Light at the end of the tunnel

Congestion in India’s Tier 1 and 2 cities is a major impediment to economic development, contributing to heightened pollution levels and plethora of other negative externalities. However, significant investment in network expansion over the past decade and in the years to come is likely to alleviate some of these pressures. In 2014, there were only five cities with an operational metro with a total track length of 248km. Fast forward to 2023, a 15-fold increase in operational track length has been achieved, and there are close to 20 cities with operating metros. Currently, India has the fourth largest metro system by length in the world, having overtaken Japan in recent years.

Source: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs India, 2023