Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Parliament: MP Satnam Singh Sandhu demands fast pace of Candigarh Metro project for improving connectivity
Metro Rail Must Decongesting Chandigarh Tri-City's Roads As This -Fast Growing Urban Cluster's Population to Hit 40 lakh by 2040: MP Satnam Singh Sandhu
Chandigarh Metro Will Make Tri-City Region Exemplary Model for Sustainable Urban Transportation and Regional Development, says MP Satnam Singh SandhuMP Satnam Singh Sandhu Highlights Need for a Metro Network in Chandigarh Tri-City
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, March 23, 2026: Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Satnam Singh Sandhu today in Parliament demanded establishment of a Metro Rail Network for the Chandigarh Tri-City region, comprising the Union Territory of Chandigarh and its two satellite cities, Mohali and Panchkula, in view of the rising population in North India’s this fastest growing urban cluster which is linked to key cities in Punjab and Haryana.
Raising the issue in Rajya Sabha through a Special Mention during the on-going Budget Session, MP Satnam Singh Sandhu said the Chandigarh Tri-City is growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.02 per cent and its population is projected to surpass the 40 lakh mark by 2041.
Sandhu said the Chandigarh Tri-City constitutes one of North India's fastest-growing urban clusters which is further linked to key cities such as Kharar, Zirakpur, Dera Bassi, Lalru, Kurali, Rupnagar, Pinjore, Kalka, and Ambala. The combined population of these areas exceeds 40 lakh, he added,
“Given this scenario, the development of a comprehensive metro network would provide enhanced connectivity to industrial and educational hubs such as Kharar, Kurali, Rupnagar, Morinda, Zirakpur, Dera Bassi, Pinjore, and Kalka,” he said.
MP Satnam Singh Sandhu said the daily ridership of the proposed Metro Rail Network in Chandigarh Tri-City could reach approximately 25 lakh by 2031. “If a modern system like the metro is not developed, the average vehicular speed within the Tri-City could plummet from the current 25 to 30 kilometer per hour (km/h) to less than 15 km/h,” he added.
Demanding the Union government to consider the feasibility of developing a metro network for the Chandigarh Tri-City region on a priority basis, MP Sandhu said this region may emerge as an exemplary model for sustainable urban transportation and regional development.
MP Sandhu said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has witnessed an unparalleled expansion of its Metro Rail Network. He metro services were available in only five cities across the nation before 2014, but now this network has extended to over 25 cities under the leadership of PM Modi.
Chandigarh Tricity Metro, with 3 elevated lines and 50+ stations, is a mass rapid transit system (MRTS) proposed to be built in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula at an estimated cost of Rs 25,000 Crore. With a total length of 114 kilometers (km), including 89 km in Phase 1 and the remaining 25 km in Phase 2, Chandigarh Tricity Metro is proposed to be constructed in two phases.
As per the Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES), the Chandigarh Metro Phase 1 project focuses on connecting Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula with three corridors, targeting a daily ridership of 6.5 lakh passengers by 2031.
Chandigarh currently has the highest per capita vehicle density in India with 14.27 lakh registered vehicles against a population of 12.5 lakh. As per the official figures, Chandigarh has 1,142 vehicles per 1,000 residents which is more than four times the national average of 280. On average, 104 new vehicles are added to Chandigarh city’s roads daily according to the registration figures available since 2020.
Besides this, extension to ply 15-year-old vehicles on the city roads is also picking up pace with about 20,000 such vehicles getting extension in 2024, which was the highest in the past five years.