THE inaugural 5.9km phase of a new metro line in the Indian city of Indore, the first in the state of Madhya Pradesh, was inaugurated on May 31, ahead of the start of passenger operations the following day.
The Super Priority Corridor of the new Yellow Line connects Gandi Nagar station and Station No 3, serving five elevated stations. The line carried 50,000 passengers during its first three days of operation with free travel available to passengers until June 7.
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, inaugurated the new metro via video link from Bhopal. “Indore has already earned global recognition for its cleanliness,” Modi said. “Now, the city will also be known for its metro.”
The inaugural journey was reserved for female passengers. Approximately 26,000 passengers travelled on the Yellow Line on its first day of operation, followed by 16,000 on both June 2 and 3. Tickets will be offered at a 75% discount during the second week of operation and 50% in the third week, with a 25% discount remaining in place until the end of three months of service.
Construction is continuing to extend the line to 17.5km, from Station 3 to Malviya Nagar, adding another 11 elevated stations, by early 2026. The 14km third phase, which will add another 12 stations, includes an 8.7km underground section, construction of which is yet to begin.
The complete project is expected to cost Rs 750bn ($US 7.65bn), with the Asian Development Bank and New Development Bank each providing loan funding. The remaining funding comes from central government and the state of Madhya Pradesh.
Alstom is supplying 27 three-car air-conditioned Movia metro trains each with capacity for 980 passengers. It will also provide 15 years of maintenance for the 80km/h fleet. It says 14 trains have been delivered to Indore so far, with 13 reported to be in service.
Alstom won a Rs 32bn contract awarded by the state of Madhya Pradesh to supply a total of 52 Movia metro trains for the Indore and Bhopal metro projects in July 2022. The initial 7.2km section of the Bhopal metro is expected to open after the monsoon season in September.
Alstom is also equipping the lines with CBTC and supplying a Train Control and Management System along with an automated track inspection system, which it says offers accurate and high-speed data transmission. The Yellow Line is electrified at 750V dc third rail.
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