Nitish inaugurates 3.45-km corridor of Patna Metro hours before Bihar poll announcement

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated a section of the Patna Metro on Monday, hours ahead of the announcement of the assembly elections in the state.

A 3.45-km-long elevated corridor, covering three stations -- Patliputra Bus Terminal, Zero Mile, and Bhoothnath, was opened as part of the "priority corridor".

Kumar also laid the foundation stones for six underground metro stations, including Patna Junction, and a 9.35-km-long tunnel connecting them, as part of corridor 1.

Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Singh, along with cabinet colleagues and senior bureaucrats, took a ride on the metro after the inauguration.

The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the assembly polls in the state at 4 pm.

The metro service will be available from 8 am to 10 pm every day, with each train operating at 20-minute intervals, an official said.

"The metro will complete 40 to 42 trips daily. Each coach has 138 seats, and 945 passengers can travel standing. Twelve seats per train will be reserved for women and differently-abled passengers. Each coach will also offer mobile and laptop charging ports, among other facilities," he said.

The metro coaches have been specially decorated with Madhubani paintings, showcasing the state's rich cultural heritage, he added.

The fare from Patliputra Bus Terminal to Zero Mile is Rs 15, and till Bhoothnath, it is Rs 30, the official said.

The tunnel and the six underground stations, for which the CM laid the foundation stones, will be built at Rs 2,565.80 crore.

"This underground section is a vital part of the metro project and will ensure smooth operations through the city's busiest areas. The construction is targeted for completion within 42 months," the official said.

The total cost of the Patna Metro project is Rs 13,925.5 crore, jointly funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Centre, and the state government.

Patna Metro will have two corridors -- Red Line (16.86 km) and Blue Line (14.56 km), with a total of 24 stations. Full-scale operations in the first phase are expected to begin by 2027.

The security of the Patna Metro is being handled by personnel from the Bihar Special Armed Police (BSAP).