Bhopal Metro Undergoes Major Safety Test; Two Trains Brought Face-to-Face On Same Track

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) team arrived in Bhopal on Thursday to inspect the metro's signalling system.

As part of the inspection, two teams travelled in separate metro trains and carried out tests on the track.

During the exercise, two metro trains came face-to-face on the same track for the first time between Rani Kamalapati and MP Nagar stations. Officials said the trains were deliberately brought onto the same track to check how the signalling system responds in such situations. The tests included checking train speed, braking, and other safety features.

According to metro officials, the inspection is scheduled to continue until the evening. After completing the tests, the CMRS team will submit its report. If the system receives approval, the signalling system will be put into operation and a new metro timetable will be introduced in July.

Metro authorities said that regular metro services will resume on schedule from June 26 after the inspection and testing process is completed.

The signalling work has been completed on the nearly 7-kilometre priority corridor between Subhash Nagar and AIIMS stations. Officials said this is the first phase of a project covering around 30 kilometres of metro routes in Bhopal and Indore.

At present, metro trains in Bhopal and Indore are operating without a signalling system. Because of this, trains are running only on a single track and at lower speeds. In Bhopal, metro services currently operate on the down track in both directions, with the same train returning on the track it arrived on. The up track is not yet being used.

This arrangement has resulted in a long gap of around 75 minutes between trains, forcing passengers to wait for extended periods.

Officials said that once the signalling system becomes operational, trains will be able to run on both tracks, allowing more frequent and smoother services.

Experts describe the signalling system as the backbone of a metro network. It controls train speed, maintains a safe distance between trains, manages emergency situations, and enables efficient operation on multiple tracks. Without it, metro systems cannot operate at their full capacity.