Indian Railways grants NOC to resume tunnelling works on Patna Metro Corridor 2

Patna, India (Metro Rail Today): Construction of the Patna Metro Corridor-2 underground section between Moinul Haque Stadium and Rajendra Nagar Terminal has resumed after the project received the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Indian Railways. The approval has allowed the construction agency to restart tunnelling work that had been halted since December 2025.

The delay occurred because the metro tunnel alignment passes beneath the busy Patna–Howrah main railway line and the Rajendra Nagar Terminal, requiring detailed technical clearance from railway authorities.

Following the approval, excavation work has restarted and is now progressing using two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) along the corridor.

According to project officials, a total tunnel length of around 1,800 metres will be constructed from Moinul Haque Stadium to Rajendra Nagar Terminal before Malahi Pakadi Station.

Before work was halted, the two TBMs had already completed significant excavation:

• First TBM: 352.4 metres of tunnelling completed

• Second TBM: Approximately 264 metres completed

Under the current construction plan:

• The first TBM will excavate about 681 metres

• The second TBM will excavate approximately 705 metres

With the railway clearance now in place, the first TBM has resumed tunnelling and the project authorities expect the remaining work on this section to progress quickly.

The metro tunnel will begin at Moinul Haque Stadium, pass beneath the Patna–Howrah main railway line, and continue towards the Rajendra Nagar Metro Station, which is currently under construction near Kankarbagh Old Bypass via Rajendra Nagar Terminal.

The approval process involved extensive discussions between railway authorities and metro project engineers, particularly because Indian Railways is planning future expansion and redevelopment of Rajendra Nagar Terminal.

Railway officials wanted to ensure that the metro tunnel alignment would not affect any future infrastructure development at the terminal. After detailed technical assessments, the NOC was finally granted, allowing tunnelling work to resume.

One of the key features of the project will be the direct integration between Rajendra Nagar Terminal and Rajendra Nagar Metro Station.

This connectivity will enable passengers arriving by long-distance trains to directly access the metro network, significantly improving last-mile connectivity and reducing travel time within the city.

Tunnelling work has already been completed in several other sections of Patna Metro Corridor-2, which is being developed as part of the city’s first metro network.

Key completed and ongoing tunnel sections include:

• 1,480 metres completed between Moinul Haque Stadium and Patna University

• 1,450 metres completed between Gandhi Maidan, Akashvani and Patna Junction

• 2,302 metres planned between Patna University – PMCH – Gandhi Maidan

In this section, tunnelling up to PMCH has already been completed, while excavation between PMCH and Gandhi Maidan is currently underway.

In a related development, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recently inspected the newly constructed Patna Collectorate complex and reviewed several ongoing infrastructure projects in the surrounding area.

During the visit, he also reviewed the construction of a nearby double-decker flyover and instructed officials to expedite the remaining work. The Chief Minister emphasized the importance of coordination between various agencies, including the Patna Metro Rail Corporation, to ensure that the city’s infrastructure projects are effectively integrated with the upcoming metro network.

Commenting on the development, Mrs. Mamta Shah, MD & CEO, Urban Infra Group, highlighted the importance of underground metro construction in transforming urban mobility in emerging cities.

“Underground metro corridors require complex engineering and careful coordination with existing infrastructure such as railway lines and utilities. The resumption of tunnelling on Patna Metro Corridor-2 is an important milestone that will help accelerate the project and bring modern, efficient public transportation closer to the residents of Patna,” she said.

Once completed, the Patna Metro project is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion across the city while offering residents faster, safer and more sustainable public transportation.

With tunnelling now resuming in key underground sections, construction activity across Corridor-2 is expected to accelerate in the coming months, bringing Patna closer to the launch of its long-awaited metro system.