Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday formally launched Madhya Pradesh’s first metro rail service in Indore. The inauguration was done via video conferencing from Bhopal during a special event themed around women empowerment. “Indore, which has already earned global recognition for cleanliness, will now also be known for its metro rail,” PM Modi said during the inauguration.
The metro rail service has commenced its commercial operations on a six-kilometre ‘Super Priority Corridor’, running from Gandhi Nagar Station to Station No. 3 on the Super Corridor. The project’s initial phase has been constructed at a cost of Rs 1,520 crore.
This inaugural phase features five stations, each named in honour of eminent women figures, namely Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Terminal, Maharani Lakshmi Bai Station, Rani Avanti Bai Lodhi Station, Rani Durgavati Station and Veerangana Jhalkari Bai Station.
Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu lauded the development and said, “Indore becomes the 24th city in India to operate a metro rail service. This is a significant gift from the Prime Minister and a new chapter in Indore’s development.”
The foundation for this priority corridor was laid on September 14, 2019 and trial runs were successfully conducted in September 2023. Though the infrastructure can support six-coach trains, the metro has begun operations with three-coach trains accommodating up to 980 passengers.
The full metro network in Indore is planned to span 31.32 km at an estimated cost of Rs 7,500.80 crore, with a total of 28 stations.