Bhopal Metros Orange line inaugurated, commercial services to begin on December 21

The Bhopal Metro rail project was formally inaugurated on Saturday (December 20, 2025), with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar launching services on a stretch of 6.22 kilometres in the city for the first time.

The commercial services will begin on Sunday (December 21) on the Orange line, the “Priority Corridor”, of the Metro covering eight elevated stations from Subhash Nagar to AIIMS, Bhopal.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Khattar said that India will soon overtake the U.S. in terms of the length of the Metro rail network.

Currently, India is in the third position as far as the total length of Metro rail corridors is concerned, he said.

“Bhopal has become the 26th city in the country to have Metro trains. In terms of the length of Metro lines, we rank third in the world with a network spanning 1,083 km. With the addition of today’s 7 km, it will become a 1,090-km network,” Mr. Khattar said.

China tops the list, followed by the U.S. with a total Metro length of 1,400 km, he said.

“With 900 km of Metro project in the pipeline, the country will surpass the US with the addition of 300 km soon,” Mr. Khattar said during a programme to inaugurate the first phase of the Bhopal Metro rail project.

This mass transit corridor of the Orange line will ensure smooth traffic on the city’s busy roads and help reduce pollution. It will also make travel easier for citizens, Mr. Khattar said.

The estimated cost of the Bhopal Metro is ₹10,033 crore, with the Priority Corridor costing ₹2,225 crore. This stretch is expected to carry 3,000 passengers daily, an official said.

With PTI inputs