Gurugram Metro Phase-2 at a crossroads: Underground plan could double the cost, delay project by years

Gurugram Metro

The Haryana government is yet to decide whether to change the structural design of the Sector 9–Cyber City corridor of Gurugram’s Metro Phase-2 from elevated to underground. If approved, this change could nearly double the cost and delay the project by at least two to three years.

Gurugram Metropolitan Rapid Transit Limited (GMRL), the agency executing the project, has prepared a detailed report outlining the technical and financial implications of shifting to an underground alignment.

According to GMRL, the cost per kilometre would rise from the current estimate of Rs 330-350 crore for an elevated metro to Rs 600-650 crore for an underground section.

The report also mentions that tendering, design revisions, and approvals would take longer, further delaying the project timeline.

A senior GMRL official said the report will soon be submitted to the state government, which will weigh the financial and timeline impacts before making a final decision. "The report is taking into account all variables, including cost, design feasibility and project timelines. The govt will decide whether to proceed as planned or opt for an underground metro,” The Times of India quoted the official as saying.

Why an underground metro?

The suggestion for an underground corridor came from Haryana cabinet minister Rao Narbir Singh, who wrote to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar last month, citing the dense population and narrow roads in the Sector 9–Cyber City area.

“Worldwide, metro lines are built underground in densely populated areas. This will allow future infrastructure projects like flyovers without obstruction. We will review the cost and timeline implications carefully before deciding,” Singh was quoted by TOI as saying.

However, urban transport experts have cautioned that the underground route could push back completion timelines.

Transport planner and former professor at Delhi's School of Planning and Architecture Professor Pradip Kumar Sarkar said, "Once the plan changes, everything from the DPR to land acquisition and design approvals will have to be revised, which could easily add a year or more to the project. The govt has to take a call based on necessity and urgency because an underground corridor is almost twice as expensive and not financially viable for a city that still needs to expand its network."

Current metro work and preparations

The Gurugram Metro project, sanctioned by the Union government in June 2023, covers a 28.5 km stretch between Millennium City Centre and Cyber City, including a spur to Dwarka Expressway.

All stations were originally planned as elevated. Recently, GMRL also cleared construction of a 1.8 km spur to Gurugram railway station to improve connectivity. Phase-1 civil work preparations have started, with contractors mobilising manpower and machinery at the casting yard in Sector 33.

Local residents have mixed opinions. Surender Yadav from Sector 5 said, “The road from Sector 9 to Palam Vihar is already choked. Elevated metro construction will make commuting unbearable. Underground may take longer, but at least daily life won’t be paralysed.” Meanwhile, Lajpat Gupta from Palam Vihar argued, “Metro expansion has already been delayed by a decade. The project was sanctioned after careful study. Revisiting the plan will only cause unnecessary delays.”