ITDC
Bhopal Metro's priority corridor has been carrying paying passengers since 20 December 2025, and its operator has since changed the timetable, published a base fare chart and added discounts for app users. For anyone still deciding whether the metro fits a daily trip, here is what the official documents say about when trains run, what they cost and how to reach a station by city bus.
THE ROUTE
The corridor runs about 7.2 km between Subhash Nagar and AIIMS Bhopal, with eight stations: Subhash Nagar, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Board Office Chauraha, MP Nagar, Rani Kamalapati, DRM Office, Alkapuri and AIIMS. It is operated by Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL). An end-to-end trip is scheduled to take 23 minutes towards AIIMS and 22 minutes towards Subhash Nagar. Rani Kamalapati station serves the railway station of the same name, which makes the line useful for train passengers as well as office-goers in MP Nagar and patients and staff travelling to AIIMS.
WHEN TRAINS RUN
The timetable in force since 15 September 2026 has two versions, one for weekdays and one for Sundays and holidays. Service begins late in the morning on both, so the metro is not yet an option for an early start.
On weekdays, the first train leaves Subhash Nagar at 11:30 am and the last at 7:00 pm. Trains run every 30 minutes until 4:30 pm and every 15 minutes after that. In the other direction, the first train leaves AIIMS at 12 noon and the last at 7:30 pm, with 15-minute gaps from 5:00 pm. That makes 21 departures each way.
Sundays and holidays get a longer and denser service. Trains leave Subhash Nagar from 11:30 am until 8:00 pm, and run every 15 minutes from 12:30 pm onwards. From AIIMS, the first train is at 12 noon and the last at 8:30 pm, every 15 minutes from 1:00 pm. That adds up to 33 departures each way, 12 more than on a weekday.
In practice, a rider heading home from MP Nagar towards AIIMS on a weekday evening will find a train roughly every 15 minutes between about 4:40 pm and 7:10 pm. Anyone who misses the last train needs another way home, so it is worth checking the station departure time in the timetable rather than relying on the terminal time.
WHAT A TICKET COSTS
The MPMRCL base fare chart has only three price points: ₹20, ₹30 and ₹40, set by how many stations apart the two ends of the journey are.
Short hops of one or two stations cost ₹20. Board Office Chauraha to Rani Kamalapati, MP Nagar to DRM Office and Rani Kamalapati to Alkapuri are all ₹20. Most middle-distance trips cost ₹30, for example Subhash Nagar to MP Nagar, Subhash Nagar to Rani Kamalapati, MP Nagar to AIIMS or Board Office Chauraha to AIIMS. The maximum fare is ₹40, charged on only three station pairs: Subhash Nagar to Alkapuri, Subhash Nagar to AIIMS and Kendriya Vidyalaya to AIIMS. The chart charges the same in both directions.
DISCOUNTS ON OFFER
MPMRCL's discount and promotional benefits notice lists three concessions.
A return journey ticket gets a flat 5% off its total value. On the full-length ₹40 trip, a return ticket worth ₹80 would therefore cost ₹76.
A group ticket gets a flat 10% off its total value. The notice does not state the minimum group size on its face, so check this at the ticket counter.
The largest benefit goes to riders who recharge an e-wallet through the MPMRCL mobile app. The benefit is a share of the recharge amount and rises with its size:
₹1 to ₹199: no benefit
₹200 to ₹499: 8%
₹500 to ₹999: 10%
₹1,000 to ₹1,499: 12%
₹1,500 to ₹2,000: 15%
A ₹500 recharge therefore earns a benefit of ₹50, and a ₹1,500 recharge earns ₹225. For a regular commuter paying ₹30 each way, a ₹500 recharge covers about eight working days of travel before the benefit is counted. MPMRCL says the benefits apply under terms and conditions that it may change from time to time, so riders should check them in the app before recharging large amounts.
GETTING TO A STATION BY BUS
MPMRCL has also published a connectivity map that matches each station with the nearest Bhopal city bus stop. The map takes its route data from BCLL, the city bus operator, through the Chalo app, and says the walking distances are approximate.
Subhash Nagar: Old Subhash Nagar stop, about 300 m, route B-35.
Kendriya Vidyalaya: Paryawas Bhawan stop, about 600 m, routes B-37 and SR-5.
Board Office Chauraha: Board Office metro station stop, about 80 m, routes SR-2, SR-5, B-35, B-36, B-37 and TR4-B. This is the best-connected station on the line.
MP Nagar: MP Nagar Zone 2 metro station stop, about 50 m, routes SR-2, B-35 and B-36.
Rani Kamalapati: Rani Kamlapati bus stop, about 300 m, routes SR-2, B-35 and B-36.
DRM Office: Habibganj Naka stop, about 100 m, route TR4-B.
Alkapuri: Alkapuri stop, about 50 m, route SR-2.
AIIMS: AIIMS stop, about 100 m, route SR-2.
Route SR-2 serves five stations, Board Office Chauraha, MP Nagar, Rani Kamalapati, Alkapuri and AIIMS, and also runs to Katara Hills, Bag Mughaliya Extension, ISBT, New Market and Neelbad. Route TR4-B links Gandhi Nagar, Lalghati, the Collectorate, Misrod and Mandideep with the Board Office and DRM Office stations. Route B-36 runs from the Coach Factory and railway station platform 1 through Old Subhash Nagar, Board Office and MP Nagar towards Kolar Road. Bus routes can change at short notice, so confirm timings in the Chalo app before relying on a connection.
BEFORE YOU TRAVEL
The metro is short and runs only from late morning to evening, so for now it works best for midday and evening trips along the Subhash Nagar to AIIMS spine rather than as a full commuting network. Within those limits the fares are low and predictable, and app users who recharge in larger amounts get a meaningful discount.
MPMRCL's passenger helpline is 0755-2850000, and the email given on its discount notice is helpline.bh@mpmrcl.mp.gov.in. Timetables, fares and concessions are set by MPMRCL and can be revised; the official documents listed below were checked on 7 November 2026.
Sources
[1] MPMRCL homepage (corridor length and commercial-run date): https://mpmetrorail.com/
[2] Bhopal Metro weekday timetable, w.e.f. 15 September 2026: https://mpmetrorail.com/uploads/media/Timetable_wef_150926_Weekday.pdf
[3] Bhopal Metro Sunday/holiday timetable, w.e.f. 15 September 2026: https://mpmetrorail.com/uploads/media/Timetable_wef_150926_SundayH.pdf
[4] Bhopal Metro base fare chart: https://mpmetrorail.com/uploads/files/Bhopal_Fare_matrix1.pdf
[5] MPMRCL discount and promotional benefits: https://www.mpmetrorail.com/uploads/media/promotional_and_discount_.pdf
[6] Bhopal Metro and city bus connectivity map: https://www.mpmetrorail.com/uploads/media/Metro_Bus_Connectivity_map.pdf
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