Gurgaon's Rapid Metro has reported a substantial and steady increase in passenger numbers over an eight-month period, signaling growing reliance on the city's premium metro corridor. According to data shared at the 63rd board meeting of the Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Limited (HMRTC), the system served over 1.27 crore passengers between April and November this year. This marks a clear rise from the 1.1 crore recorded in the same period last year, reflecting an addition of more than 16 lakh trips.
Steady Growth in Daily Commuters
The growth story is led by regular daily users rather than occasional spikes. The average daily ridership on the 11.7-kilometer corridor, which connects key residential and corporate hubs, climbed to approximately 52,000 passengers. This is a significant jump from nearly 45,000 last year, meaning the metro added around 7,000 commuters each day on average. A senior HMRTC official confirmed that demand has remained consistently higher than the previous year's levels.
"Higher daily footfall improved overall ridership this year. Although there were month-to-month variations, the overall trend is encouraging compared with the previous year," the official stated. The gains were spread across most months, with July emerging as the peak month, recording close to 18 lakh passengers—a surge of over 3.3 lakh compared to July last year. September followed closely with ridership exceeding 17.5 lakh, up by more than 2 lakh journeys.
Financial Performance and Future Connectivity
The rise in passenger volume directly boosted operational revenue. Figures show revenue from April to October reached Rs 23 crore, up from Rs 20 crore in the corresponding period last year. This translates to an average increase of roughly Rs 40 lakh per month. However, operating costs also rose, primarily due to higher power and traction expenses, which increased by over Rs 1.5 crore. Consequently, the operational deficit remained near Rs 15 crore.
A bright spot was the sharp growth in non-fare revenue. Income from sources like rentals, advertising, and marketing skyrocketed to Rs 37 crore between April and November, compared to about Rs 20 crore last year. Officials credited this jump largely to the successful e-auction of advertising rights, which alone generated over Rs 26 crore.
Looking ahead, the official highlighted integration plans. "The planned expansion of the metro network and the RRTS corridor is being designed to ensure seamless connectivity with the Rapid Metro corridor. This will enable smoother interchanges and improve overall service availability for commuters," the official explained. This focus on integrated transit is expected to further support ridership growth in the future.
