Bhopal has officially joined India's growing list of metro cities. The long-awaited Bhopal Metro Rail project marked its operational debut on Saturday, December 20, 2025, with the inauguration of its first priority corridor. Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav flagged off the service, setting the stage for the start of commercial operations from December 21.
A New Chapter for Bhopal's Urban Transport
The inaugural run took place on a 6.22-kilometre elevated stretch of the Orange Line, which connects eight stations from Subhash Nagar to AIIMS, Bhopal. This corridor is designed as a strategic intervention to alleviate traffic congestion on some of the state capital's most congested arterial roads. For a city that has been heavily reliant on road transport, the metro offers a cleaner, faster, and more efficient mass-transit alternative.
Speaking at the ceremony, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar highlighted the national significance of the launch. He announced that Bhopal has become the 26th city in India to get a metro rail system. He further stated that India, with its current operational network of 1,083 km, is poised to soon overtake the United States in total metro network length as ongoing projects are completed. China currently leads the global rankings, followed by the US.
Project Cost, Scale, and Political Journey
The Bhopal Metro project is one of Madhya Pradesh's most significant and politically visible infrastructure undertakings. The overall project is estimated to cost a staggering Rs 10,033 crore. The newly opened priority corridor alone has an estimated cost of Rs 2,225 crore. Officials from the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (MPMRC) expect the line to carry approximately 3,000 passengers daily in its initial phase.
The launch also brings to the fore the project's history of prolonged delays. Conceived as a flagship urban mobility initiative during the tenure of former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the project faced numerous hurdles. It missed multiple deadlines over the years due to challenges including land acquisition, utility shifting, design revisions, funding alignment with the central government, and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
While trial runs were conducted earlier, the project's inability to become fully operational during the previous administration had turned it into a point of political contention. Opposition parties frequently cited the delays as an example of announcement-driven governance. For the current Chief Minister, Mohan Yadav, the successful inauguration is being projected as a key administrative achievement.
A Ride into the Future
Chief Minister Yadav expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, "Metro trains give pace to development and mark the beginning of a new chapter in the city's growth story." Sharing his experience from the inaugural ride, he added, "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 inaugurated Orange Line priority corridor is just the first phase of a larger planned network. The comprehensive plan aims to connect major residential, institutional, and commercial hubs across Bhopal in a phased manner. Officials have indicated that further extensions will be undertaken based on ridership response, the availability of funds, and continued coordination between the state and central governments.
With the start of commercial services, Bhopal's citizens now have a modern transit option that promises to reshape daily commutes and contribute to the city's sustainable development. The metro's entry is more than just a new transport line; it symbolizes Bhopal's ascent into the league of India's modern metropolitan centers.
