Indore: The commercial operations of Indore Metro's Priority Corridor have faced another delay. The launch of the unified route—comprising the existing 6-km Super Priority Corridor and an extended 11-km stretch from Super Corridor to Radisson Square—was initially scheduled for June 20 and was to be inaugurated by Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
Safety Clearance Expiry Poses Challenge
The delay has introduced a new challenge: the impending expiration of safety clearance. The No Objection Certificate (NOC) granted by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) for commercial operations of the Priority Corridor is set to expire on June 24. Given the current timeline, launching services before this date is improbable. Consequently, the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) will need to apply for a fresh CMRS inspection.
MPMRCL Managing Director S Krishna Chaitanya informed TOI that an official request for re-inspection would be submitted before June 24, a process expected to take up to a month.
Fare Finalization and Low Ridership
The delay comes at a time when officials were finalizing fares and frequencies for the combined 17-km operational loop—which expands the existing Gandhi Nagar baseline to 16 elevated stations, including Bhwarasla, Sukhlia, and Vijay Nagar—and ridership remains low. Since the first 6-km phase opened on May 31, 2025, the network recorded only 2.5 lakh total passengers in its first year, experiencing a sharp decline after introductory promotional fares ended.
Budgetary Adjustments
The project recently received a substantial budgetary adjustment. The state cabinet approved a revised base cost of Rs 12,889.38 crore, up from the original estimate of Rs 7,500.80 crore. With the inclusion of an additional Rs 6,582.91 crore for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) components and internal debts, the total sanctioned allocation for the Indore Metro project now stands at Rs 19,472.29 crore. This includes additional equity from the central and state governments alongside international agency credit lines.
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