India has splurged billions on metro trains. But where are the commuters?
India has invested a staggering $26 billion in developing a metro network across nearly two dozen cities. Yet, amidst this rapid growth, the pertinent question remains: where are the commuters?
The Disappointing Reality of Metro Ridership
On a weekday evening last month, the southbound Aqua Line metro train in Mumbai began to empty out a few stops before reaching its destination. Upon disembarking, the last station resembled a deserted Soviet-era structure rather than a busy train terminal in a city known for its bustling crowds. The Aqua Line, which opened last year, is a fully underground metro connecting the traditional business district of Cuffe Parade to newer commercial hubs like BKC and the airport terminals in the northern suburbs. Spanning 33.5 km (20.8 miles), it was designed to alleviate congestion in India’s financial capital and anticipated carrying nearly 1.5 million passengers daily. However, actual ridership has reached only about one-tenth of that expectation.
Expert Commentary:
– A ticketing executive stationed at Cuffe Parade noted, “Not a lot of people are using the line. It’s too expensive.”
The low ridership on this corridor is emblematic of a broader trend impacting the rapid expansion of India’s metro network. Since 2014, the Narendra Modi government has spent over $26 billion to enhance metro connectivity across almost two dozen cities. As a result, the metro network has grown fourfold, expanding from under 300 km to more than 1,000 km expected by 2025. During the same period, average daily ridership has nearly quadrupled from 3 million to over 11 million people. Yet, these impressive aggregate numbers obscure troubling underlying data.
Factors Affecting Metro Ridership in India
– Projected vs. Actual Ridership: Most metro systems in India have struggled to meet their anticipated ridership numbers during their planning stages. According to a 2023 report by the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, actual ridership figures reach merely 25-35% of projections across various corridors. Experts indicate that these trends are unlikely to change significantly through 2024 and 2025.
– Tier-3 City Challenges: Studies from the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) show that ridership in some tier-3 cities, like Kanpur, is as low as 2% of anticipated figures, and in Chennai, it reached just 37% for the first phase. The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) provided data indicating ridership levels of 20-50% in cities such as Pune and Nagpur.
– Delhi as an Exception: Capital Delhi, which boasts India’s most extensive metro network, is one of the few exceptions where usage has slightly surpassed projections. However, experts attribute this to the city counting interchanges as separate trips, skewing the true ridership figures.
High Costs Dissuade Commuters
While there are various reasons for low ridership, cost is a significant deterrent. A single journey on the Aqua Line ranges from 10-70 rupees (£0.08-£0.56). In comparison, a three-month unlimited travel pass on the local Mumbai suburban railway is significantly cheaper at 590 rupees.
Aditya Rane of ITDP highlighted that the integrated journey cost can consume up to 20% of income for lower-income workers, surpassing the global benchmark of 10-15%. The recent fare hikes in Bengaluru led to a 13% drop in ridership, showcasing the sensitivity of commuters to price changes.
Inefficient Planning and Infrastructure Issues
Metro systems in India face a multitude of challenges stemming from:
– Poor Network Planning: Long waiting times discourage public transport use. For instance, in Bengaluru, peak-hour train frequency can exceed five minutes on the busiest line, with newer lines seeing waits of up to 25 minutes.
– Last-Mile Connectivity Gaps: Nandan Dawda from ORF emphasizes the essential need for effective last-mile connectivity, noting the shortage of feeder buses as a critical barrier. Often, transitioning between metro lines can require an exhausting 15-20 minutes in places like Hauz Khas station in Delhi.
– Institutional Disintegration: Different operators run metro lines and bus networks within the same city, resulting in siloed operations that hinder effective transportation integration.
Addressing Safety and Accessibility Concerns
Metro use is also hampered by problematic walkways and safety concerns, particularly for women. Verma points out that easy access to and from metro stations is vital for encouraging public transport use. Chetna Yadav, a north Delhi resident, shared her safety worries about returning home after dark, highlighting the difficulty of finding cabs at late hours.
The Future of Metro Systems in India
Despite these challenges, experts predict gradual increases in metro usage as traffic congestion worsens in urban India. Calls for introducing congestion pricing for private vehicles are gaining traction. However, without the promise of a more affordable and efficient metro experience, a dramatic rise in adoption remains improbable.
Rane concludes that the systems most likely to improve are those that effectively integrate bus services, station access, and fare structures. If these issues remain unaddressed, India may continue to build metro systems that are operationally effective yet fall short of their initial ridership projections.