India’s metro map had spread across 26 cities by March 2026, according to a government infrastructure account published that June. It reported 1,155 km of operating network, against 248 km in five cities in 2014. The change brought urban rail to places that previously depended on roads for most daily travel. [1]
An operating line is a tangible addition: stations, tracks, trains and a scheduled service. Its effect on a commuter also depends on where the line runs, what a ticket costs and how the station connects to home or work. Network length establishes the infrastructure available, rather than an equal benefit for every resident.
Projects with longer histories
The expansion grew from systems and institutions already in place. Some projects opened after 2014 had been sanctioned earlier. A 2017 ministry review, for example, recorded that Bengaluru Metro’s 72-km second phase had received Union approval in February 2014, before the change of government. [4]
Such histories matter when assigning credit. Union approval and finance, state contributions, local land arrangements, metro corporations and construction firms all sit behind a new section. A later inauguration is the end of one part of that work, not necessarily its starting point. [3] [4]
The Union government’s Metro Rail Policy of 2017 set a more explicit planning framework. It required consideration of alternatives such as bus rapid transit and light rail, alongside comprehensive mobility plans. It also placed responsibilities on states for connections beyond the station. [3]
Trains carrying passengers
Delhi’s accounts provide one measure of use. DMRC’s 2024–25 annual report recorded average daily passenger journeys of approximately 6.31 million, compared with 5.83 million in the previous financial year. The report separately noted a record 8.19 million journeys on 8 August 2025. [2]
An annual daily average and a record day are different statistics. Neither is a count of distinct people: a commuter can make multiple journeys, and network reporting has its own counting conventions. The figures nevertheless document substantial use of the operating system. [2]
A national total also brings together networks with different ages, densities and travel patterns. Delhi’s established ridership cannot stand in for demand on every newly opened line. Passenger counts need to be read beside the length of network actually operating during the same period.
Reaching the platform
The 2017 policy recognised inadequate last-mile links and required states to address a catchment extending five kilometres on either side of stations. Feeder services, walking and cycling routes, and intermediate public transport were part of its design. That requirement is a planning commitment, not evidence that every station has received those facilities. [3]
The policy also requires economic appraisal and consideration of travel demand. Operating track alone cannot establish financial viability. [3]
The expanded network has given many cities a new transport option. Its everyday usefulness is completed at street level, in the bus connection or walking route that makes reaching a train practical. [3]