The Bhopal Metro Rail project was formally inaugurated on Saturday, with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar flagging off services on a 6.22-km stretch of the Orange Line. This priority corridor runs across eight elevated stations from Subhash Nagar to AIIMS Bhopal, with commercial operations beginning on December 21. Designed to ease congestion on the state capital's busiest roads, it offers a cleaner mass-transit alternative in a city reliant on road transport.
The long-awaited Bhopal Metro Rail project was formally inaugurated on Saturday, marking the city's entry into India's Metro network after nearly a decade of planning, execution setbacks, and political transitions. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar flagged off services on a 6.22-km stretch of the Orange Line priority corridor, which spans eight elevated stations from Subhash Nagar to AIIMS Bhopal. Commercial operations on this corridor begin today, December 21.
Officials noted that the corridor aims to alleviate congestion on some of Bhopal's busiest arterial roads while providing a cleaner mass-transit option in a city heavily reliant on road transport. At the inauguration, Khattar announced that Bhopal has become the 26th city in India to have a Metro system. He added that India's current operational Metro network spans 1,083 km and is poised to surpass the United States in total length as more projects come online, with China currently leading globally followed by the US.
Estimated at Rs 10,033 crore overall, the project has been a prominent political infrastructure promise in Madhya Pradesh. The priority corridor alone costs Rs 2,225 crore and is projected to carry about 3,000 passengers daily in its initial phase, per Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation officials. The launch highlights delays during former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's tenure, when the project—approved and initiated under his BJP government—faced hurdles like land acquisition issues, utility relocations, design changes, central funding alignments, and Covid-19 disruptions, missing several deadlines and drawing opposition criticism for 'announcement-driven governance'.
For Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, the inauguration represents an administrative milestone. He stated, “Metro trains give pace to development and mark the beginning of a new chapter in the city’s growth story.” Sharing his ride experience, he remarked, “Travelling on the elevated track while watching the greenery and the beauty of Bhopal on both sides is a unique experience in itself. This Metro is a gift for urban transport in Bhopal.”
The Orange Line forms part of a broader network planned to link major residential, institutional, and commercial hubs in Bhopal in phases. Officials indicated that extensions will proceed based on ridership, funding, and Centre-State coordination.