Budget 2025: Metro rail network may be more than doubled over next 5 years

Budget 2025 expectations: The Narendra Modi government is likely to introduce a comprehensive five-year scheme in Union Budget 2025 to implement metro rail projects nationwide on a mission basis. This long-term initiative aligns with the objectives to enhance metro and intercity rapid rail connectivity throughout India.
India presently operates approximately 1,000 kilometres of metro and rapid rail networks across 23 cities in 11 states, with an additional 985 km under development.
For the fiscal year 2024-25, the capital expenditure allocation stands at ₹24,785.94 crore for Mass Rapid Transit System and metro projects.
“The Centre wants to scale up metro connectivity to decongest cities as they grow,” a senior official disclosed to ET anonymously, suggesting that Budget 2025-26 might reveal a substantial programme towards this aim.
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The implementation of metro and rapid rail projects in India typically involves collaboration between central and state governments.
Government officials indicated plans to expand the current network to more than twice its size over the next five years through budgetary support.
Official data shows that India exceeded Japan’s metro rail network length in 2022.
India currently holds the third position globally in operational metro network length and is progressing towards becoming the country with the second-largest metro system worldwide.
The Union cabinet granted approval for metro projects in Delhi, Bengaluru, Thane and Pune in late 2024.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget 2025 in Parliament on February 1, 2025.