Patna Metro: Hours before the Bihar Assembly election was announced, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the first operational section of the Patna Metro on Monday. The initial 4.3-km corridor connects Bhutnath Road to New ISBT, featuring three stations — ISBT, Zero Mile, and Bhutnath Road. Public services are set to begin from October 7.
Metro Schedule, Fare, and Capacity Details
The metro will run daily from 8 am to 10 pm, with trains arriving every 20 minutes. Initially, the maximum speed will be 40 kmph, and each train will make 40 to 42 trips a day, according to officials from the Patna Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (PMRCL). Fares for this phase are Rs 15 for the ISBT to Zero Mile stretch and Rs 30 from New ISBT to Bhutnath Road. Each coach has 138 seats and can accommodate up to 945 standing passengers. Twelve seats per coach are reserved for women and differently-abled passengers, while mobile and laptop charging points are available inside every coach.
The coaches are adorned with traditional Madhubani paintings celebrating Bihar’s cultural heritage, and iconic landmarks like Golghar, Mahavir Mandir, Bodhi Tree, Buddhist Stupa, and Nalanda ruins have been placed on train interiors and windows.
Safety Measures and Security
In terms of safety, all coaches are equipped with 360-degree CCTV cameras, emergency buttons, and microphones for direct communication with the train operator. Red panic buttons are installed near doors, and real-time announcements guide passengers throughout the journey. BSAP personnel will be deployed at entry points, platforms, and inside trains to maintain security.
The inaugural train included new Alstom coaches manufactured in Vadodara, Gujarat. To begin operations while awaiting the full fleet, PMRCL leased a three-coach train from Pune Metro for three years at a cost of Rs 21.15 crore.
Underground Expansion and Future Plans
Alongside the operational launch, CM Nitish Kumar laid the foundation stone for a 9.35 km underground corridor under Corridor-1, stretching from Patna Junction to Rukanpura and Mithapur, with six new underground stations. “The underground section will enhance connectivity across key urban zones and is critical to ensuring smooth metro operations in congested areas,” an official said. Phase 1 of construction will include Rukanpura, Raja Bazar, and Patna Zoo stations, costing Rs 1,147.5 crore, while Phase 2 will cover Vikas Bhawan, Vidyut Bhawan, and Patna Junction stations, at Rs 1,148.3 crore.
The full Patna Metro project, with two corridors — the 16.86 km Red Line and 14.56 km Blue Line — is expected to cost Rs 13,925.5 crore with financial support from JICA, the Government of India, and the Bihar government. Officials project full-scale operations across all phases to begin by 2027.