By Chandravir Kumar :

 

Following the modernisation of Rani Kamalapati Railway Station, the Bhopal Main Railway Station is set for a major infrastructural upgrade to enhance passenger transit. A state-of-the-art underground subway has been approved to directly link the railway station with the upcoming metro network. This initiative is expected to provide significant relief to hundreds of thousands of commuters, allowing them to bypass the chaotic traffic and congestion typically found at the station’s exit gates. Once completed, passengers arriving at Platform 6 will no longer need to navigate through heavy vehicular traffic with luggage; instead, they will have direct, protected access to the metro station. According to the final plan approved by the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation, the subway will be constructed at a depth of approximately six meters below the ground. The 30-meter-long tunnel will establish a dedicated corridor between Platform 6 of the Bhopal Railway Station and the subterranean metro station. Currently, the area surrounding Platform 6 faces immense pressure from auto-rickshaws, private vehicles and pedestrians.

 

By diverting foot traffic underground, the administration aims to decongest the main road outside the station and ensure a safer, dust-free environment for travellers. Progress on the Orange Line: Construction on the 16.74-kilometre Orange Line is currently proceeding at an accelerated pace. While the primary section from AIIMS to Subhash Nagar is already operational, work on the remaining route from Pul Bogda to Karond is in full swing. Specialised Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) have reached Bhopal to commence the complex task of excavating the underground sections. In Karond stretch, the placement of girders on pillars has begun. The construction of the underground Metro station near Platform 6 is already underway, and the subway project will commence as soon as the final technical clearance is received from the Railway Department. The administration has set a deadline of June 2028 to complete the entire project, including the commercial operations of this route. The project is a cornerstone of the vision to transform Bhopal’s public transport into a world-class integrated system.