Bhopal Metro adjusts hours as Dhaka's tunnelling kicks off this week

Bhopal's Metro train services will see adjusted operating hours from Friday, April 3. The changes aim to speed up work on the city's ongoing signalling project. Meanwhile, underground tunnelling for the Dhaka Metro's Pul Patra route is set to begin within days, with completion expected by 2028. Starting this Friday, Bhopal Metro trains will run from 11 am to 4.30 pm instead of the current 12 noon to 7.30 pm. The revised schedule will help workers focus on finishing the signalling system. The Metro currently connects Subash Nagar station to AIIMS, serving eight stops along the way.

In Dhaka, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) named *Durgawati* will start digging within two to three days. Designed to excavate up to 14 metres daily, its progress may slow to five to seven metres due to Bhopal's rocky terrain. A second TBM, *Ahilyabai*, will join once the first machine completes 50 metres of tunnel. The tunnelling phase alone is expected to take at least two months. After that, full construction of the Pul Patra line will begin, with the entire project—including all phases—scheduled for completion by 2028. The route will eventually link Dhaka's old train station to the Pul Patra area.

The Bhopal Metro's temporary timetable change supports faster completion of its signalling upgrades. In Dhaka, the launch of Durgawati marks a key step toward the 2028 opening of the Pul Patra Metro line. Both projects reflect ongoing efforts to expand urban rail networks in the region.