Nitish Kumar inaugurates first phase of Patna Metro: Check route, fare

Passengers can travel on the 4.3-km corridor between ISBT, Zero Mile, and Bhoothnath stations from October 7; minimum fare for a single station ride is ₹15, and the entire stretch will cost ₹30

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday inaugurated the first phase of the 3.6-km elevated priority corridor of the Patna Metro Rail Project. The inaugural stretch runs on the Blue line, connecting the inter-state bus terminal (ISBT) to Bhoothnath station.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the project in February 2019, with an estimated cost of ₹13,365 crore.

 

The inaugural run began at the Patliputra Bus Depot and was attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha. Passenger services are scheduled to start from October 7.   

 

Patna Metro Route and stations

 

The first operational stretch has three stations:

• ISBT (Patliputra)

• Zero Mile

• Bhoothnath

Patna Metro: Fares and timings

 

Passengers can travel on the 4.3-km corridor between ISBT, Zero Mile, and Bhoothnath stations. The minimum fare for a single station ride is ₹15, while travelling the entire stretch will cost ₹30. Metro services will run daily from 8 am to 10 pm, with 40 to 42 trips along the route.

 

Each train can carry up to 900 passengers, with three coaches accommodating around 300 passengers each. Trains will run at 20-minute intervals during this initial phase. The metro coaches are designed with motifs inspired by Bihar’s Madhubani art, reflecting the state’s rich cultural heritage.

Political reactions

 

Bihar Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Dilip Jaiswal on Monday welcomed the project, saying that it will help reduce traffic congestion. Speaking to news agency ANI, he said, "Today will be written in golden letters in the history of Patna that the people of Patna, the people of Bihar, are getting the facility of Metro Rail. Until now, we used to go to Kolkata and Delhi to see the Metro Rail. People will be relieved of the problem of traffic jams. The environmental benefit of this is much greater. This Patna Metro is definitely a huge gift and a day of happiness for the people of Patna."

 

Taking a dig at the Opposition ahead of the Assembly elections, Jaiswal said, "Does the opposition no longer have any development issues? Whatever the people want, whatever the voters need, the NDA government has done everything for that. So, doesn't the opposition want votes based on development and basic amenities? The Opposition doesn't talk about development at all."

 

JD (U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Prasad also praised the project, saying, "The long wait of the people of Patna is about to end. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, undoubtedly, big decisions have been taken for the State. The metro is a major link in that series. Today, this dream of the people of Patna is going to be realised. This will also reduce the traffic problem in Patna to a great extent."

 

The Election Commission of India will announce the schedule for the Bihar Assembly elections on Monday (October 6) at 4 pm.

 

(With agency inputs)