Following the successful trial run on the priority corridor, the Bhopal metro rail is now progressing towards achieving the next milestone of the project with the construction of the railway-over-bridge (RoB) connecting to AIIMS Bhopal.
As per information from the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL), steel girders and support structures have been successfully installed.
Additionally, in preparation for operations set for mid-2024, the development of automatic fare collection systems and associated infrastructure is well underway.
It is expected that the girder launches of the RoB will take place in the next four weeks. The elevated section linking to AIIMS Bhopal will be finalised once the metro rail tracks are laid, reports Times of India.
The connection to AIIMS Bhopal will mark the completion of the original plan for the priority corridor, spanning around 6.2 km between Subhash Nagar and AIIMS. This segment is part of Line-2 (orange line) of the metro network covering eight stations.
Further, on full completion of the corridor, it will extend for about 15 km, linking Karond to AIIMS Bhopal.
The successful safety trial run along the approved corridor took place on 26 September 2023.
This safety trial run included the distance between Subhash Nagar Depot and Rani Kamala Pati Station — which forms an integral part of Line-2 on the Bhopal Metro corridor.
The metro project for the capital city of Madhya Pradesh has been highly anticipated, as it aims to transform the transit pattern for the city and establish an efficient connectivity network.
New Trainsets To Reach Bhopal
In a subsequent development, Bhopal is set to receive two additional sets of Metro trains in December, as per a FreePressJournal report. Currently, one three-coach metro train has already arrived in Bhopal and is undergoing safety-related trials.
French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom, is manufacturing the metro coaches for the Bhopal and Indore metro projects.
Alstom had successfully delivered the first trainset for the metro project to MPMRCL in September 2023.
Both Bhopal and Indore metros will initially have three metro coaches forming a single train, with a peak hour frequency of two minutes.
The coaches are wide enough for an estimated seating capacity of 50 passengers and a standing capacity of 300 passengers.