Two more routes on table for IGI Airport-Gurugram Metro

Both draft DPRs favour underground construction, while the Union housing ministry will take the final decision after evaluating ridership studies.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has proposed two options to extend the Airport Express Metro Line to Gurugram, with both draft detailed project reports (DPRs) presented during the 65th Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) Board meeting held in Chandigarh on Monday.

(Representative image) The proposals have evolved over more than a decade, with revised alignments and DPRs presented during the HMRTC Board meeting on Monday. (HT Archive)

The proposals include extending the line from Yashobhoomi station to Rajiv Chowk on NH 48 and from Dwarka Sector 21 to Sector 21 Gurugram. The draft DPRs have been shared with HMRTC and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). An official aware of the matter said that three proposals to connect Gurugram with Dwarka are now under consideration, and the final decision will be taken by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

The meeting was chaired by Anurag Rastogi, chief secretary of Haryana.

A senior HMRTC official, who is aware of the matter, said the two DMRC proposals recommend underground construction. “The draft DPRs have been shared, and both these proposals suggested underground construction of these metro lines. A meeting in this regard was also held under the aegis of the union housing ministry, and it was suggested that alignment of both these corridors should be combined and stations should be proposed at Bijwasan and Kapashera,” said the official, adding that HMRTC has also proposed a metro line between Rezangla Chowk and Dwarka Sector 21.

According to officials, three proposals are currently under consideration: extending the Airport Express Line from Yashobhoomi station to Rajiv Chowk on NH 48; extending the Airport Express Line from Dwarka Sector 21 to Sector 21 Gurugram; and HMRTC’s proposed metro corridor between Rezangla Chowk and Dwarka Sector 21. Earlier submissions of proposals under the Union housing ministry also suggested combining the two Airport Express alignments and providing stations at Bijwasan and Kapashera to improve connectivity.

The official said all three proposals remain under consideration. “We have conducted ridership studies and compared the routes. The final decision in this regard will be taken by Ministry of housing and urban affairs and we will construct the line as per its directions,” he said.

The proposed Airport Express extensions trace their origins to 2015, while the third corridor has been under consideration since 2011. (HT)

To be sure, the three proposals have evolved over more than a decade. The Airport Express extension from Yashobhoomi to Rajiv Chowk traces its origins to a 2015 DMRC proposal to extend the line to IFFCO Chowk, which was approved in principle in 2016 before being shelved. It was revived in 2025 and updated this year with a revised alignment ending at Rajiv Chowk. The second proposal, extending the airport line from Dwarka Sector 21 to Gurugram Sector 21, also originated in the 2015 DPR, was considered in 2016, revived in 2025 and formally presented in its current form at Monday’s HMRTC Board meeting. Meanwhile, HMRTC’s proposed metro link from Rezangla Chowk to Dwarka Sector 21 dates back to 2011, with its DPR approved by the Haryana Cabinet in 2022 and revised earlier this year before being submitted for consideration alongside the two DMRC proposals.

The Board was also informed that the final DPR for the proposed Sector 56 Gurugram to Panchgaon metro corridor has been completed and is ready to be placed before the Haryana chief minister for approval. The proposed corridor is a 35.25 km elevated route with 28 stations.

Managing director, HMRTC, Chander Shekhar Khare, in a statement issued on Monday, said, “The final DPR has already been submitted and is being placed before the chief minister for approval.”

The Board also reviewed the revised DPR of the 136.3 km Delhi-Panipat-Karnal Namo Bharat Corridor, estimated to cost more than ₹33,000 crore. Khare said the project has already secured approvals from the Public Investment Board and the Haryana government.

HMRTC also reported a surplus of ₹9.18 crore during January to May 2026, compared with a deficit of ₹1.98 crore during the corresponding period last year.

Khare said Rapid Metro ridership in Gurugram increased by 9.41%, with more than 8.07 million commuters using the network during the first five months of 2026, compared with 7.38 million passengers during the same period last year.