- Why in news
- On 15 March 2026, PIB published a explainer on India's metro growth, citing an EAC-PM study (January 2026) that links metro access to better household loan repayment.
- What it is
- Metro rail in India is urban rapid transit built mostly by state-level metro companies with central support under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Projects are appraised by the Centre and increasingly planned with PM GatiShakti. Metros aim to cut road congestion, pollution and household transport costs.
- Global rank
- India is now the third-largest operational metro network in the world.
- Sanctioned projects
- Since 2014, 38 metro projects covering 1,051 km have been sanctioned at an estimated cost of ₹3.44 lakh crore.
- Planning integration
- Metro projects are being embedded in the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, and the Network Planning Group reviews them.
- National Common Mobility Card
- The 'One Nation–One Card' NCMC works in 11 metro projects and 11 bus corporations.
Don’t confuse with Metro vs RRTS: RRTS (Namo Bharat) is a semi high-speed regional train, 160 km/h operating speed, on the Delhi–Meerut corridor. A metro is an intra-city system. The release counts both in the 1,095 km.
Don’t confuse with EAC-PM vs NITI Aayog: EAC-PM is an advisory body to the Prime Minister on economic issues; NITI Aayog is the government's policy think tank.
Economy terms and data: 42 Prelims questions since 2013, rising in recent years; they test what a term or instrument means. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.
Why it matters
- Metros cut road congestion, emissions and household transport costs, supporting sustainable urban growth.
- Capital spending on metros has strong growth multipliers and supports jobs and access to services.
Problems
- Metros need very high capital cost and long gestation, straining state and city finances.
- Low ridership and weak last-mile links can leave lines financially unviable.
Way forward
- Integrate metros with buses and last-mile links under PM GatiShakti and unified ticketing such as NCMC.
- Use value capture and transit-oriented development to raise non-fare revenue.
Put in your answer
Budget growth: Annual metro budget rose from ₹5,798 crore (2013–14) to ₹29,550 crore (2025–26).
EAC-PM study: Study finds metro access reduces missed home-loan payments and raises early repayments, e.g. in Bengaluru delays fall 2.4% and early repayments rise 3.5%.
Technology firsts: India's first underwater metro tunnel (Kolkata, 2024) runs beneath the Hooghly from Esplanade to Howrah Maidan.
- 2019Mains GS1 · Q16How efficient, affordable urban mass transport drives India's rapid economic development
- 2014Mains GS3 · Q8Critically discuss success of government strategies under the National Urban Transport Policy's moving-people approach
- 2022Mains GS2 · Q6Discuss coordination needed between government and private sector for PM Gati-Shakti connectivity
- 2005Prelims Q125Matching locations like Dundigal with their known-for items, including the Skybus Metro test-run
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Metro growth is a lasting infrastructure topic, but the release gives routine data and few facts a statement can turn on.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.