The proposed 1.3-km extension of Nagpur Metro’s Kamptee corridor, stretching from Automotive Square to Kanhan village, has entered its final leg of the state-level approval process. According to officials overseeing the project, the detailed extension proposal is set to be presented to Maharashtra’s chief secretary in the coming weeks, marking a critical milestone in the Phase 2 expansion of the city’s urban transit infrastructure.
The extension, which includes a significant 500-metre steel viaduct over the Kanhan River, aims to push the Metro line further north into the city’s growing peri-urban catchments. Once sanctioned by the state, the proposal will be forwarded to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) for final central government clearance—effectively opening the path to construction and eventual commissioning. Officials from MahaMetro, the joint special purpose vehicle implementing the Nagpur Metro, confirmed that the project report had already been submitted in April this year. “This extension is strategically important not just for connectivity, but also for demonstrating the viability of targeted, last-mile public transport investment in growing areas like Kanhan,” said a senior official involved with Phase 2 planning.
The estimated cost of the extension stands at ₹300 crore. While modest in scale compared to earlier stretches of the Metro project, the Kamptee extension holds disproportionate potential in terms of impact. Once completed, it will increase the number of stations on the Kamptee corridor from 12 to 13, and take the total Phase 2 network beyond 45 km in length. City planners and transport experts see this move as part of a broader policy shift towards compact, carbon-efficient infrastructure that can plug critical last-mile gaps in Indian tier-2 cities. With northern Nagpur undergoing rapid development, the Metro’s extension to Kanhan village is expected to support rising housing density, enhance commuter options, and reduce dependence on carbon-heavy road transport.
The Phase 2 programme is being carried out in parallel with ongoing station development at key nodes, including Lok Vihar, Pili Nadi, and Kamptee Police Station. While Lok Vihar is on track to be commissioned by November 2025, others are progressing steadily. Officials said more than 90% of land acquisition across the Phase 2 network has already been completed—a significant feat given the common delays associated with infrastructure acquisition. The proposed viaduct across the Kanhan River is a notable engineering component of the extension. Steel viaducts are favoured in areas where riverbed integrity, flood sensitivity, or geological constraints make conventional concrete viaducts riskier or less sustainable. Officials confirmed that the design has been reviewed for environmental and structural soundness and is ready for execution pending final clearances.
Public policy advocates have welcomed the project’s progress but underscored the need for inclusive urban design. “Metro extensions in emerging growth zones like Kanhan should be paired with improved bus and pedestrian access, especially for women, students, and workers from unorganised sectors,” said a mobility expert tracking tier-2 urban transit projects. According to MahaMetro’s internal estimates, the extension could serve over 35,000 daily riders within the first three years of operation. Kanhan and its surrounding belts house a mix of industrial workers, local traders, and lower-income settlements who currently depend on overburdened road transport, often lacking safe or regular service. By improving access to the city’s core and commercial centres, the Metro line is expected to facilitate greater economic integration and upward mobility for residents.
At a time when urban mobility is undergoing a post-pandemic reconfiguration across India, smaller yet high-impact projects like this one demonstrate the need for agile and demand-sensitive planning. Unlike the capital-intensive trunk corridors that dominate headlines, last-mile extensions in second-tier cities can yield faster returns in terms of user uptake, environmental benefit, and reduced vehicle emissions. Nagpur Metro’s expansion strategy has so far adhered to a phased model of development, prioritising segments based on density, traffic demand, and connectivity to employment zones. Officials said the integration of Phase 2 with Phase 1 ensures seamless network flow without requiring massive overhaul of central infrastructure—a design philosophy many planners advocate for replicability across other cities.
In parallel, efforts are on to ensure that new stations meet universal design standards. Future-ready features including solar roofing, tactile pathways, accessible entry points, and integrated bus bays are part of the design brief. Officials also noted that commercial zoning around new stations is being aligned to encourage transit-oriented development (TOD) and local economic activity. The timing of this extension is significant. As Nagpur’s urban boundaries continue to shift outward, the Metro’s northward growth marks a pre-emptive move to shape growth patterns instead of reacting to them. “Transport infrastructure can either follow sprawl or guide it. With Kanhan, we hope to do the latter,” noted a city planning consultant working with the Nagpur Municipal Corporation.
While the central approval from MoHUA is still pending, optimism remains high that the requisite clearances will come through swiftly once state endorsement is secured. Construction could then begin by early 2026, aligning with the broader Phase 2 commissioning targets. As the Metro corridor stretches towards the Kanhan periphery, the project underscores the potential of medium-scale, high-impact transit investment to rewire urban accessibility. In the long run, such targeted extensions may play a decisive role in building inclusive, low-carbon cities beyond India’s largest metros.
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