PATNA, July 3 -- Bihar chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Thursday inaugurated the Malahi Pakri Metro station under the Priority Corridor of the Patna Metro Rail Project, marking the expansion of metro services from the New Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) to Malahi Pakhri in the state capital, said a press release issued by the chief minister's office. The New ISBT is Patna's principal long-distance bus terminal, located at Zero Mile in the eastern part of Patna and serves as the city's main hub for inter-state and long-distance bus services. The chief minister also launched the Patna Metro Prepaid Smart Card to facilitate seamless and cashless travel for commuters, which is expected to make travel more convenient by eliminating the need for passengers to queue up repeatedly for tickets and enabling hassle-free digital transactions. The chief minister unveiled the foundation plaque, cut the ceremonial ribbon and inspected the newly commissioned station to review passenger facilities and operational arrangements. He later travelled by Metro from Malahi Pakri station to Bhoothnath station using the newly introduced prepaid smart card. Choudhary described the expansion of metro services as a significant milestone for Bihar's urban transport sector. He said the state government is committed to developing a modern, safe and environment-friendly public transport system, the communique said. The statement quoting the chief minister said the opening of the Malahi Pakri Metro station would provide fast, convenient and efficient connectivity to lakhs of residents of eastern Patna. "The expansion of metro services will help reduce road traffic congestion, cut travel time and make a significant contribution to pollution control," the release said. The 6.2 km journey between the New ISBT and Malahi Pakri will be completed in 16 minutes, with the Metro stopping at Bhootnath and Zero Mile. The service will be available every 35 minutes. The individual passenger fare from New ISBT to Malahi Pakri will be Rs 30. Earlier, the fare between ISBT and Bhootnath used to be Rs 15. After the extension of the route, the number of trips will be reduced from 24 to 22. It will take 35 minutes to complete one trip between New ISBT and Malahi Pakri. Choudhary also directed officials to expedite the remaining works and ensure that the Patna Metro project is completed within the stipulated timeline. He said the government's objective is to build a robust public transport network in the capital to provide better commuting facilities for citizens, students, office-goers and the business community. Phase-I of the Patna Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. project, at an estimated cost of Rs.13,365 crore, comprises two corridors with a total length of 30.9 km (approx) and 24 stations (12 elevated and 12 underground), connecting Danapur Cantonment to Khemni Chak (East-West/Red Line) and the Patna Junction to New ISBT (North-South/Blue Line). Metro services are now operational on the Priority Corridor of the North-South corridor or the Blue Line from New ISBT- Zero Mile- Bhoothnath- Malahi Pakri, following the inauguration of the Malahi Pakri Metro station by the CM on Thursday (July 2). Earlier, the service between New ISBT, Zero Mile and Bhoothnath, covering about 3.2-3.6 km, was inaugurated in October 2025. The target is to reach Mithapur by March next year and to have the Metro service up to the Patna junction by the end of 2027. The elevated viaducts on both corridors are at advanced stages. Underground tunnelling between Patna junction and Moinul-Haq Stadium is progressing, with tunnel excavation and station construction underway. Six underground stations, including Gandhi Maidan, PMCH, Patna University, and Rajendra Nagar, are being built using tunnel boring machines (TBMs). Construction on the remaining sections is continuing in phases. The elevated sections from Danapur towards Patliputra and from Mithapur towards Khemni Chak are under construction. Full phase-I commissioning is currently targeted around 2030. Deputy chief ministers Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav, urban development and housing minister Nitish Mishra, MLA Sanjay Kumar, MLC Sanjay Singh, principal secretary to the chief minister Deepak Kumar, chief secretary Pratyaya Amrit, director general of police Vinay Kumar, principal secretary, urban development and housing department Vinay Kumar, managing director of Patna Metro Rail Corporation Limited Sandeep Kumar R. Pudkalakatti, inspector general of police (Patna range) Jitendra Rana, district magistrate Kundan Kumar, senior superintendent of police Kartikeya K. Sharma, senior officials of the Patna Metro Rail Project, public representatives and a large number of local residents were present on the occasion....