THE capital city of Madhya Pradesh scripted history on Sunday morning, December 21. The much-anticipated commercial debut of Bhopal Metro received an extraordinary response from public. As the first train pulled out of AIIMS Station at 9 am, the atmosphere was electric. By 6 pm, the Metro had completed 17 trips, ferrying 5,731 passengers and generating approximately Rs 2 lakh in revenue on its opening day. Such was the craze to be part of the inaugural run that queues began forming at AIIMS and Subhash Nagar stations as early as 7 am. Despite biting morning chill, enthusiasm of Bhopalites remained undeterred. As doors slid open at 9 am, passengers greeted the arrival with thunderous applause.

 

The Metro covered the distance between AIIMS and Subhash Nagar in just 30 minutes. The crowd was a diverse mix of generations, from 7-year old children to 75-year-old senior citizens, most of whom were seen capturing the historic moment on their smartphones, turning every station into a celebratory zone. Passenger Voices: ‘A Glimpse of Europe’ COMMUTERS were quick to praise the world-class infra structure. Ramesh and Ritu Verma, among the first to board, lauded the cleanliness and security, adding, “It is now our moral responsibility as citizens to protect this asset and maintain its hygiene.”

 

Ankur Sethiya, another passenger, remarked that the advancement reminded him of European transit systems. “Seeing such global-standard technology in Bhopal is heartening,” he said. While college student Ankita felt empowered by the heavy CCTV surveillance and station staff presence, local resident Ankit Pachori described it as a “relaxing solution” to the city’s growing traffic and pollution woes. High demand on student-professional corridor A GRANULAR analysis of the first day’s footfall indicates that the AIIMS to Kendriya Vidyalaya stretch was the busiest, bustling with students and working professionals. Even during the usually quiet afternoon hours, trains maintained an average occupancy of 300 to 400 passengers. Officials noted that not a single trip went empty, with many families choosing the Metro purely for the experience and sight seeing.Fare structure and connectivity;Currently, services operate from 9 am to 7 pm.

 

The fare has been divided into three affordable zones: While only manual ticket counters are currently operational, management has signaled that QR-code and online ticketing will be introduced shortly to eliminate long queues. Infrastructure and challenges: All 8 stations are equipped with lifts, escalators, and ramps. Notably, the Rani Kamalapati Metro Station features a direct link to the rail way station’s Foot-Over Bridge (FOB), allowing seamless transfer for long-distance rail passengers. Safety is further bolstered by Platform Screen Doors (PSD). However, the debut also highlighted a significant challenge: Parking. At high-traffic stations like DB Mall and MP Nagar, commuters struggled to find space for their private vehicles. Metro administration has assured that they are identifying vacant spots for two wheeler parking to ensure smoother ‘last-mile’ connectivity.