Metro rail services are likely to be flagged off in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore either this month or in February as submission of documents to the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) seeking its nod is in the last leg, an official said.
After getting a green signal from the CMRS, the commercial operation of metro rail in the city can start from this month or February, an official of the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) said.
“The work of submitting necessary documents to the CMRS from the MPMRCL is in the final stage. After the submission, the CMRS will take stock of the security arrangements by fixing the date of inspection of the depot and stations of the metro rail,” the official of the corporation said. Initially, the metro rail will be operationalised on the highest priority corridor of 5.90 km between Gandhi Nagar station and station number three of the Super Corridor, he said.
The trial run on this route was conducted last September, he added. However, due to the scattered population on this route, the metro rail may face paucity of passengers in the beginning. “Once the metro rail starts and its route stretches, there won’t be a shortage of passengers,” the MPMRCL official said.Stations in the city have been designed in such a way that a train of six coaches can be run through them.
“But initially, we will run a train with three coaches. If the number of passengers increases, three more coaches can be added,” he said. According to him, 300 passengers, including 50 seated ones, can travel in a single metro rail car. “The foundation of the first phase of the metro rail project with a total cost of Rs 7,500.80 crore in Indore was laid on September 14, 2019. Under this, a ring-shaped metro rail corridor of about 31.50 km is to be built in the city,” the official said.
