Nitish Kumar takes inaugural ride of Patna Metro Priority Corridor with cabinet colleagues

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday inaugurated new metro rail services on the Patna Metro Priority Corridor and took the inaugural ride along with his cabinet colleagues.

The Patna Metro Rail is a flagship project of the chief minister approved in 2019 and launched for construction in 2020. The first phase inauguration comes just ahead of the 2025 Assembly elections.

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In this initial phase, operations began on a 4.3-kilometre route, connecting three stations — Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT), Zero Mile, and Bhutnath.

Speaking at the inauguration, Nitish Kumar said, “It is a matter of great happiness that today the Priority Corridor of the first phase of the Patna Metro has been inaugurated. This is a significant step by the state government toward building a modern, eco-friendly, and efficient public transport system. The project will also generate employment and support economic activity. With this metro, residents of Patna now have a safe, fast, and convenient commuting option.”

Equipped with modern technology and an eco-friendly design, the Patna Metro represents a new chapter in urban mobility for the state capital. The trains will run every 20 minutes from 8 AM to 10 PM, covering the 4.3 km stretch, with 40 to 42 trips per day.

Each train comprises three coaches, accommodating 138 seated and 945 standing passengers. The coaches are adorned with traditional Madhubani paintings, and 12 seats are reserved for women and differently-abled passengers.

Following the inauguration of the Priority Corridor, the chief minister also laid the foundation stone for underground metro stations and tunnels from Rukanpura to Patna Junction, as part of the next phase of the metro project.

The Patna Metro Rail Project, in its first phase, involves the development of a 31.9-kilometre network, half elevated and half underground. Two primary corridors have been planned – Danapur-Mithapur-Patna Railway Station, and Patna Railway Station-Gandhi Maidan–PMCH–Rajendra Nagar Railway Station–Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT).