Patna: Work on a crucial underground section of the Patna Metro has resumed after Indian Railways granted the no-objection certificate (NOC) required to construct a tunnel beneath the railway tracks near Rajendra Nagar Terminal.
The resumption allows tunnel boring machines (TBMs) to restart excavation between Moinul Haq Stadium and Rajendra Nagar Terminal on corridor-2 of the metro project. Construction had been halted since December 2025 because the proposed tunnel passes beneath active railway infrastructure, requiring technical clearance from railway authorities.
Following the approval, the Patna Metro Rail Corporation has accelerated tunnelling operations using two TBMs to complete the underground stretch.
Railway clearance allows stalled work to restart
Excavation from the Moinul Haq Stadium side had already begun earlier, but progress slowed when the project approached the railway line near Rajendra Nagar Terminal. Because the tunnel must pass under the Patna–Howrah main line and the terminal area, officials needed to ensure that construction would not affect railway operations or future expansion plans.
After reviewing the technical design and safety measures, railway authorities granted permission, allowing tunnelling work to resume.
1.8km underground section planned
Under corridor-2, an approximately 1.8km long tunnel will run from Moinul Haq Stadium to a point before Malahi Pakri station via Rajendra Nagar Terminal.
Within this section, about 705 metres lie between Moinul Haq Stadium and Rajendra Nagar Terminal, where excavation is now underway again. Earlier, partial tunnelling had been completed before work stopped due to the pending railway clearance.
Tunnel to pass beneath railway line and terminal
The underground corridor will run beneath the Patna–Howrah main railway line and the Rajendra Nagar Terminal before continuing towards the Rajendra Nagar metro station, which is being constructed under the Kankarbagh Old Bypass.
Officials said the railway authorities carefully examined the project to ensure the tunnel would not affect existing rail infrastructure or future development plans at the terminal.
Tunnelling progressing across corridor-2
Construction is also progressing in other sections of Patna Metro corridor-2. Around 1,480 metres of tunnelling between Moinul Haq Stadium and Patna University has already been completed.
Similarly, nearly 1,450 metres of tunnel between Gandhi Maidan, Akashvani and Patna Junction stations has been built.
Another 2,302-metre underground stretch from Patna University to Gandhi Maidan via PMCH is under construction, with excavation up to PMCH largely completed and work continuing on the remaining segment.
