Metro viable for Chandigarh tricity but to be profitable only after 10 years: Report
While the construction costs are expected to be recovered within the first five years, profitability for operators may not materialise until at least a decade after the operations begin, the panel stated in its report. The estimated cost of the tricity metro project is ₹24,000 crore.
The Metro project is viable for the tricity but will become profitable for the operators only after a decade, an eight-member committee constituted by UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has concluded.

The committee, formed three months ago, will be presenting its feasibility report to the members of the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) -- a platform to address mobility challenges across tricity -- on January 28 during a meeting chaired by Haryana additional chief secretary Ashok Khemka.
While the construction costs are expected to be recovered within the first five years, profitability for operators may not materialise until at least a decade after the operations begin, the panel stated in its report. The estimated cost of the tricity metro project is ₹24,000 crore.
Studied Metro systems of 4 cities
According to sources, the committee extensively studied Metro systems in four cities—Ahmedabad, Kochi, Jaipur, and Noida—to formulate its recommendations. The report stated that Metro projects are typically planned for a 30-year horizon.
The report cited Ahmedabad Metro as an example, noting that it could take a minimum of five years or more to recover the capital outlay. The analysis also acknowledged the impact of unforeseen challenges, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, which delayed business recovery for Ahmedabad Metro, launched in 2019.
A senior official from the UT administration stated that if the committee’s report is approved, a detailed project report (DPR) will be prepared within a month and submitted to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) for approval, officer said.
The report was prepared in coordination with Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES). The UT chief engineer served as the nodal officer and convener of the committee. Other members included the UT urban planning secretary, UT transport secretary, transport administrative secretaries of Punjab and Haryana, the administrative secretary of housing and urban development in Punjab, the administrative secretary of town and country planning in Haryana, and the UT chief architect.
The committee was formed two months after the UT administrator instructed authorities during the September 2, 2024, UMTA meeting to evaluate the Metro project’s feasibility in smaller cities. This decision was followed by a heated debate at the UT administrator’s advisory council (AAC) meeting on September 14, 2024, where former MP Kirron Kher strongly opposed the project, while current MP Manish Tewari defended it. Kher had argued, “The project is not financially viable and will result in the entire city being dug up, causing significant disruptions.”
MP Tewari, meanwhile, expressed frustration over the delays, calling the Metro a “futuristic project” critical to resolving Chandigarh’s growing traffic issues. He spoke about the benefits of the project for the city and surrounding regions.
Phase-1 of project expected to be complete by 2032
In April 2024, RITES recommended a two-coach Metro system as the most viable transit solution for the tricity in its Alternatives Analysis Report (AAR). The Housing and urban affairs ministry has also approved an underground Metro system for Chandigarh’s heritage sectors (Sectors 1 to 30).
Since then, three UMTA meetings have been held to discuss the AAR and the geotechnical investigations report for the tricity’s Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS).
According to the AAR, Phase 1 of the Metro project is expected to be completed by 2032. This phase will cover 85.65 km, including both elevated and underground routes. Notably, 16.5 km of the underground route will pass through the city’s heritage sectors.