Ahmedabad Metro

Gandhinagar GIFT City

Ahmedabad Metro is a rapid transit system for the cities of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, and GIFT City in Gujarat state of India. Currently the network is 67.56 km long and has 54 operational stations.

The Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Limited was established in February 2010 and the 40.03 km long Phase–1 of the project was approved in October 2013 with two corridors, North–South and East–West. The construction started on 14 March 2015. A 6.5 km section of East–West corridor was inaugurated on 4 March 2019 and opened to the public on 6 March 2019. The rest of the Phase–1 was inaugurated on 30 September 2022 and opened to public on 2 and 6 October 2022; except the Thaltej Gam end and three stations.

Background

In 2003, Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board carried out a study for urban transport between Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. It also carried out the detailed project report through Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and RITES and submitted it in June 2005 and received Central Government's approval in the same year. Following the estimated cost of and the study of the viability of the project, it was abandoned in 2005 to give priority to the Ahmedabad BRTS and suburban railway projects. In 2008, considering the future developments in and around Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, the project was revived and new corridors designed to make the project viable.

The special purpose vehicle company, Metro Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad Company Ltd, later renamed Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Limited (GMRC) in 2018, was established by Government of Gujarat on 4 February 2010 with . Later in 2014, it was decided that the Central Government will own 50% of the company.

Construction

Phase-1

On 19 October 2014, Union Cabinet of India approved for the Phase–1. The original plan of Metro along Ashram Road was tweaked and the track was moved westward. The new plan added the cost of and two more stations. The new plan helped by causing fewer problems in land acquisition and less congestion on Ashram Road. In 2015 budget of Gujarat, was further allocated for the metro. The ground breaking ceremony was held on 14 March 2015 for the construction of 6.5 km long Vastral – Apparel Park stretch of East–West corridor (Blue Line) in presence of then Gujarat Chief Minister, Anandiben Patel. The ground-breaking ceremony for North-South Corridor (Red Line) was held on 17 January 2016 in presence of the then Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel. The work started in March 2016. The Indian Railways permitted the construction of North–South corridor stretch on its land in June 2016. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) agreed to fund for Phase-1 of the project in November 2015 and the first tranche of was released in 2016.

The trial runs were carried out in February 2019 on 6.5 km long Vastral – Apparel Park section of Blue Line. The section was inaugurated on 4 March 2019 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was opened to the public on 6 March 2019. Except Thaltej-Thaltej Gam section and three metro stations (Kankaria East, Thaltej Gam and Sabarmati Railway), the rest of the Phase-1 was inaugurated on 30 September 2022 by Prime Minister Modi. These Blue and Red Lines were opened to public on 2 October 2022 and 6 October 2022 respectively. The cost of Phase-1 construction was . The Kankaria East station was opened on 5 March 2024. Thaltej Gam station and adjoining 1.4 km (0.870 mi)-long section of Blue Line leading to Thaltej station were opened on 8 December 2024.

Phase-2

The Government of Gujarat approved the Phase-2 in October 2017 and revised it in October 2018. In February 2019, the Union cabinet approved the Phase-2 worth cost of . The Corridor-1 (Yellow Line) from Motera in Ahmedabad to Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar (23.838 km) with a branching Corridor-2 (Violet Line) from Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) linking Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU) and GIFT City (5.416 km) was finalised. The Phase-2 included total 28.26 km-long elevated corridor with 22 stations.

The tendering for the Phase-2 began in January 2020. On 18 January 2021, the foundation stone of the Phase-2 was laid by Prime Minister Modi.

In February 2023, Titagarh Rail Systems won a contract worth for providing rolling stock for the Phase-2.

The trial run of Phase-2 started in February 2024 between GNLU and Dholakuva Circle stations. The Yellow Line connecting Sector-1 station of Gandhinagar with the Red Line and the branch Violet Line along with eight stations were inaugurated on 16 September 2024 by Prime Minister Modi. Seven new stations on Yellow Line were opened to public on 27 April 2025. Juna Koba and Koba Gaam stations on Yellow Line were opened on 28 September 2025. The final 5.36-kilometre corridor of the Yellow Line, from Sachivalaya (Secretariat) to Mahatma Mandir, was inaugurated on 11 January 2026 by Prime Minister Modi.

Proposed Phase-3

GMRC has proposed a plan to link the metro system to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad at a cost of . It will be 4 to 6 km long corridor branching off with Koteshwar Road station as interchange. The corridor will be elevated from Koteshwar Road to the Taj Hotel Circle and from there to the airport will be underground. It will have 4 metro stations including an underground station at the airport.

GMRC also submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to extend the Violet Line to construct a 6 to 10 km elevated circular loop within GIFT City. The estimated cost for the construction is . The project is expected to add four to six metro stations to connect the different campuses within the city. Another proposal includes extension of Violet Line to IIT Gandhinagar. This 7 km route will have six stations and will cost around .

A plan to extend Blue Line from Thaltej Gam to Godhavi is also submitted by GMRC. It will have 8 km route and will cost .

Progress on construction

Construction contracts

Network

Main article: List of Ahmedabad Metro stations

Project details

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Operations

The metro started commercial operations in March 2019. Over 7.1 lakh people had travelled by metro till June 2022 but the monthly ridership had never exceeded 38,137 which is the highest ridership registered in March 2019 due to short length of the opened corridor then. The most riders were identified as those taking joyrides.

Following opening of the Phase-1 in September 2022, the ridership increased significantly. In FY 2024-25 (April 2024 to March 2025) more than 40,06,800 people travelled via metro with average daily ridership of 1,29,710 in January 2025.

Controversy

Near Thaltej Gam on western side, 300-odd shop owners opposed the land acquisition while the officials said that there is need of huge land for depot and parking for the project. The land acquisition is also opposed by the residents and shop owners of Jivraj Park in Vejalpur area. They had filed a case in Gujarat High Court. They settled the case in September 2017. Former IAS officer and executive chairman of project Sanjay Gupta and seven of his subordinate officers were accused while two of them were arrested in May 2015 for alleged committed fraud of in procurement and use of ground filling materials for the project in 2012. Another case regarding procurement of 603 tons of TMT steel worth which was never delivered is also being investigated.

The Comptroller and Auditor General has pointed out wasteful expenditure of on earlier unapproved corridors.

Network map

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References

References

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