Indore Metro To Start Commercial Operations On May 31; Travel For Free In Inaugural Week

The Indore Metro is set to start commercial operations on May 31, and commuters will be allowed to travel for free for a week.To further encourage the public to commute on this new mode of transportation, the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) will launch a promotional discount scheme for the first three months.The Indore Metro Discount SchemeWhile travel in the first week will be free, in the second week there will be a 75 per cent discount, followed by 50 per cent in the third week, and a 25 per cent discount up to the third month.The MPMRCL has already finalised the fare structure for the Super Priority Corridor section. The fare for the five-station stretch between Gandhi Nagar and Super Corridor 3 will range from INR 20-30.As per the plan, metro operations will run from 8 AM to 8 PM at a 30-minute interval, making 25 trips daily in each direction (50 in total). The broader Yellow Line network will eventually cover 28 stations with fare slabs ranging from INR 20-80, depending on the travel zones.In the initial phase, commuters will have access to quick response (QR)-based ticketing, while other digital ticketing modes will be introduced in a phased manner.The Indore Metro ProjectPreparations at all five stations on the approximately six-km long Super Priority Corridor are in full swing, which will be virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The full metro project will cover a total distance of 31.32 km, including 22.42 km of elevated tracks and 8.7 km of underground tracks. The total project cost is around INR 7,500 crore. The initial six-km stretch being opened has cost around INR 1,520 crore.Indore Metro FeaturesAir-conditioned coachesA capacity of up to 980 passengers per trainLifts and escalators at stationsBraille signs and tactile tiles for differently-abled passengersCCTV cameras at all stations and depotsEmergency buttons and intercoms for safetyAudio announcements for visually impaired passengersWheelchair access, seating areas, toilets and drinking waterQR code ticketing, artificial intelligence (AI)-based tracking and a central control centre According to senior officials at the MPMRCL, ticketing will initially be carried out manually. The decision was taken after a probe was ordered against a Türkiye-based company to determine if it was involved in anti-India activity. The company had been assigned the contract for automatic fare collection (AFC) in the Indore and Bhopal metros.The MPMRCL is also in talks with AICTSL to integrate bus services to facilitate last-mile connectivity for metro commuters. A proposed route from Bada Ganpati to Indore Airport Terminal via the Super Corridor and up to Luvkesh Square/ISBT is also under consideration.(With inputs from multiple news reports)Imagicaaworld Opens Waterpark In Indore