Metro Rail Systems
Metro Rail Systems
Overview
A Metro Rail is an electric passenger railway system that is isolated from Indian Railways’ main-line network, designed for high-capacity, high-frequency urban transit. In India, Metros are governed by the Metro Railways (Construction of Works) Act, 1978 and the Metro Railways (Operation & Maintenance) Act, 2002, and come under the administrative umbrella of the Ministry of Railways (through RDSO & MoHUA).
Key Facts & Figures
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| 1. First Indian Metro | Kolkata Metro (24 Oct 1984, Dum-Dum ↔ Esplanade) |
| 2. Deepest Station | Hauz Khas (Delhi Metro – 29 m below ground) |
| 3. Longest Corridor (Ongoing) | Delhi Metro Pink Line (59 km) |
| 4. First Driver-less Metro | Delhi Metro Magenta & Pink Lines (Dec 2020) |
| 5. Highest Station | Jaiprakash Narayan (Mumbai Metro-1, 23 m above ground) |
| 6. First underwater stretch | East-West Kolkata Metro (under Hooghly, 2023) |
| 7. Widest rolling-stock | 3.2 m (Namma Metro, 750 mm) |
| 8. Standard track gauge | 1,435 mm (except Kolkata Metro 1,676 mm) |
| 9. Max. design speed | 95 km/h (Delhi, Mumbai & Lucknow Metros) |
| 10. Power supply | 750 V DC 3rd rail (old Kolkata), 25 kV 50 Hz OHE (all new) |
| 11. First PPP Metro | Mumbai Metro Line-1 (Reliance-2008) |
| 12. First Metro with CBTC | Delhi Airport Express (2011) |
| 13. Green rating platinum | Delhi Metro (first rail-based system in world, 2021) |
| 14. Total operational KM (Dec 2025) | ≈ 1,050 km in 20 cities |
| 15. Highest daily ridership | Delhi Metro (71 lakh, 2024) |
| 16. Nodal implementing agency | DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation) |
| 17. Indigenous trainset make | BEML, Alstom, Bombardier-India, Medha |
| 18. QR-based ticketing pioneer | Chennai Metro (2019) |
| 19. First metro with platform screen doors | Delhi Metro (Yellow Line, 2015) |
| 20. National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) launched | Delhi & Bengaluru (2023) |
Important Points (Quick-Revision Bullets)
- Metro projects are declared as “projects of national importance” under the Metro Railways Act, 2002.
- 750 V DC 3rd-rail technology is being phased out; all new corridors adopt 25 kV AC OHE.
- CBTC (Communication-Based Train Control) = driver-less/UTO (Un-attended Train Operation) signalling.
- DMRC is the “consultant” for almost every new Indian metro (Kochi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Pune, etc.).
- Only Kolkata Metro is directly owned by Indian Railways; all others are 50:50 JV of GoI & State.
- Metro Neo & Metro Lite are low-cost derivatives (rubber-tyre/e-bus & light-rail) approved by MoHUA.
- Station spacing: 0.8–1.5 km (core city), 2–3 km (peripheral).
- Feeder e-bus, e-rick & last-mile e-bike services are mandatory for every new metro city.
- Real-estate “transit-oriented development (TOD)” policy allows 4 FAR along 500 m belt.
- All metro depots must provide rainwater harvesting & 100 % LED lighting (Green Metro Policy 2017).
- National Metro Rail Knowledge Centre (NMRKC) set up at DMRC Hyderabad campus (2022).
- Pink & Yellow lines of Delhi Metro form the largest loop (69 km) in Asia.
- Mumbai Metro Line-3 (Aqua Line) is India’s first fully underground line in a coastal city.
- Automatic fare-collection (AFC) gates must accept NCMC (Rupay) & QR tickets (Metro Policy 2022).
- Rs. 100 cr/km is the present average cost for underground, Rs. 35 cr/km for elevated.
Frequently Asked in Exams
- First & oldest metro city – Kolkata (1984)
- Capital cost sharing formula – 50 % Centre : 50 % State (20 % for NE & hilly)
- Maximum permissible gradient – 4 % (100 m radius) inside tunnel; 6 % in depot
- Regulatory safety body – Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) – Metro wing
- Carbon credit earned – Delhi Metro earned 19.5 lakh CERs (UNFCCC) till 2024
Practice MCQs
Question:01 Which Indian metro still runs on 750 V DC third-rail system as of 2026?
A) Delhi Metro
B) Bengaluru Metro
C) Kolkata Metro (North-South corridor)
D) Mumbai Metro
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The 750 V DC third-rail system is retained only on Kolkata Metro’s original North-South corridor (Blue Line); all other major metros have switched to 25 kV AC or 750 V DC with modern upgrades.
Question:02 The first driver-less metro service in India was inaugurated on which corridor?
A) Delhi Metro Yellow Line (Samaypur Badli–HUDA City Centre)
B) Delhi Metro Magenta Line (Okha–Janakpuri West)
C) Mumbai Metro Aqua Line (Versova–Ghatkopar)
D) Bengaluru Metro Purple Line (Whitefield–Kengeri)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: India’s first driver-less metro train was flagged off on the 37-km Delhi Metro Magenta Line (Okha–Janakpuri West) on 28 December 2020, making DMRC the first rail operator in the country to run an unattended train operation (UTO) service.
BETA
