Nagpur’s Cotton Market Metro station is scheduled to open its long-awaited second entry by mid‑October, with MahaMetro officials confirming that the new foot‑over bridge (FoB) and lifts are on track to enhance commuter access, reduce congestion, and align the station with national safety and accessibility standards.
Built at an investment of ₹9 crore, the 120‑metre skywalk is intended to address a significant gap in the Aqua Line network: the absence of a second gate at Cotton Market. This station, one of the busiest on the Eastern Corridor, serves daily passenger volumes in the thousands, drawn by its proximity to wholesale vegetable and orange markets. Its current single-entry system has created bottlenecks, hampered pedestrian flow, and drawn attention from the Comptroller and Auditor General, which flagged accessibility and crowd management as concerns. The new infrastructure project, initiated in August last year, comprises a staircase and two lifts to ensure inclusive access for elderly and disabled passengers. A senior MahaMetro official overseeing civil works confirmed that structural completion is expected by the end of August, followed by electrical and system integration in September, and final regulatory approval from the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s chief fire officer. Subject to this timeline, the second entry should be open to public use by mid‑October 2025.
This enhancement represents a vital step forward for transit-oriented urbanisation in Nagpur. The Cotton Market nexus, straddled by narrow streets and high foot traffic, had long been poorly served by pedestrian infrastructure. Motorists and commuters have expressed relief at the prospect of improved accessibility. “It was an everyday hustle to drive here due to heavy traffic and congestion,” a local motorist observed, describing navigation through the square as “literally a challenge.” According to him, opening the skywalk will provide respite for both drivers and pedestrians. More broadly, the second entry is part of efforts to comply with safety standards mandated by the CAG, which had cited the station’s single-access point as a vulnerability during inspections. Equipping the station with another access route and evacuation path helps strengthen system robustness during emergency evacuations and planned crowd dispersal.
Urban planners suggest that even small-scale interventions like this can meaningfully improve city mobility. A Nagpur urban mobility expert noted that the station’s new flyover access would help reduce on-ground pedestrian crossings and support modal shifts towards metro usage from congested roads, contributing to a more sustainable transport system. Nagpur Metro officials say the station’s second entry also provides operational benefits. Improved circulation enables better passenger distribution at peak hours, reducing dwell times and enhancing train punctuality. For MahaMetro, it reinforces a commitment to upgrading infrastructure in response to commuter demand and safety audits—a progression from the station’s delayed inauguration in September 2023 due to land acquisition setbacks.
Cotton Market station itself is a product of shifting priorities within urban transport planning. Though part of Phase 1’s Eastern Corridor, it opened almost a year after its neighbouring stations between Sitabuldi Interchange and Railway Station, due to land constraints. Metro authorities are hopeful that this second gateway will elevate the station’s functionality and reputation. The development also signals how city-centric infrastructure projects can balance cost with long-term social returns. While the ₹9 crore investment might appear modest in the broader metro budget—₹5,452 crore has been allocated for the 28.5‑kilometre, 27‑station corridor extension to Cyber Hub—the benefits in crowd management, commuter safety, and station accessibility are substantial.
The broader strategic gain lies in creating multimodal nodes. Metro officials are hopeful that the new entry will ease passenger transfers with shared-taxi services, buses, and micro-mobility options, further integrating public transport with urban design. Such corridors, anchored by stations with robust access, could become pods of activity that catalyse sustainable urban growth—a key goal for equitable city building. Critically, the inclusion of lifts and staircases indicates a policy commitment to gender-neutral and disability-inclusive transport. MahaMetro planners emphasise that station infrastructure must accommodate diverse commuter profiles, ensuring that the metro network does not merely serve able-bodied riders but facilitates universal mobility.
With the mid‑October deadline approaching, the Cotton Market station exemplifies a microcosm of metro evolution. Transit systems across the country are under pressure to retrofit and modernise ageing infrastructure while coping with dense commuter demand. Nagpur’s targeted second-entry rollout showcases how careful planning, stakeholder attention, and timely execution can yield tangible improvements in urban transit dynamics. As MahaMetro prepares for the final operational phase of the second entry, passenger groups remain cautiously optimistic. Will the new entry ease days of daily congestion and enhance accessibility for all? If delivered as promised, it may set a precedent for similarly situated stations nationwide to follow—a small but meaningful step towards smarter, more inclusive metro cities.
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