The Countdown Begins: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan Unveils Model Coach For Bhopal-Indore Metro, Trial Run By Sep 2023

Almost five years after Union government approved the metro rail project in Bhopal and Indore, the trial run for the two Metro rail is slated to start in September this year, with operations expected to commence by April- May next year.

Both the Metro Rail projects are being administered and managed by Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Company Limited (MPMRCL), which is a 50:50 joint venture between the Centre and the State Government.

Bhopal Metro

Covering a distance of 31 km, the Bhopal metro consists of two corridors and is currently under construction with an estimated budget of Rs 7000 Crore.

The 16.74-km-long Orange line, with 16 stations will run between Karond Circle and AIIMS.

Out of this, 3.39 km length will be underground with two stations - Bhopal Station and Nadra Bus stand, whereas, the 14 elevated stations are namely, AIIMS, Alkapuri, DRM Office, Rani Kamlapati, M P Nagar, Board Office, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Subhash Nagar, Pul Bogda, Aishbagh, Sindhi Colony, DIG Bungalow, Krishi Upaj Mandi and Karond Square.

Blue line with a length of 14.16 km will run from Ratnagiri Tiraha to Bhadbhada Square.

It will be a completely elevated line with 14 stations, namely, Ratnagiri Tiraha, Piplani, Indrapuri, JK Road, Govindpura Industrial Area, Prabhat Petrol Pump, Pul Bogda, Lal Parade Ground, Minto Hall, Roshanpura Square, Jawahar Square, Depot Square and Bhadbhada Square.

In the first phase, the trial run on 5-km stretch between AIIMS and Subhash Nagar is expected to start by September this year.

Chief Minister also announced that the Bhopal metro will be further extended to Mandideep and then to Sehore via Bairagarh. The special thing is that Sehore is the home district of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Indore Metro

The 31.3 km Yellow Line has a 8.7-km underground section with seven stations - Indore Railway Station, Rajwada, Chhota Ganapati, Bada Ganapati, Ramchandra Nagar, Kalani Nagar and Airport.

The Yellow Line has 21 elevated stations - Gandhi Nagar, Super Corridor-6,5,4,3,2,1, Bhawar Kuan Square, MR-10, ISBT, Chandragupta Square, Heera Nagar, Bapat Square, Meghdoot Garden, Vijay Nagar Square, Malviya Nagar Square, Shaheed Bagh, Khajrana, Bengali Square, Journalist Colony and Palasia.

The estimated cost of the project is Rs 7,500.80 crore and efforts are underway to open around 6km stretch from Gandhi Nagar to Super Corridor 03 by June 2024, with trial run starting by September 2023.

Three-Coach Trainsets

Both Bhopal and Indore metro will initially have three metro coaches forming a single train, with a peak hour frequency of two-minute. The coaches are wide enough for an estimated seating capacity of 50 passengers and a standing capacity of 300 passengers.

Earlier, in July 2022, the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited had awarded a combined contract to Alstom to design, build and deliver 52 standard gauge Movia metro passenger trainsets of 3-car configuration each for Bhopal and Indore metro projects.

The French mobility company will supply 27 trainsets for Bhopal metro and 25 trainsets for Indore. Valued at €387 million (over Rs 3,200 crore), the order includes installation of latest generation of Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system as well as train control and telecommunication systems; each with seven years of comprehensive maintenance.

The trains are designed to reach safety levels up to HL3, and are enabled for unattended train operations (UTO), integrated with artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled CCTV cameras.

The State government has targeted to complete both Bhopal-Indore Metro rail project by December 2026.