Is Metro Bus Open on Tuesday Oct 20? Match-Day Guide 2026
Pakistan play England in the second ODI of the tri-series on Tuesday, October 20, at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with the match starting around 1:00 in the afternoon. If you rely on the metro bus that day, expect changes to the normal routine. Throughout this cricket season, the district administration has ordered temporary metro restrictions during matches and team movements.
So is the metro bus open on October 20? The honest answer is: partly. The service is not shut down completely, but parts of it are suspended or closed while security arrangements are in place. It is best to plan your trip around these restrictions rather than assume the normal schedule.
Why Metrobus Service Changes on Match Days
The security plan for matches at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium covers the whole series from early October to mid-November. Whenever teams are being moved between their hotels and the stadium, the metrobus service between Saddar Station and Pak Secretariat is completely suspended. Police pickets are also set up at stations from Liaquat Bagh to Faizabad.
On match days, nearby roads are closed too. Reports from earlier matches this month say Murree Road was closed between 6th Road and Faizabad, along with Double Road up to I.J. Principal Road. That is why the bus simply cannot run through that stretch while the match is on.
Which Stations Could Be Closed
This is where you need to be careful, because different news reports list different stations. Metro Bus sources quoted in early October named Khatm-e-Nabuwwat, IJP Road and Sixth Road as the three stations closed during matches. A separate Rawalpindi police security plan listed Faizabad, Shamasabad, Rehmanabad and 6th Road.
The one thing both reports agree on is the area around Sixth Road near the stadium. Since the exact list can change from one match day to the next, treat any single station list as a warning, not a promise. The safest approach is to assume stations close to Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium may be closed on October 20.
How to Plan Your Trip on Oct 20
First, start earlier than usual and keep an eye on announcements on the morning of the match, because suspension timings follow the teams’ movements. Fares stay the same on the parts of the service that keep running, and the normal metro timing of roughly early morning to late night applies everywhere restrictions are lifted.
If your route crosses the affected zone, consider alternatives before you set out. Ride-hailing services and taxis are the most flexible option on match days, and other bus lines away from the stadium area may still be running normally. Whichever way you travel, allow extra time, because traffic around Faizabad and Murree Road gets very heavy when a match is on.