The Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) is set to increase the frequency of services on Bhopal Metro’s Orange Line from the existing nine trips to 20 trips a day following the completion and certification of the Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system. The enhanced timetable is expected to be introduced this week after the upgraded signalling system receives final approval.
Under the revised schedule, metro services will begin two hours earlier than the current 11:00 am start time, providing commuters with improved connectivity and significantly reducing waiting time between trains. The increase in frequency is expected to cut overall journey times by more than one-third on the priority corridor.
The service enhancement has been made possible by the commissioning of the CBTC signalling system, which enables the operation of trains on both tracks of the priority corridor. Once certified, MPMRCL will immediately switch to two-line operations, allowing more frequent and efficient metro services.
The operational section of the Orange Line connects Subhash Nagar and AIIMS, covering around 6.2 km with eight elevated stations. The corridor was inaugurated in December 2025 as the first operational stretch of the Bhopal Metro project.
The increased frequency is expected to improve commuter convenience and support the gradual scaling up of metro operations as Bhopal’s urban rail network continues to expand.