New Metro plan: 77-km under Phase 1; to link all three cities

As per the new plan approved on Tuesday, of the 77 km stretch under Phase 1, Chandigarh will see 35 kilometres of Metro network, Panchkula will have 11 km, and Mohali/New Chandigarh will have 31 kms. The first phase of the network will be developed from 2027 to 2037.

As per details, during Tuesday's meeting, both Punjab and Haryana governments jointly suggested that more area be brought under Phase 1 of the Metro. (File)

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The Punjab and Haryana governments, along with representatives of the Chandigarh administration, on Tuesday held a meeting during which they revised and approved a Metro network in the Tricity in the first phase from the previous 66 kilometres to around 77 kilometres.

The three administrations also unilaterally decided to assign work to RITES for compiling a detailed project report and an annual analysis report for the project. A senior official of the UT administration, after Tuesday’s meeting, stated that most of the project will be overground, but a final decision regarding the same will be taken during the preparation of the DPR.

As per the new plan approved on Tuesday, of the 77 km stretch under Phase 1, Chandigarh will see 35 kilometres of Metro network, Panchkula will have 11 km, and Mohali/New Chandigarh will have 31 kms. The first phase of the network will be developed from 2027 to 2037.

As per details, during Tuesday’s meeting, both Punjab and Haryana governments jointly suggested that more area be brought under Phase 1 of the Metro. After this, a distance of nearly 6 km from Paroul in New Chandigarh to Sarangpur, and about a five kilometre stretch from Panchkula ISBT to Panchkula Extension in Sector 20 was approved to be included in Phase 1 of the Metro rail project. The additional 11 km added will see multiple major destinations in the area being covered, an official said.

“We have included 11 kilometres more under Phase 1 now, compared to the earlier proposal when we were covering 66km only. A few major destinations in the city, which everyone thought needed to be added on the Metro route, has been included,” a senior officer from the Chandigarh administration said, while speaking to The Indian Express.

According to the RITES, the cost of preparing the detailed project report will be around Rs 6.54 crore. The DPR is expected to be ready by March 2024, post which further permissions will be sought to begin construction of the project.

As far as the funding is concerned, it was decided that 20 per cent of the project will be paid by the states, 20 per cent by the Centre, with the remaining 60 per cent being financed by a lending agency. The tentative cost of the overall project has been pegged to be around Rs 10,570 crore.

The new plan

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After Tuesday’s meeting, the distance and the routes to be covered by the metro network in two phases has been majorly revised. In the first phase, which will be developed between 2027 and 2037, the Metro has been proposed on three routes — Paroul, Sarangpur, ISBT Panchkula to Panchkula Extension (30 km), Rock Garden to ISBT Zirakpur via Industrial Area and Chandigarh Airport (34 km); and from Grain Market Chowk, Sector 39, to Transport Chowk, Sector 26 (13 km).

In the second phase, which will be commenced post 2037, the Metro line will be constructed from Airport Chowk to Manakpur Kallar (5 km) and ISBT Zirakpur to Pinjore (20km).

The three key routes

The Metro will operate primarily on three key routes in the first phase. One key route, as per the approved plan, is a 30 kilometre stretch from Paroul, New Chandigarh to Panchkula extension. The plan states that the Metro would be touching Paroul, New Chandigarh via Kurali-Chandigarh road to Sarangpur and will be covering Khuda Lahora, PGI, Panjab University and then entering Madhya Marg towards Transport Light, Sector 26 to Chandigarh railway station.

Chandigarh

The route will then travel on the Mauli Jagran road to Housing Board Chowk and enter Panchkula and go towards Geeta Chowk (that is sector 6 roundabout). It then passes through the Panchkula bus stand go straight to Maheshpur road to Amartex road towards Sector 20 Panchkula, before entering Panchkula extension (Madanpur).

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The second key route that will be covered in Phase 1 will be from Rock Garden to ISBT Zirakpur via ISBT Mohali and Chandigarh Airport. This metro route will start from near the Rock Garden and Sukhna lake, before moving towards ISBT Sector 17 Chandigarh and further to ISBT Sector 43 to Fountain Chowk. The route then continues via the Himalaya Marg and enters Mohali, while touching Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan and continues further towards Jail road Chowk to Airport chowk and the Aerocity Road NH-7 junction. This route will aim to touch two major points — ISBT Mohali sector 87 and the ISBT Zirakpur — and will be 34 kilometre long.

The third route in Phase I will cover Grain Market Chowk to Transport Light/Timber Market Sector 26 and will be around 13 kilometres. This route will begin from the Grain Market Chowk and go towards Vikas Marg and move further towards Tribune Chowk before finally culminating at the Transport Light/Timber Market in Sector 26.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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