Lucknow Metro

Lucknow Metro is the rapid transit system for the UP capital. Phase 1A (Red Line) — a 22.87 km mixed elevated and underground corridor from CCS Airport in southwest Lucknow to Munshipulia in north Lucknow — opened in revenue services on 5 September 2017. The corridor was built and is operated by UPMRC, the SPV established for UP's metro projects.

The project was sanctioned in 2013 by the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government and was the second leg of UP's metro programme after the Noida Metro (which is part of Delhi Metro, not UPMRC). Civil construction began in 2014 and proceeded in phases — the elevated stretches opened first (CCS Airport-Charbagh) in September 2017, followed by the underground sections (Charbagh-Hazratganj-Munshipulia) in March 2019.

The underground sections passed through Lucknow's congested British-era cantonment district, requiring extensive heritage building underpinning and TBM operations through soft clay below the water table. Afcons Infrastructure executed the underground packages, with L&T leading the elevated viaduct work.

Total Phase 1A cost: ₹6,928 crore. JICA funded 60% through soft loans. The system uses standard-gauge with Alstom 4-coach trainsets running on 25 kV AC. Daily ridership averages 80,000 as of 2024. Phase 1B (Charbagh-Vasant Kunj-IIM Lucknow, 11.5 km) is under construction.