Underground tunnel work for metro rail nears completion

Patna: Patna Metro Rail Corporation (PMRC) has accelerated underground tunnel construction with work from Moin-ul-Haq Stadium to Gandhi Maidan successfully completed. The tunnel boring machine (TBM) will now be launched on Nehru Path. Excavation for underground stations on Nehru Path is expected to begin in June. Soil testing for the stretch has been completed, while barricading has started near Income Tax roundabout, Vikas Bhawan and Patna zoo.

An underground metro line will connect Akashvani Metro Station on Nehru Path to a new underground station at Vidyut Bhawan. This will provide direct metro access to the Secretariat area and nearby offices.

This will provide direct metro access to the Secretariat area and nearby offices.

The tunnel will extend from Vidyut Bhawan via Vikas Bhawan, Patna Zoo, Raja Bazar and Rukanpura to Patliputra Metro Station. After Patliputra, the metro will run on an elevated corridor through RPS Mor and Saguna Mor to Danapur Metro Station.

According to an official of PMRC, “The tunnel work from Gandhi Maidan to Akashvani is about 90% complete. The underground tunnel from Rajendra Nagar, Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, Patna University, PMCH and Gandhi Maidan will reach Akashvani. From there to Patna Junction, operations will remain underground.”

Patna Metro plans to complete construction and start operations on the priority corridor from Patliputra Bus Terminal to Patna Junction by the end of this year.

Excavation has started for 800 metres of tunnel between Moin-ul-Haq Stadium and Rajendra Nagar Terminal. Work was halted since Dec 2025 due to pending railway clearance. After receiving approval from the Railways, construction work resumed in March.

A 1,800-metre tunnel is to be built from Moin-ul-Haq Stadium via Rajendra Nagar Terminal to just before Malahi Pakri Metro Station. Two TBMs were deployed, but work was stopped near Rajendra Nagar Terminal due to lack of railway permission for tunnelling near the railway line.

“Rajendra Nagar Metro Station will be the deepest on the network, with the metro running 21 metres below ground due to the railway track above. It will be a key station connected to Rajendra Nagar Railway Terminal, allowing easy interchange with trains. Patna Junction Metro Station will be an interchange for the Red Line and Blue Line, easing travel from Danapur to Khemnichak and New ISBT,” the PMRC official said.