Bhopal metro kicks off commercial operations with inaugural public run:Dance celebrations mark first trip from AIIMS station; limited trips in initial phase

“Next station is DB Mall. Doors will open on the left. Please stand clear of the doors.” Bhopal residents heard this announcement on Sunday morning as the city’s metro began commercial operations at 9 AM. The first service started from AIIMS station and ran through Alkapuri, DRM Office, Rani Kamlapati (RKMP), and MP Nagar. With this launch, Bhopal becomes the 26th city in India to operate a metro service. Earlier, the Indore Metro began commercial operations on 31 May, virtually flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Bhopal. Metro inaugurated on Saturday Bhopal Metro was inaugurated on Saturday by Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav and Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who flagged off the train. After the inauguration, the commercial run begins today, December 21. 17 trips daily between 9 am and 7 pm There will be 17 metro trips every day, operating between 9 am and 7 pm. Passengers can board the metro from eight stations: There will be 9 trips from AIIMS to Subhash Nagar and 8 trips in the reverse direction. Metro frequency set at 75 minutes Initially, one metro train will be available every 75 minutes. Officials said this frequency has been decided considering safety, operational readiness and passenger numbers. The number of trains and frequency will be increased later. Passenger limit at stations To ensure safety and smooth movement, a maximum of 500 passengers will be allowed to enter each station at one time. This is aimed at avoiding overcrowding on platforms and station corridors. Lifts, ramps and escalators at all stations All metro stations are equipped with escalators, lifts and ramps .Foot overbridges have been built at Subhash Nagar, DB Mall and MP Nagar to allow access from both sides of the road. Rani Kamlapati Metro Station is connected directly to the railway station through a foot overbridge.Similarly, at AIIMS station, passengers can enter the AIIMS campus directly via a foot overbridge without taking a detour. Platform screen doors improve safety Platform Screen Doors (PSDs) are installed at all stations. These doors open only after the train stops and aligns properly with the platform. Coach doors and PSDs open together, preventing passengers from falling onto the tracks and improving time management. Manual tickets only, fares from Rs 20 to Rs 40 Currently, only manual tickets are available. Online ticketing has not started yet. Passengers must buy tickets from counters before boarding. The fare is divided into three zones: For example, travel from DB Mall to Rani Kamlapati will cost Rs 20, while travel up to AIIMS will cost Rs 40. Unlike Indore Metro, where free rides and discounts were offered initially, no such concession has been announced for Bhopal. No parking facility at metro stations A major concern for passengers is lack of parking. None of the eight stations has a dedicated parking facility. Vehicles will have to be parked on roadsides or in private parking areas, at the owner’s risk. Parking charges at private facilities are often higher than metro fares, reducing the cost advantage of metro travel. Limited parking space is available near Subhash Nagar, DB Mall and AIIMS, but stations such as Kendriya School, MP Nagar, Rani Kamlapati, DRM Office and Alkapuri have almost no parking space. Metro MD Krishna S Chaitanya said efforts are underway to arrange two-wheeler parking so passengers do not face inconvenience. Metro project began in 2018 The full Bhopal Metro corridor from AIIMS to Karond is 16.05 km long. Work on the 6.22 km priority corridor between AIIMS and Subhash Nagar began in 2018. Construction between Subhash Nagar and Rani Kamlapati has been completed. Some finishing work at Alkapuri, AIIMS and DRM stations is still ongoing. Two steel bridges have also been built over railway tracks. First metro trial held in 2023 The first trial run of the Bhopal Metro was conducted on 3 October 2023.Former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan travelled from Subhash Nagar to Rani Kamlapati during the trial.