Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The much-anticipated Bhubaneswar metro rail’s first phase will travel a distance of about 26 kilometers. The metro rail project would include 20 stations along a 26-kilometer span, according to the Detailed Project Report (DPR). The areas to be covered include Biju Patnaik airport, Capital Hospital, Sishu Bhawan, Bapuji Nagar, Bhubaneswar Railway Station, Ram Mandir Square, Vani Vihar, Acharya Vihar, Jaydev Vihar, Xavier Square, Rail Sadan, Damana Square, Patia Square, KIIT Square, Nandan Vihar, Raghunathpur, Nandankanan Zoological Park, Phulapokhari and Trishulia Square (Cuttack).
It is important to note that on April 1, 2023, in honor of Odisha Dibasa, Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik approved the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project.A metro rail project linking Trishulia in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar Airport was covered by the 5T mandate. The metro train project will be expanded to include Khordha, Puri, and further Bhubaneswar and Cuttack city neighborhoods.
The Odisha government roped in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) of the metro rail project. The Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) was subsequently notified on August 3, 2023, and its Chief Executive Officer and General Manager (Administration) have been appointed.
“The DRMC after conducting a traffic survey, geotechnical investigation, topographic survey, environmental and social impact assessments, completed the DPR and submitted it to the Chief Secretary on August 16 in the meeting of the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation,” the state government said in a release.
