Patna Metro Inaugurated: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Opens First Section Ahead of Assembly Elections

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated a section of the Patna Metro on Monday, just hours before the announcement of the assembly elections in the state.

The newly opened "priority corridor" consists of a 3.45-km-long elevated corridor, connecting three stations: Patliputra Bus Terminal, Zero Mile, and Bhoothnath.

During the ceremony, Kumar also laid the foundation stones for six underground metro stations, including Patna Junction, along with a 9.35-km-long tunnel that will connect these stations as part of corridor 1.

Following the inauguration, Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Singh, accompanied by cabinet colleagues and senior bureaucrats, took a ride on the metro.

The Election Commission was scheduled to announce the assembly polls timeline at 4 pm on the same day.

According to an official, the metro service will operate daily from 8 am to 10 pm, with trains running at 20-minute intervals.

"Each day, the metro will complete 40 to 42 trips. The coaches have 138 seats each, with standing capacity for 945 passengers. Twelve seats per train are reserved for women and differently-abled passengers. The coaches are also equipped with mobile and laptop charging ports, among other amenities," the official explained.

A distinctive feature of the metro coaches is their decoration with traditional Madhubani paintings, showcasing Bihar's rich cultural heritage.

For passengers, the fare from Patliputra Bus Terminal to Zero Mile is Rs 15, while traveling to Bhoothnath costs Rs 30.

The underground section, comprising the tunnel and six stations for which the CM laid foundation stones, will be constructed at a cost of Rs 2,565.80 crore.

"This underground section is crucial for the metro project, ensuring smooth operations through the city's most congested areas. We aim to complete construction within 42 months," the official stated.

The entire Patna Metro project comes with a price tag of Rs 13,925.5 crore, jointly funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Central government, and the Bihar state government.

The Patna Metro will feature two corridors—Red Line (16.86 km) and Blue Line (14.56 km)—with a total of 24 stations. Complete operations for the first phase are expected to commence by 2027.

Security for the Patna Metro is being provided by personnel from the Bihar Special Armed Police (BSAP).