The Indian city of Bhopal, with a population of 3.4 million, is now also a metro city: The first section of the Bhopal Metro, also known as the Bhoj Metro, officially went into operation on 21 December 2025 – Dr Mohan Yadav, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, and Shri Manohar Lal Khattar, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, attended the opening ceremony at Subhash Nagar station.
Rolling stock
The metro trains are supplied by Alstom – 27 Movia metro trains as three-section units with a total passenger capacity of 1,125, thereof 144 seated. They are part of a joint order for the metro trainsets in Bhopal and Indore on and a top speed of up to 80 km/h. They are equipped with the state-of-the-art CBTC train control system, which enables safe and reliable control. The trains were manufactured entirely in India as part of the ‘Make in India’ programme.
The new metro will run on 750 V = side-mounted conductor rails.
Routes
The first phase of metro construction in includes two lines with a total length of approximately 30 km and 30 stations. Currently, a section of the Orange Line (Line 2) is in operation, the so-called Priority Corridor from Subhash Nagar to AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) with a length of approximately 6.2 km. However, the current operating scheme is still limit and is considered a preliminary step towards a future expansion of the timetable.
The Orange Line (Line 2) will eventually have a total length of approximately 16 km, running from Karond Circle to AIIMS. Sixteen stations are planned for the line, which will run above and below ground. The first section is entirely above ground. The second Blue Line (Line 5) will run for approximately 14 km from Bhadbhada Square to Ratnagiri Tiraha with 13 or 14 stations, all of which will be above ground. There will be a transfer option to the Orange Line in Pul Bogda.
A network scheme is available here:
https://www.urbanrail.net/as/in/bhopal/bhopal.htm
Financing
The metro is being built by Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) and financed by a combination of government funds and international loans. A large part of the costs is being covered by a €400 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Additional funds come from the Indian central and state budgets.
The total investment for the first construction phase was originally around ₹6,941 crore (approx. €840 million), but has risen to over ₹10,000 crore due to cost increases and construction delays.
