Filed Under · Unofficial
Metro in Progress
Concourses built for crowds that have not yet arrived, and escalators whose operational status is a matter of ongoing debate.
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Pune Metro Pimpri–Dapodi corridor cost and time overrun
Mahametro claimed the Pimpri-Dapodi route was "100% complete," but junction work at Dapodi, Morwadi, Sant Tukaramnagar and Kasarwadi stations remained unfinished, with the metro operating only up to Phugewadi; the Nigdi extension was further delayed pending Union Defence Ministry clearance over its alignment near the Dehu Road Ammunition Factory.
Lucknow Metro: Showpiece Line Running at a Loss
The only operational corridor of a system sanctioned at ₹6,928 crore sees only a fraction of expected ridership: at Hussainganj station roughly 600 people board/alight daily, and about half the seats run empty between Charbagh and the airport.
Jaipur Metro
The Walled City extension (Phase 1B) opened years late in September 2020. Its further extension (Phase 1C) began underground construction only in 2024 and remains unfinished. Phase 2, first proposed for 2021 completion, only got its first civil contract awarded in January 2026, pushing real completion to around 2028-2031.
Bowbazar East-West Metro Land Subsidence
On August 31, 2019, a tunnel-boring machine building the East-West Metro corridor struck an aquifer beneath Bowbazar's soft, historically wetland soil, causing numerous two-century-old buildings on Durga Pituri Lane to crack and partially collapse; 23 houses were demolished. The crisis recurred in May 2022 (3 more houses razed) and October 2022 (10 buildings cracked, 136 more residents evacuated), with a Jadavpur University expert panel subsequently recommending 45 additional houses be razed.
Kozhikode Metro/Monorail Repeatedly Scrapped and Redesigned
Kozhikode's transit plans flip-flopped for 15+ years: full metro (2008) to monorail (2012, scrapped 2014 after the sole bidder nearly doubled the cost) to "light metro" (foundation stone laid 2016) to a fresh switch back to full metro announced in the 2025-26 budget, with no line ever built.
Joka–Esplanade (Purple Line) Metro: Over a Decade of Delay
The Purple Line was sanctioned in 2010-11 to connect Joka with Esplanade, with RVNL awarded the construction contract in 2011. Only the 6.5km Joka-Taratala stretch actually opened, inaugurated by the Prime Minister in December 2022, more than a decade after sanction. The remaining extension toward Park Street/Esplanade remained stuck as of 2026, most recently pending a land-swap deal with Nepal's Consulate General needed to build a ramp between the Mominpur and Khidderpore stations.
Nagpur Metro: Chronic Ridership Shortfall and Operating Losses
Built at a cost of ₹8,680 crore against a Detailed Project Report forecast of 41 lakh daily passengers by 2026, Nagpur Metro carried only 69,863 daily passengers in 2023-24 (about 17% of that target), while farebox revenue of ₹64.4 crore fell far short of the projected ₹434 crore. The system has posted operating losses every year since 2016-17, including ₹178.58 crore in 2020-21, and continues to run monthly losses of ₹2.5-3 crore.
Namma Metro Land-Cost Overrun
A CAG report tabled in August 2026 found that "improper estimation of land requirements," combined with prolonged delays in land acquisition, inflated Namma Metro's Phase 1 and 2 costs by over ₹6,600 crore. It also found BMRCL posted continuous cash losses from 2013-14 to 2021-22 and remains dependent on state government support to service its debt, with actual ridership falling well short of projections used to justify the heavy-metro design.
Noida Metro Aqua Line
The Aqua Line, originally slated for May 2017 (then April 2018), did not open until January 2019. Its planned extension then stalled further: tenders were floated and cancelled three times between June 2020 and February 2021 due to poor contractor response.
Namma Metro (BMRCL) under-construction pillar collapse
An under-construction Namma Metro pillar collapsed onto traffic, killing a mother and her 2-year-old son; four BMRCL officials and six others were later charged.
Manapakkam Metro Girder Collapse
On the night of June 12, 2025, a 40-foot concrete I-girder under construction for Chennai Metro Phase 2 collapsed from over 20 feet height after its supporting A-frame gave way, crushing a motorist, C. Ramesh (43), to death. It took rescue teams over five hours to retrieve his body from under the girder. Police booked contractor L&T and four of its officials under BNS Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).