Quantum Leap In Metro Rails Post 2014

The past 10 years have been the golden age for India’s urban rail transit systems. Under the visionary leadership of PM Shri Narendra Modi and the central government’s push on infrastructure development and building smart cities, India’s metro rail sector has seen unprecedented growth.

India’s first metro rail system came up in Kolkata in 1984. It took 18 years for the next metro system to come up when PM Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee inaugurated the Delhi Metro in 2002. The third metro system came only after another 9 years with the Bangalore Metro in 2011. This was followed by the Gurgaon Rapid Metro in 2013. But since 2014, there has been a revolutionary expansion of metro rail to almost every major city in India. Under the Modi Government, on average about 3 new metro rail projects per year have become the norm, and there is data to prove it.

Currently, a total of 27 metro rail systems are operational, under construction or approved in India. Before 2014, just 4 cities had a metro system (Delhi, Gurugram, Bengaluru, Kolkata). As of January 2024, Metro rail is in operation in 16 cities – Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Gurugram, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai, Noida, Pune. While 6 projects are under construction in Agra, Bhopal, Meerut, Indore, Patna and Surat. Among the various proposed projects, 5 have been approved for Bhubaneshwar, Gorakhpur, Kozhikode, Nashik and Trivandrum.

Before 2014, a total of just about 229 km of metro rail network was operational in the cities of Delhi-NCR (194 km), Kolkata (28 km) and Bangalore (7 km). In merely 10 years, the Indian metro rail network has witnessed substantial growth, with operational routes spanning 862.16 km, under-construction routes totalling 663.12 km, and approved routes amounting to 244.77 km. Notably, the metro systems vary widely in scale, from the smallest system in Kanpur covering 8.73 km to the largest in Delhi, boasting an extensive 347 km network. These statistics reflect the nation’s commitment to expanding and modernizing its urban transit infrastructure, addressing the increasing demand for efficient and sustainable transportation across different cities.

But what explains the strong contrast between the development of metro systems under the Modi Government versus the previous administrations? The answer can be found in the Metro Rail Policy 2017, which reflects the Modi Government’s vision and strategy for metro expansion.

The Metro Rail Policy 2017

In August 2017, the Modi Government approved the new Metro Rail Policy, emphasizing compact urban development, cost efficiency, and multi-modal integration. The policy aims to address the increasing aspirations for metro rail systems in various cities in a responsible manner. It introduces a significant avenue for private investments in diverse metro operations, making the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) component mandatory to qualify for central assistance in new metro projects. Mandatory private investment and the inclusion of innovative financing methods are imperative to meet the substantial capital requirements of high-capacity metro projects.

Increased Budget

Metro projects are capital-intensive. The majority of metro rail initiatives have received financial backing from the central government in conjunction with state governments, although certain projects have been independently funded by state governments or in conjunction with private partners. Therefore, the budget allocated for metro projects has been huge and gradually increased. It was ₹19,152 crore in 2019-20, ₹20,000 crore in 2020-21, ₹23,500 crore in 2021-22, and ₹23,875 crore in 2022-23. The policy further advocates for financial viability through measures such as multi-modal integration, last-mile connectivity, public-private partnerships, land value capture, and transit-oriented development. Additionally, it stipulates that metro rail projects must achieve a minimum Economic Rate of Return (ERR) of 14%.

Last-mile Connectivity

Considering the lack of last-mile connectivity, the new policy aims to address this issue by concentrating on a 5-kilometre catchment area around metro stations. States are mandated to include commitments in project reports, ensuring the provision of essential last-mile connectivity through feeder services, infrastructure for Non-Motorised Transport like walking and cycling pathways, and the introduction of para-transport facilities. States proposing new metro projects are obligated to outline, in project reports, the specific proposals and investments earmarked for the development of such services.

Urban Transformation

Noting that urban mass transit projects should not merely be seen as “urban transport projects” but more as “urban transformation projects”, the new policy mandates Transit Oriented Development (TOD) to promote compact and dense urban development along metro corridors since TOD reduces travel distances besides enabling efficient land use in urban areas.

Kolkata Metro vs Delhi Metro: A Case Study

While the Kolkata Metro commenced operations in 1984, its conception dates back to 1949-50, with construction starting only in the 1970s. Unfortunately, the project faced significant setbacks, prolonged delays and a budget overrun of 12 times, attributed to political interference, technical challenges, and bureaucratic hurdles. Despite its 40-year history, the Kolkata Metro has managed to establish only a 47.9 km network.

The Delhi Metro in contrast, which started only in 2002, consists of 10 colour-coded lines serving 256 stations, with a total network length of 350.42 km. It is India’s largest and busiest metro rail system and has become a lifeline for the national capital. It is the second metro in the world, after the New York City Subway, to be ISO 14001 certified for environmentally-friendly construction. The network received 35 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by April 2023, which it intends to increase to 50 per cent by 2031.

To avoid problems experienced by the Kolkata Metro, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was created as a special-purpose vehicle vested with autonomy and power to execute the large project which involved many technical complexities in a difficult urban environment within a limited time frame. Putting the central and state governments on an equal footing gave an unprecedented level of autonomy and freedom to the company, which had full powers to hire people, decide on tenders, and control funds.

The Delhi Metro model was a vision of the Vajpayee Government, and it has been adopted, modified and implemented by the Modi Government since 2014.

Viksit Bharat @2047

At present, India boasts the world’s third-largest metro network. Projections indicate that within the next 2-3 years, India’s metro network will surpass the operational length of the USA’s, claiming the position of the second-largest metro network globally. The daily ridership across the country’s metro systems has already surpassed 10 million and is expected to exceed 12.5 million within the next year or two. India is experiencing a significant uptick in metro ridership, a trend that is likely to persist as the metro systems continue to evolve. Despite being relatively young, with most systems under a decade old, India’s metros have been strategically planned and operationalized to cater to urban traffic demands for the next century. Early indications demonstrate this transition, with metro rail systems emerging as the preferred mode of commuting, particularly among women and youth.

PM Modi has given the clarion call to have a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) by the year 2047, which marks the centenary of India’s independence. In our stride towards that ambitious goal, India’s expanding metro rail systems will play a pivotal role.