Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has put the proposed Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project on hold for a fresh evaluation, citing lower-than-expected ridership projections and the need to align it more closely with the National Metro Rail Policy-2017.
Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra informed the State Assembly in a written reply that an Inter-Ministerial Committee has been formed to conduct a detailed assessment of the project’s technical, financial, and operational viability.
Originally envisaged as a 26-km elevated corridor connecting Trishulia in Cuttack district with Bhubaneswar International Airport, the metro rail was planned at an estimated cost of around Rs 6,256 crore.
Earlier projections in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) had anticipated daily ridership figures starting from about 67,000 passengers in 2028 and scaling up to over 1.6 lakh by 2054. However, concerns over whether these numbers would materialise, echoing challenges faced by several other Indian metro systems, prompted the reassessment.
Mohapatra clarified that the metro initiative is not cancelled but is being reviewed to ensure long-term sustainability. He further informed that the government is simultaneously implementing the “Sustainable Urban Mobility Transition Plan for Odisha” to shape a holistic, future-ready urban transport system. This plan incorporates a Comprehensive Mobility Plan and will evaluate the appropriate role of metro rail within a broader, integrated, and future-ready mobility ecosystem for the state.
“A final decision on the project will be taken after reviewing the Committee’s recommendations and the findings of the mobility plan,” the Minister added.
Officials have indicated that existing DPRs and data of the survey conducted earlier will continue to serve as valuable inputs for the state’s wider sustainable urban development strategy.