Kanpur Metro Set to Reach Naubasta Before Diwali

Updated 18 October 2026

For years, Kanpur's metro stopped short of the city's densely populated southern neighbourhoods. That gap may finally close this festive season. Metro officials say preparations are complete to run trains from IIT Kanpur all the way to Naubasta before Diwali, giving the full Corridor-1 a continuous, 21-station run.

What is happening#

Until now, passengers could ride from IIT Kanpur only as far as Kanpur Central. The new stretch adds roughly 7 km and seven stations south of Central, so the line becomes one unbroken corridor of about 23.5 km.

According to reports citing Kanpur Metro's public relations officer, Panchanan Mishra, operational preparations for the Naubasta run are done, and trains are expected to run about every five minutes once service begins.

The seven new stations#

With these, the network grows from 14 to 21 stations. The Jhakarkati station matters especially: it sits next to the bus terminal, so travellers arriving from other districts can switch directly to the metro.

Key numbers at a glance#

• Route: IIT Kanpur to Naubasta (Corridor-1, Orange Line)
• Length: about 23.5 km
• Stations: 21 (underground at Jhakarkati and Transport Nagar on the new stretch)
• Journey time: roughly 40 minutes end to end, per local reports
• Maximum fare: reported at ₹60
• Staffing: controllers, guards and cleaning staff have been posted at all seven new stations, with plans to raise staff to around 150 across shifts before launch

How we got here#

• 28 December 2021: PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the first 9 km priority section from IIT Kanpur to Moti Jheel.
• 2025: The underground stretch to Kanpur Central came into service, taking the operating line to 14 stations.
• June 2026: The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) completed a three-day inspection of the Kanpur Central to Naubasta section, after a preliminary inspection earlier that month.
• 14 July 2026: The project's general consultancy firm reported that the final safety inspection of the last segment was complete, with commercial approval still awaited.
• Navratri target: Some local reports had expected a launch during Navratri. That window has passed, and the focus has now shifted to the period before Diwali.

Why it matters for Kanpur#

Naubasta and surrounding areas are among the most crowded parts of the city. A direct metro link to IIT, Kanpur Central and the university belt should cut road congestion on one of the city's busiest north–south routes, and it joins the bus terminal, the railway station and the southern suburbs on a single line.

What comes next#

Corridor-2 (Chandra Shekhar Azad Agriculture University to Barra-8) is still under construction, and Alstom has been delivering trains for it. Separately, UPMRC proposed seven additional corridors totalling about 83.7 km in June 2026, and the DPR for a Naubasta–Barra-8 line has been approved by the state government.