase, Bhopal Metro will not provide complimentary travel or discounted fares. Energy-efficient and low-noise technology To minimise noise and vibration, rubber base pads and sound barriers have been installed beneath the tracks. These measures prevent vibrations from affecting nearby buildings. The metro also uses regenerative braking technology, which converts braking energy into electricity, resulting in nearly 30% energy savings. ‘Make in India’ metro coaches Bhopal Metro is India’s first metro system with coaches entirely manufactured within the country. The coaches were built at Alstom’s Savli plant in Gujarat and belong to the Movia series, which is also used in metro systems in cities like London and Singapore. The coaches feature world-class ventilation systems designed for passenger comfort. Major concern: No parking at stations A significant drawback of the current metro infrastructure is the absence of parking facilities. None of the eight stations have dedicated parking spaces for commuters. As a result, passengers may have to rely on roadside parking or private parking facilities, which are often more expensive than metro fares themselves. A ground survey conducted ahead of the inauguration found no official metro parking at any station. While some limited space is available near Subhash Nagar, DB Mall and AIIMS, stations like Kendriya Vidyalaya, MP Nagar, Rani Kamalapati, DRM Office and Alkapuri lack even minimal parking space. However, Bhopal Metro Managing Director Krishna S. Chaitanya said arrangements are being made to provide parking for two-wheelers, assuring that efforts are underway to minimise inconvenience to commuters.