Nagpur Metro Phase 3: underground track for Sadar, driverless option for Koradi route
Maha Metro is studying an underground stretch through Sadar and a driverless metro on the Koradi route in Phase 3, with a final call awaiting the DPR.
A major change could be in store for Sadar, one of the busiest areas of the city, in Nagpur Metro's Phase 3. Maha Metro is considering taking the Sadar stretch underground on its proposed 11.5-kilometre corridor between Kasturchand Park and Koradi. Alongside this, the option of running a driverless metro on the Koradi route is also being studied. However, both proposals are currently only at the study stage, and a final decision will be taken only after the Detailed Project Report, or DPR, is ready.
The Sadar area is considered the most technically difficult part of this corridor. It already has a flyover and a congested road network, which means building a new elevated metro track without disturbing the existing structures will not be easy. This is why work is underway on the option of taking the metro underground through Sadar. According to the proposal, the underground stretch would begin from the existing Kasturchand Park station and later connect to the elevated track. The proposal also includes the option of building a new underground metro station on this stretch.
Maha Metro handed RITES the responsibility of preparing the DPR in July 2026. This work is expected to be completed in about nine months, meaning the study could be finished around April 2027. This report will examine the technical aspects of the corridor along with the cost and financial viability. The final decision on both the underground metro in Sadar and the driverless metro on the Koradi route will be taken only after this report is submitted.
For now, both proposals are only suggestions. If they are approved, Nagpur Metro's Phase 3 could see a major change in technology and construction methods compared to the city's existing metro network.
Phase 3 studies are not limited to the underground track alone; the possibility of running a driverless metro train on the Koradi route is also part of the study, though this has not yet been finalised. Maha Metro is assessing the technical and financial viability of this option, as well as how practical it would be to implement. Only once the study is complete will it become clear whether driverless technology will be adopted on this corridor.
