India expands urban rail through automation and integrated ticketing

India’s urban rail network is undergoing significant expansion and technological modernization. The metro network now spans over 1,000 km across more than 20 cities, driven by urbanization and a demand for sustainable mobility. A major trend in this expansion is the shift toward higher levels of automation, specifically Grade of Automation 4 (GoA 4), which allows for unattended train operations. The Delhi Metro has already implemented driverless services on its Magenta and Pink lines, operating 80 driverless trains as of March 2026.

In the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the Mumbai One common mobility platform has reached a milestone of over 10 million ticket transactions within approximately 10 months of its launch. Developed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the digital interface integrates various transport modes, including Metro services, suburban rail, and municipal buses. Metro services currently account for nearly 80 percent of all transactions on the platform, facilitating smoother transitions between different transit systems for commuters.