First phase of metro rail network in MP to be operational by beginning of 2023

The first phase of the metro rail network Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal and Indore will be operational by the beginning of 2023, state Urban Development Minister, Jaivardhan Singh said on Monday.

Briefing about this, Singh said that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Madhya Pradesh government and the Centre in presence of Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

"Two corridors of 27.87 km will be built under Bhopal metro rail project. These corridors will be from Karond Circle to AIIMS (14.99 km) and Bhadbhada Square to Ratnagiri Tiraha (12.88 km). The two corridors would cost Rs 7,000 crore," Singh said.

He informed that Indore line will be a 31.55 km-long 'Ring Line' connecting Bengali Square-Vijay Nagar-Bhawarsala-Airport-Palasia-Bengali Square and will cost Rs 7,500 crore.

Terming the MoU signed as "historic", the state minister hit out at previous BJP government for delaying the implementation of the metro project.

"They couldn't reach out to any conclusion. It was a vision of our Chief Minister Kamal Nath that we were successful in signing the MoU," he said.

The Minister said that the Centre and the state government will have shares of 20 per cent each while 60 per cent of the cost will be funded by international financial institutions.

The project will be executed under a partnership between the central and Madhya Pradesh governments in 50:50 ratio and will connect all nodes of the city.

Both Bhopal and Indore metro corridors will have multimodal integration with railway and Bus Rapid Transit System stations and feeder network of buses, intermediate public transport and non-motorised transport.

( With inputs from ANI )