Surat’s first metro trains could carry passengers from November on an 8.5 km elevated stretch between Dream City and Althan, after trial runs that began on March 29. On October 6, Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) shared new detail on the wider network, from diamond-cut train interiors to two underground stations where the tracks sit one above the other, DeshGujarat reported.
Seven years from approval to first ride
The Centre approved Surat Metro Phase 1 in March 2019 at about Rs 12,020 crore, and construction started after the foundation ceremony in January 2021. The plan covers 40.35 km and 38 stations on two lines: a 21.61 km Red Line from Sarthana to Dream City with 20 stations, and an 18.74 km Green Line from Bhesan to Saroli with 18. GMRC first aimed to finish in 2024. The current target for the whole of Phase 1 is December 2027.
The November stretch is the southern end of the Red Line, running to Althan Tenement with seven stations. Metro Rail News reported that internal trials would be followed by inspections from the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS). The CMRS must sign off before any commercial service. By late August, Surat daily Loktej reported that primary testing and trial runs on the section were complete, with GMRC working on station finishing and ticketing, and a launch around Diwali in view.
The engineering in the city centre
The harder work sits further north, under the old city. DeshGujarat’s report lists the main features:
- Stacked stations at Maskati Hospital and Labheshwar, about 110 feet deep, where the two directions of track run one over the other to fit into tight space.
- An 85-metre open-web steel girder, weighing 810 tonnes, launched between Saroli and Raghukul Textile Market on the Green Line.
- A route change in Adajan to save the 700-year-old “Chor Aamli” tree.
- A depot of about 20 hectares at Khajod, near Dream City, with room for 24 trains.
- Majuragate as the interchange between the two lines, with links planned to the railway station, city buses and the GSRTC depot.
The trains will draw power from a 750-volt third rail, so you will not see overhead wires along the viaduct.
Who the first stretch serves
A south-end line from Dream City to Althan will not reach the old city or Surat railway station. Those trips depend on the underground section through Chowk Bazaar, which GMRC is still tunnelling. The first users are more likely to be residents of Althan and the Khajod-Sarsana belt, and people who work at the Surat Diamond Bourse in Dream City. Customs recently cleared the Bourse to host rough diamond viewings, which should bring more traders and buyers to the complex. A metro station at its door helps the case for doing business there.
An isolated 8.5 km piece that stops short of the city centre is likely to draw modest crowds at first. Surat’s commuters get a metro that changes their daily travel only when the two lines meet at Majuragate and the underground core opens.
What to watch
The CMRS inspection and a GMRC fare announcement are the next markers. After that, watch progress on the Chowk Bazaar tunnels and the stacked stations, which decide whether December 2027 holds. GMRC’s timeline also has to line up with Surat’s multi-modal hub at the railway station, which is targeted for late 2027, the same window as the full metro.
Sources: DeshGujarat, Loktej, Metro Rail News
This report was compiled and written with AI assistance from publicly reported sources, and reviewed for accuracy.