Bhopal

The launch of commercial Metro services in Bhopal on Sunday drew an enthusiastic response from residents, with hundreds boarding the trains on the very first day and welcoming the new transport system as a faster and more convenient alternative to road travel.

Officials said the first Metro train departed from the AIIMS station at 9 am, and by 6 pm, as many as 5,731 passengers had used the newly operational corridor. From early morning, commuters and families were seen queuing up at stations to buy tickets. Many passengers captured the moment by clicking photographs and taking selfies inside the coaches and at Metro stations.

The Metro service was formally inaugurated a day earlier when Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav flagged off a train from Subhash Nagar station. The inaugural run covered a 7.5-kilometre section known as the ‘Priority Corridor’.

With the start of Metro operations, Bhopal has become the 26th city in India to have a Metro rail system and the second city in Madhya Pradesh, after Indore, to join the list.

Several commuters expressed optimism about the impact of the Metro on daily travel. Rao Singh, one of the passengers, said the service would help save time and money while also easing traffic congestion and reducing pollution levels in the city.

Another commuter, Chetan, said he was proud to see Bhopal included among cities with Metro connectivity. Akshay, a young office-goer, noted that the service would be particularly beneficial for working professionals who commute daily.

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According to officials, the total projected cost of the 30.8-kilometre Bhopal Metro project is estimated at Rs 10,033 crore. Of this, around Rs 2,225 crore has been invested in developing the Priority Corridor, which marks the first phase of the project.