Metro waits for ‘VIP date’ to run up to Radisson Square

Indore: The infrastructure is all in place and regulatory safety clearance has been given two months ago but the Metro still hasn’t started its commercial operations till Radisson Square from Super Corridor.

The reason: State government is awaiting scheduling confirmation from Prime Minister or a central minister to formally inaugurate the line.

State urban administration minister Kailash Vijayvargiya told TOI that he had requested time from both offices of Prime Minister and chief minister to lead the event, noting that operations would commence immediately once an in-person or virtual date was secured.

The prolonged delay has drawn criticism from locals especially those who commute on this route from Super Corridor and MR-10, braving massive traffic congestions every day.

“I am an engineer at an IT major on Super Corridor, and it takes me about 45 minutes to commute from my home in Vijay Nagar by car. Navigating congested roads during peak hours is exhausting. Once Metro starts up to Radisson Square, I can replace this difficult drive with a hassle-free, comfortable, and economical commute,” said Anshi Pandey.

A resident of Sarthak Singapore Colony on Super Corridor, Tarun Jaiswal, who commutes to his shop in Scheme 54 on a two-wheeler, is keenly awaiting the launch. “The Super Corridor-3 station is within walking distance of my home, and there is a station right near my shop. I would prefer to take the Metro and am eagerly waiting for operations to extend to Radisson Square,” Jaiswal said.

After Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety granted mandatory approval in March, the passenger operations could be expanded beyond the existing 6-kilometer ‘Super Priority Corridor’ by an additional 11 km, bringing the total operational length to 17.5 km.

Currently, the Metro runs a single daily trip along the initial, sparsely populated route. Transitioning to the newly-completed section is considered critical, as it directly links the high-density commercial, IT, and residential hubs of Vijay Nagar, MR-10, and Radisson Square.

Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited managing director S Krishna Chaitanya said that the corporation maintains complete operational readiness and would initiate passenger services the day after formal inauguration.