India’s metro boom faces low ridership challenge
India’s rapid expansion of metro rail systems is facing a growing challenge: fewer passengers than expected. A clear example is the Aqua Line in Mumbai, where trains often run far below capacity despite serving key business districts and airport routes. The fully underground corridor, which connects Cuffe Parade to commercial hubs like BKC, was designed to ease congestion and carry up to 1.5 million passengers daily. However, current usage is estimated at only about 10% of that figure, raising concerns about the viability of such large-scale infrastructure investments. This situation reflects a broader national trend. Since 2014, the government led by Narendra Modi has invested more than $26 billion in metro projects across nearly two dozen cities. While the network has expanded significantly and total ridership has increased, many individual corridors are underperforming. Studies show that most metro systems are […]
