Suburban rail in India
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Urban rail transit in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
plays an important role in intracity transportation in the major cities which are highly populated. It consists of
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be ...
, suburban rail,
monorail A monorail (from "mono", meaning "one", and " rail") is a railway in which the track consists of a single rail or a beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurat ...
and
tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
systems. According to a report published in 2021, a total of 2.63 billion people travelled annually in metro systems across India's fifteen major cities, placing the country as one of the busiest urban rapid transit hubs in the world in terms of ridership. The combined length of of metro systems in India makes it the fourth longest in operation in the world. The Ministry of Urban Development's Urban Transport wing is the nodal division for coordination, appraisal and approval of Urban Transport matters including Metro Rail Projects at the central level. All the interventions in the urban transport by the Ministry of Urban Development are carried out as per the provisions of National Urban Transport Policy, 2006.


Terminology

Indian cities have various types of urban transit systems operational, under construction and planned. These systems are being implemented based on the population of a city, financial feasibility and demand. *
Rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be ...
: The rapid transit or popularly known as metro in India, is an urban high-capacity rail system, commonly operated in metropolitan cities. These systems are segregated from
Indian Railways Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tota ...
and have their
right-of-way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
. *
Suburban Railway Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are cons ...
: Suburban rail or popularly known as local train system in India, is an urban rail transit system where the suburbs are connected to the city's centre. These systems are linked to and operated by
Indian Railways Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tota ...
. Example:
Mumbai Suburban Railway The Mumbai Suburban Railway ( Marathi: मुंबई उपनगरीय रेल्वे) (colloquially called local trains or simply locals) consists of exclusive inner suburban railway lines augmented by commuter rail on main lines ser ...
* Medium-capacity rail : It is a rapid transit (metro) system which has a capacity higher than light rail but lower than
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be ...
system to serve a medium demand. It is built considering the future rise in demand, so that it can be converted into a regular metro. Example:
Rapid Metro Gurgaon Rapid Metro Gurgaon is a light metro system serving the city of Gurgaon, Haryana, India. Rapid Metro connects the commercial areas of Gurgaon, and acts as a feeder link to the Delhi Metro with an interchange with its Yellow Line at Sikander ...
* Light rail : Light rail is used in cities that have low demand. It is a combination of
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be ...
and
tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
systems. It has a higher capacity and speed compared to tram services and has dedicated tracks that are mostly fenced. Example:
Srinagar Metro The Srinagar Metro is a light rail transit planned for the city of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The plans for the Srinagar Metro have been finalised with the work expected to start once the project gets nod from union cabinet. The propos ...
*
Monorail A monorail (from "mono", meaning "one", and " rail") is a railway in which the track consists of a single rail or a beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurat ...
: This system has trains running on a single rail/beam. It has found its application in medium capacity transport, but due to low efficiency and high costs, it has been sidelined in India. Example:
Mumbai Monorail MMRDA Mumbai Monorail is an monorail system in the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, built as part of a major expansion of public transport in the city. The project was implemented and is currently operated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Regio ...
* Regional transit system : This system is operated either between two similarly-sized cities, which are close to each other or between an urban city and smaller cities lying nearby. Example: Delhi–Meerut RRTS *
Tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
: These systems are one of the oldest modes of urban transport in India. They are low capacity, slow-moving trains which run on tracks that are embedded in the urban streets. Example:
Kolkata Tram The tram system in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal, India, operated by West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) after Calcutta Tramways Company (CTC) was dissolved, is the oldest existing tram network operating in India, and oldest operating ...


Non-rail based urban transit

* Bus Rapid Transit : The Bus Rapid Transit systems in India use conventional buses or high capacity buses and have their own right-of-way, separated from the rest of the traffic. Example: Ahmedabad Bus Rapid Transit System * Metro Neo : These are the Bus Rapid Transit systems that use
overhead wires An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as: * Overhead catenary * Overhead contact system (OCS) * Overhead equipment ...
with power supply similar to a
trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or trol ...
but with a higher capacity and which have their right-of-way. Example: Greater Nashik Metro * Water Metro : A water-based urban transit system usually implemented in cities which are situated on rivers. These systems are basically integrated ferry systems. Example:
Kochi Water Metro Kochi Water Metro is an integrated ferry transport project in Greater Kochi region proposed by Kochi Metro Rail Limited. It is the first of its kind transport system in India and South Asia, that will connect Kochi’s 10 island communities ...


History


Early history

The first-ever mode of the urban rail transit system in India was
commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Downtown, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter r ...
(or suburban rail), built in
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
on 16 April 1853. The first passenger train was flagged off from
Bori Bunder Bori Bunder (also known as Bori Bandar) is an area along the Eastern shore line of Mumbai, India. Background This place was used as a storehouse for goods imported and exported from Mumbai. In the local language, 'Bori' mean sack and 'Bandar' ...
(present-day
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (officially Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bombay station code: CSMT ( mainline)/ST (suburban)), is a historic railway terminus and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The terminus wa ...
in
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
) from where it travelled to
Thane Thane (; also known as Thana, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city in Maharashtra, India. It is situated in the north-eastern portion of the Salsette Island. Thane city is entirely within Thane taluka, one of the seven taluk ...
, covering a distance of 34 km in an hour and fifteen minutes. This made it the Asia's first
suburban railway Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are cons ...
. At the turn of the 20th century, tram systems began to sprawl across the four major cities of India, viz. Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai, and helped local population to meet their intracity transportation needs. Horse-drawn
tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
was first introduced in
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
in 1873 and the electric trams began to operate in
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
in 1895, later the cities of
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
, Kanpur, and
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
saw trams being introduced. These services were discontinued in all Indian cities between 1933 and 1964, except for
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
where they operate on streets to the present day.


Metro

In September 1919, during a session of the Imperial Legislative Council at
Shimla Shimla (; ; also known as Simla, the official name until 1972) is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared as the summer capital of British India. After independence, the ...
, a committee was set up by W. E. Crum that recommended a metro line for
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
. The next proposal for a metro system was mooted by government of West Bengal in 1949-50 and a survey was conducted by French experts. However, the proposal could not be brought into the effect and India had to wait for its first metro service. It was 23 years later when the foundation stone was laid in
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
in 1972 to commence the construction of the ambitious metro system. On 24 October 1984, India saw its first metro system operational in
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
. After several struggles and bureaucratic hurdles, a stretch of 3.4 km was opened with five stations on the line. The first concept of an urban rapid transit system in Delhi came out during 1969, when a traffic and travel characteristics study was conducted. The bus systems which catered the public transportation in the city added to the traffic problems, this soon became a growing concern. The concepts for an urban transit system were considered as the need for the country's capital. After planning, a proposal was made in 1984, which revealed plans for constructing three underground corridors and augmentation of the existing suburban rail system. The construction began on 1 October 1998 and the first line was operational on 24 December 2002. With , the
Delhi Metro The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of 10 colou ...
went on to be the longest and by far the busiest metro system in India. On 1 November 1995, the
Chennai MRTS The Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System, a state-owned subsidiary of Indian Railways, is a metropolitan elevated railway line in Chennai, India. Operated by the Southern Railways, it is the first elevated railway line in India and also the c ...
began its operations, becoming the first
elevated railway An elevated railway or elevated train (also known as an el train for short) is a rapid transit railway with the tracks above street level on a viaduct or other elevated structure (usually constructed from steel, cast iron, concrete, or bricks ...
line in India and also the country's longest elevated mass rapid transit corridor spanning 17 km.


Monorail

While the political capital of India was expanding on its success by constructing new metro lines, suburban railways remained as the dominant mode of transport in the financial capital, Mumbai. According to
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is a body of the Government of Maharashtra that is responsible for preparation oRegional Plan for MMRand the infrastructure development of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The MMRDA was se ...
(MMRDA) the city bus services operating in narrow and crowded areas of the city were slow-moving and caused traffic congestion hence a rapid transit system was necessary. Since the city already had planned metro services and since the suburban railways also connected major parts of the city, a feeder system to these services was proposed in the form of Monorail. After the construction was completed, On 1 February 2014,
Mumbai Monorail MMRDA Mumbai Monorail is an monorail system in the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, built as part of a major expansion of public transport in the city. The project was implemented and is currently operated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Regio ...
became the first of its kind in India.


Rapid transit

There are currently 15 operational
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be ...
(popularly known as 'metro') systems in fifteen cities across India. With
Delhi Metro The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of 10 colou ...
being the largest metro system which connects to few other nearby cities in the
National Capital Region A capital region, also called a capital district or capital territory, is a region or district surrounding a capital city. It is not always the official term for the region, but may sometimes be used as an informal synonym. Capital regions can exis ...
. As of October 2022, India has 799.73 km of operational metro lines and 15 systems. A further 568.15 km of lines are under construction. Apart from the Kolkata metro (which has its own zone under Indian Railways), these rapid transit metro lines are not operated by
Indian Railways Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tota ...
, but a separate set of local authorities. In addition to their metro systems, the cities of
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
and
Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
have mass transit systems operated by the Indian Railways, known as the
Chennai MRTS The Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System, a state-owned subsidiary of Indian Railways, is a metropolitan elevated railway line in Chennai, India. Operated by the Southern Railways, it is the first elevated railway line in India and also the c ...
and the
Hyderabad MMTS The Hyderabad Multi-Modal Transport System, commonly abbreviated MMTS, is a suburban rail system in Hyderabad, India. A joint venture of the government of Telangana and the South Central Railway, it is operated by the latter. The system operat ...
, respectively. The first rapid transit system in India is the Kolkata Metro, which started operations in 1984. The
Delhi Metro The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of 10 colou ...
has the largest network in the entire country.


Implementation

In 2006, the National Urban Transport Policy had proposed the construction of a metro rail system in every city with a population of at least 20 lakh (2 million) people. From 2002 to 2014, the Indian metro infrastructure expanded by 248 km. Later on 11 August 2014,
Union Government The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
had announced that it would provide financial assistance for the implementation of a metro rail system to all Indian cities having a population of more than 1 million. In May 2015, the
Union Government The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
approved the Union Urban Development Ministry's proposal to implement metro rail systems in 50 cities, with the majority of the planned projects were to be implemented through special purpose vehicles, which will be established as 50:50 joint ventures between the Union and respective State Government. The
Union Government The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
would invest an estimated . In a new draft policy unveiled in March 2017, the Central Government stated that it wanted state governments to consider metro rail as the "last option" and implement it only after considering all other possible mass rapid transit systems. The decision was taken due to the high cost of constructing metro rail systems. In August 2017, the
Union Government The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
announced that it would not provide financial assistance to the new metro rail project unless some sort of private partnership is involved.


Track gauge

Unlike Broad gauge which form majority of the railway tracks in the sub-continent, metro rail lines in India are composed of mainly standard gauge. Projects like the
Kolkata Metro The Kolkata Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata in West Bengal, India. , it has two operational lines, a line from Dakshineswar to Kavi Subhash and a line from Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah, for a total of . Four ...
and
Delhi Metro The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of 10 colou ...
used broad gauge for their earliest lines, but to procure modern foreign rakes and to adopt international standard, India went ahead with standard gauge for all the following lines.


List of systems

* OP + U/C = Operational & Under-construction combined * OP + U/C+ Planned = Operational, Under-construction & Planned Combined ! ! ! ! 15 ! ! ! ! 2.708 billion


Systems in Development




Abandoned Systems



List of lines

Total no. of lines operational- 34. ''Note : Only operational lines are listed.''


Suburban rail

Suburban rail plays a major role in the
public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...
system of many major
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n cities. These services are operated by
Indian Railways Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tota ...
. Suburban rail is a rail service between a central business district and the suburbs, a conurbation or other locations that draw large numbers of people daily. The trains are called suburban trains. These trains are also referred to as "local trains" or "locals". The suburban rail systems in Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow–Kanpur and Bengaluru do not have dedicated suburban tracks but share tracks with long-distance trains. The suburban rail system of
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
,
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
and
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
have both dedicated tracks and tracks shared with long-distance trains. The first suburban rail system in India is
Mumbai Suburban Railway The Mumbai Suburban Railway ( Marathi: मुंबई उपनगरीय रेल्वे) (colloquially called local trains or simply locals) consists of exclusive inner suburban railway lines augmented by commuter rail on main lines ser ...
which started operations in 1853. The Kolkata Suburban Railway has the largest network in the entire country. The Chennai Suburban Railway started its operations in 1931.
Suburban train Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are consi ...
s that handle commuter traffic are all electric multiple units (EMUs). They usually have nine or twelve coaches, sometimes even fifteen to handle rush hour traffic. One unit of an EMU train consists of one power car and two general coaches. Thus a nine coach EMU is made up of three units having one power car at each end and one at the middle. The rakes in the suburban rails run on
25 kV AC Railway electrification systems using alternating current (AC) at are used worldwide, especially for high-speed rail. It is usually supplied at the standard utility frequency (typically 50 or 60Hz), which simplifies traction substations. The dev ...
. Ridership on India's suburban railways has risen from 1.2 million in 1970–71 to 4.4 million in 2012–13. The suburban railways of Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai occupy no more than 7.1% of the Indian Railways 20819.3-km network, but account for 53.2% of all railway passengers. In some cities of India, the opening of rapid transit systems has led to a decline in the use of the suburban rail system.


Systems in Development



Regional rail

Regional Rapid Transit systems in India are passenger
rail Rail or rails may refer to: Rail transport *Rail transport and related matters *Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway Arts and media Film * ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini * ''Rail'' ( ...
services that operate beyond the limits of
urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...
s, and either connect similarly-sized cities, or metropolitan cities and surrounding towns/cities, outside at the outer rim of a suburban belt. The following list excludes Passenger Train services provided by
Indian Railways Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tota ...
.


Systems in Development




Monorail

The
Mumbai Monorail MMRDA Mumbai Monorail is an monorail system in the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, built as part of a major expansion of public transport in the city. The project was implemented and is currently operated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Regio ...
, which opened on 2 February 2014, is the first operational
monorail A monorail (from "mono", meaning "one", and " rail") is a railway in which the track consists of a single rail or a beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurat ...
system used for rapid transit in independent India. Many other Indian cities had planned monorail projects, as a feeder system to the metro, but after the Mumbai monorail failed with multiple issues, other cities are reconsidering the plan and may go ahead with much efficient and proven modes of transport such as the Light rail transit system.


Systems in Development


Abandoned Systems


Light rail

Light rail transit (LRT) or popularly known as
Metrolite Metrolite is a light rail (LRT) urban transit system being planned in India for cities with lower ridership projection and as a feeder system for the existing metro systems. It will cater to lower passenger capacity at a reduced cost than a met ...
in India, is a form of urban rail transit characterized by a combination of
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be ...
and
tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
systems. It usually operates at a higher capacity than trams, and often on an exclusive
right-of-way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
similar to rapid transit. Several tier-2 cities in India have opted it since it is a cheap and efficient mode of urban transit which serves for a lower demand. This list excludes
Trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or trol ...
or 'Metro Neo' systems which do not use rails.


Tram

In addition to trains,
tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
s were introduced in many cities in the late 19th century, though almost all of these were phased out. The
Kolkata Tram The tram system in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal, India, operated by West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) after Calcutta Tramways Company (CTC) was dissolved, is the oldest existing tram network operating in India, and oldest operating ...
is currently the only tram system in the country.


Systems in development


Abandoned Systems


National common mobility card

The National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) is a card issued by government of India which enables citizens to pay multiple kinds of transport charges like Metro, bus etc., across the country. To ensure a seamless travel across urban rail and various other transportation systems the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) came out with the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) Program. The Union Ministry of Urban Affairs have been working on it since 2006, when it was envisaged as part of the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP). This will help in higher digital payments penetration, savings on closed loop card lifecycle management cost and reduced operating cost. The rich data insights may be used by operators for business intelligence leading to efficient operation. NCMC's new ecosystem will further help government in digitization of low value payments and reduced cost for the entire ecosystem. As of 2021, only two metro systems in the country have been equipped with NCMC, namely
Delhi Metro The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of 10 colou ...
and Bengaluru's
Namma Metro Namma Metro ("Our Metro" in Kannada), also known as Bengaluru Metro, is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bengaluru, India. Upon its inauguration, it became the first underground metro system in South India. Namma Metro has a mix of u ...
.


Manufacturing

There are multiple metro manufacturers in India, Under the
Union Government The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
's
Make in India Make in India is an initiative by the Government of India to create and encourage companies to develop, manufacture and assemble products made in India and incentivize dedicated investments into manufacturing. The policy approach was to crea ...
program, 75% of the rolling stock procured for use on Indian metro systems are required to be manufactured in India.


Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML)

BEML BEML Limited, formerly Bharat Earth Movers Limited, is an Indian Public Sector Undertaking, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. It manufactures a variety of heavy equipment, such as that used for earth moving, railways, transport an ...
is a Bengaluru-based
Public Sector Undertaking A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the government ...
company that manufactures mining equipment, heavy engineering as well as metro rail coaches. It also manufacturers EMU train sets for suburban railway.


Delhi Metro The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of 10 colou ...

* 70x4=280 coaches (Year- 2001, Type- RS1 Broad Gauge)(In partnership with Mitsubishi and MELCO) * 8 coaches (Year- 2008, Type- RS1 Broad Gauge) (To upgrade four 4car trains to 6car trains) * 8x6=48 coaches + 88 coaches Total 136 (Year- 2011, Type- RS1 Broad Gauge)(To upgrade 4car trains to 6 car trains) * 81x6=486 coaches (Year- 2013, Type- RS10 Standard Gauge)(These trains are jointly developed by Hyundai Rotum and BEML. They are capable of Unmanned Train Operations. 120 of these 486 coaches were imported directly from
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
and remaining 366 coaches were made in BEML's plant in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
) * 96 coaches (Year- 2015, Type- RS1 Broad Gauge)(To upgrade 6car trains to 8 car trains) * 80 coaches (Type- RS1 Broad Gauge)(To upgrade 6car trains to 8 car trains) Total - 966 coaches (600 BG and 366 SG)


Mumbai Metro The Mumbai Metro is a rapid transit (MRT) system serving the city of Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region in Maharashtra, India.Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is responsible authority for maintaining the metro system ...

* 63x6=378 coaches (red and yellow lines) * 21x6=126 coaches (red and yellow lines, additional order) * 12x6=72 coaches (red and yellow lines, additional order) Total - 576 coaches


Namma Metro Namma Metro ("Our Metro" in Kannada), also known as Bengaluru Metro, is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bengaluru, India. Upon its inauguration, it became the first underground metro system in South India. Namma Metro has a mix of u ...

* 50x3=150 coaches. (Phase 1) (In partnership with Hyundai Rotum) * 50x3=150 coaches (upgrading of previous 3 coach trains to 6 coach trains) Total - 300 coaches


Jaipur Metro The Jaipur Metro(Hindi: जयपुर मेट्रो) is a rapid transit system in the city of Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Construction on the mostly elevated part of the first line, called Phase 1A, comprising of route from Mansarovar ...

* 10x4=40 coaches


Kolkata Metro The Kolkata Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata in West Bengal, India. , it has two operational lines, a line from Dakshineswar to Kavi Subhash and a line from Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah, for a total of . Four ...

* 14x6=84 coaches (green line) * 3x6=18 coaches (green line, additional order) Total - 102 coaches


Bombardier India (Acquired by Alstom)

Bombardier (Now, Alstom ) built a £26m factory in
Savli Savli is a village near Vadodara, Gujarat in Western India. It is located near one of the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation centres, which includes companies such as Nirma Chemical, Bombardier Transportation (now acquired by Alstom) ...
,
Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
. Production at Savli began in June 2009. Bombardier was acquired by Alstom on 29 January 2021.


Delhi Metro The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of 10 colou ...

* 43x4=172 + 42x6=252 Total 424 coaches (Year- 2007, Type- RS2 Broad Gauge) * 114 coaches(Year- 2010, Type- RS2 Broad Gauge) * 76 coaches (Year- 2011, Type- RS2 Broad Gauge) (To upgrade 4/6 car trains to 6/8 car trains) * 162 coaches (Year- 2015, Type- RS2 Broad Gauge) (To upgrade 6 car trains to 8 car trains) * 40 coaches (Year- 2019, Type- RS2 Broad Gauge) (To upgrade 6 car trains to 8 car trains) Total - 816 coaches (BG)


Agra Metro

* 29x3=87 coaches


Kanpur Metro The Kanpur Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. The metro is owned and operated by the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC). The feasibility study for the project was done by RITES in June 2015. ...

* 38x3=114 coaches


Mumbai Metro The Mumbai Metro is a rapid transit (MRT) system serving the city of Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region in Maharashtra, India.Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is responsible authority for maintaining the metro system ...

* 39x6=234 coaches (green line) UPDATE- Alstom terminated the contract in 2022


Meerut Metro

* 10x3=30 coaches (These trains are the same as Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor but of 3 coach configuration)


Alstom India

In 2013, Alstom built a factory in Sri City,
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
. The 156-acre plant will be used to supply trains to cities in India and abroad. It also provides signalling & telecommunications systems.


Chennai Metro The Chennai Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is the 4th longest metro system In india. The system commenced service in 2015 after partially opening the first phase of the project. The network c ...

* 42x4=168 coaches (Phase 1) * 10x4=40 coaches (Phase 1 extension) * 26x3=78 coaches (Phase 2 - line 4) Total - 286 coaches


Kochi Metro The Kochi Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It was opened to the public within four years of starting construction, making it one of the fastest completed metro projects in India. The Kochi metro proje ...

* 25x3=75 coaches


Lucknow Metro Lucknow Metro is a rapid transit system serving the largest city and the capital of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow. Construction of the line begun on 27 September 2014 with the stretch from to Charbagh Railway Station which began its commercial op ...

* 20x4=80 coaches


Mumbai Metro The Mumbai Metro is a rapid transit (MRT) system serving the city of Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region in Maharashtra, India.Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is responsible authority for maintaining the metro system ...

* 31x8=248 coaches (aqua line)


Delhi Metro The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of 10 colou ...

* 52x6=312 coaches (Year-2022, RS-17 type, to be used on pink, magenta and silver line)


Indore Metro

* 25x3=75 coaches (Phase 1)


Bhopal Metro

* 27x3=81 coaches (Phase 1)


Hyundai Rotem


Delhi Metro The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of 10 colou ...

* 49x4=196 coaches (Year- 2007, Type- RS3 Standard Gauge) (Since Hyundai Rotum does not have a factory in India, they used BEML's plant to complete the order on transfer of technology agreement) * 27x6=162 coaches (Year- 2013, Type- RS3 Standard Gauge)(Since Hyundai Rotum does not have a factory in India, they used BEML's plant to complete the order on transfer of technology agreement) * 81x6=486 coaches (Year- 2013, Type- RS10 Standard Gauge)(These trains are jointly developed by Hyundai Rotum and BEML. They are capable of Unmanned Train Operations. 120 of these 486 coaches were imported directly from
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
and remaining 366 coaches were made in BEML's plant in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
) Total - 478 coaches (SG)


Ahmedabad Metro Ahmedabad Metro is a rapid transit system for the cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in Gujarat state of India. The Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Limited was established in February 2010 and the long Phase–1 of the project was approved ...

* 32x3=96 coaches (Phase 1)


Namma Metro Namma Metro ("Our Metro" in Kannada), also known as Bengaluru Metro, is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bengaluru, India. Upon its inauguration, it became the first underground metro system in South India. Namma Metro has a mix of u ...

* 50x3=150 coaches. (Phase 1) (In partnership with BEML)


Hyderabad Metro The Hyderabad Metro is a rapid transit system, serving the city of Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is the second longest operational metro network in India after the Delhi Metro (285 stations) with 57 stations and the lines are arranged in a ...

* 57x3=171 coaches (Phase 1)(Since Hyundai Rotum does not have a factory in India, most trains were made in BEML's factory on transfer of technology agreement, some were imported directly from South Korea)


Integral Coach Factory (ICF)

Integral Coach Factory Integral Coach Factory (ICF) is a manufacturer of rail coaches located in Perambur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It was established in 1955 and is owned and operated by the Indian Railways. It is located in Perambur, in the suburbs of Chennai. T ...
s the largest rolling stock for Indian Railways..


Kolkata Metro The Kolkata Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata in West Bengal, India. , it has two operational lines, a line from Dakshineswar to Kavi Subhash and a line from Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah, for a total of . Four ...

* 18x6=108 coaches (Medha series for blue line) * 8x6=48 coaches (for blue line) * 38x6=228 coaches (for purple line and orange line) * 12x6=72 coaches (for yellow line) Total - 456 coaches


Titagarh Firem

Titagarh Firema is
Titagarh Titagarh is a city and a municipality of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is close to Kolkata and also a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Geography Location Tita ...
-based Rolling stock manufacturing company. It is part of a Titagarh Group. They operate a factory in the Indian state of West Bengal
Namma Metro Namma Metro ("Our Metro" in Kannada), also known as Bengaluru Metro, is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bengaluru, India. Upon its inauguration, it became the first underground metro system in South India. Namma Metro has a mix of u ...
* 36x6= 216 (34 out of these 36 trains will be made in India in partnership with CRRC(winner of the contract) via transfer of technology agreement. 2 will be directly imported from China)


Pune Metro Pune Metro is a  mass rapid transit system serving the city of Pune, India. The system comprises 3 lines with a combined length of 54.58 km, of which 12 km on two lines are operational as of March 2022. The 16.59-km Purple line from PCMC B ...

* 34x3= 102 coaches (phase 1)


Medha Servo Drives Pvt Ltd

In 2017, Medha Servo Drives planned to invest 8,000 million for metro rail coach factory in
Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and 3 ...
. In February 2022 the factory was inaugurated and became the largest private rail coach factory in India. * In 2021, it got a contract to supply 10 rakes for
Mumbai Monorail MMRDA Mumbai Monorail is an monorail system in the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, built as part of a major expansion of public transport in the city. The project was implemented and is currently operated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Regio ...
worth 590 crore INR.


CRRC

Namma Metro Namma Metro ("Our Metro" in Kannada), also known as Bengaluru Metro, is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bengaluru, India. Upon its inauguration, it became the first underground metro system in South India. Namma Metro has a mix of u ...
* 36x6=216 coaches (Phase 2) (2 trains will be directly imported from China and remaining 34 will e made by Titagarh Wagons under transfer of technology agreement)


Rapid Metro Gurgaon Rapid Metro Gurgaon is a light metro system serving the city of Gurgaon, Haryana, India. Rapid Metro connects the commercial areas of Gurgaon, and acts as a feeder link to the Delhi Metro with an interchange with its Yellow Line at Sikander ...

* 12x3=36 coaches (Contract awarded to Siemens but subcontracted to CRRC )


Kolkata Metro The Kolkata Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata in West Bengal, India. , it has two operational lines, a line from Dakshineswar to Kavi Subhash and a line from Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah, for a total of . Four ...

* 14x6=84 coaches (Dalian series for Orange line)


Mumbai Metro The Mumbai Metro is a rapid transit (MRT) system serving the city of Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region in Maharashtra, India.Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is responsible authority for maintaining the metro system ...

* 16x4= 48 coaches (Blue line / line 1)


Nagpur Metro Nagpur Metro is a rapid transit system for the city of Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. It is estimated to cost . In February 2014, the Government of Maharashtra gave approval for the Metro Project, while the Government of India's Ministry of Urban ...

* 23x3=69 coaches (phase 1)


Noida Metro The Noida Metro is a rapid transit system connecting the twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. The metro network consists of one line (called Aqua Line), with a total length of serving 21 stat ...

* 19x4= 76 coaches (Phase 1 aqua line)


Navi Mumbai Metro The Navi Mumbai Metro is a rapid transit system under construction in the Indian city of Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. The planning and construction of the Navi Mumbai Metro is being overseen by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (C ...

* 8x3=24 coaches (Line 1)


Legislation

The subject of Railways is in the Union List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, giving Parliament the exclusive power to enact legislation concerning it. According to former Minister of Urban Development
Kamal Nath Kamal Nath (born 18 November 1946) is an Indian politician who served as the 18th Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for approximately 15 months and resigned after a political crisis. He was the Leader of the Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Le ...
, "Since the Metro rail is a central subject, it has been decided that all such projects in the country, whether within one municipal area or beyond, shall be taken up under the Central Metro Acts." Construction of metros in India is governed by the centrally enacted ''The Metro Railways (Construction of Works) Act, 1978'' which defines itself as an act to provide for the construction of works relating to metro railways in the metropolitan cities and for matters connected therewith. Operation and maintenance of metros are governed by ''The Delhi Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002''. Both laws were amended in 2009 with the passing of ''The Metro Railways (Amendment) Act, 2009''. The amendment expanded the coverage of both the acts to all metropolitan areas of India. Initially, state governments attempted to implement metro rail projects through various Tramways Act. However, the Commissioner of Railways Safety (CRS), who operates under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, is tasked with providing safety certification for metro rail projects. The CRS refused safety certification unless the projects were implemented under a Metro Act enacted by the state government and published in
The Gazette of India ''The Gazette of India'' is a public journal and an authorised legal document of the Government of India, published weekly by the Department of Publication, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. As a public journal, the ''Gazette'' prints offi ...
.
Research Design and Standards Organization The Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO) is an ISO 9001 research and development organisation under the Ministry of Railways of government of India, which functions as a technical adviser and consultant to the Railway Board, the Zonal ...
(RDSO), another railway entity, also refused certification to projects not implemented under the criteria. Subsequently, several state governments have enacted their own Metro Acts.


See also

*
Urban rail transit Urban rail transit is an all-encompassing term for various types of local rail systems providing passenger service within and around urban or suburban areas. The set of urban rail systems can be roughly subdivided into the following categories ...
** List of metro systems **
List of monorail systems A monorail is a railway system in which the track consists of a single elevated rail, beam or track with the trains either supported or suspended. The term is also used to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam o ...
**
List of tram and light rail transit systems The following is a list of cities that have current tram, tram/streetcar (including Heritage streetcar, heritage trams/heritage streetcars), or light rail systems as part of their regular public transport, public transit systems. In other word ...
**
List of suburban and commuter rail systems This is an alphabetical listing of cities and countries that have commuter or suburban railways that are currently operational and in service. Commuter and suburban rail systems are train services that connect city centres with outer suburbs or ...
*
List of bus rapid transit systems in India Bus Rapid Transit Abandoned Bus Rapid Transit using trolleybuses See also * Transport in India * Bus rapid transit * List of bus rapid transit systems This is a list of bus rapid transit (BRT) systems which are in oper ...
*
Rail transport in India Rail transport in India is an important mode of conveyance for people and goods in India. Indian Railways (IR) is the primary operator of rail operations throughout the country. IR is a state-owned organisation of the Ministry of Railways, whi ...
*
High-speed rail in India Indian Railways is currently improving their existing conventional lines to handle speeds of up to , and with certain improved corridors seeing speeds of more than . Also, a total of twelve corridors are planned and one of the corridors which ...
*
List of high-speed railway lines in India India currently does not have any High-speed rail lines operational, but have several lines planned and one of which is currently under construction. The following article lists all the lines in various stages of completion. Overview Ne ...
*
Dedicated freight corridors in India The Dedicated freight corridors in India are a network of broad gauge freight railway lines that solely serve freight trains, thus making the freight service in India faster and more efficient. The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India i ...
* Aerial lift in India


Notes


References

{{Indian Railways Transport in India Tram transport in India