The big project
Guwahati Metro Rail — where the plan stands
Assam has talked about a metro for Guwahati since 2013. As of mid-2026, it's still at the study and planning stage — no construction date or opening date has been fixed. Here's the documented history, oldest first, with sources for each step.
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2013
Concept approved
The Union Urban Development Ministry approves the concept paper and terms of reference for a rail-based Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) for Guwahati, opening the door for a formal feasibility study.
Source: Gulf News → -
Jan 2016
First DPR completed
RITES Ltd completes the feasibility report and Detailed Project Report for Phase I: a 61.4 km network across four corridors.
Source: GMDA, Govt of Assam → -
Feb 2016
GMRC formed, foundation laid
The state cabinet approves the DPR and creates Guwahati Metro Rail Corporation Limited (GMRC) as the implementing agency, notified by Assam Gazette on 26 February. Then–Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi lays the foundation stone at Khanapara on 29 February.
Source: Moneylife → -
Jan 2017
Route recast ordered
The state cabinet reviews the project and asks for Phase I to be widened — adding corridors from Dharapur to the airport and from North Guwahati to AIIMS — to bring in more of the city's major landmarks.
Source: GMDA, Govt of Assam → -
2017 onward
New national policy resets the process
The Centre's Metro Rail Policy 2017 requires a Comprehensive Mobility Plan and Alternative Analysis report before any DPR can be finalised. RITES is engaged to prepare both for Guwahati, effectively restarting the planning clock.
Source: GMDA, Govt of Assam → -
10 Jul 2026
A new, bigger idea: metro on the Ring Road
Presenting the 2026–27 state Budget, Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah announces a fresh feasibility study — this time for a metro running along the upcoming 121 km Guwahati Ring Road rather than through the old city centre. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma says the state will engage Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to prepare the DPR, framing it as regional connectivity for satellite towns like Nalbari, Baihata Chariali and Sipajhar, plus the airport, rather than a conventional intra-city line.
Source: Metro Rail News → Source: New Kerala → -
10 Jul 2026
Separate reports of cabinet approval
The same week, some outlets reported the state cabinet had approved a four-phase, ₹18,000 crore Guwahati Metro project, with an Airport (Borjhar)–Narangi corridor as phase one and a DPR already submitted by GMDA. This is less consistently corroborated than the Ring Road feasibility-study announcement above, so treat it as developing rather than confirmed — worth checking directly with GMDA before relying on it.
Source: Metro Rail Today → -
No date yet
Execution date: not announced
As of August 2026, no construction start date or opening date has been officially confirmed for either version of the plan. The current stage is study and DPR preparation. This section will be updated as the DPR, funding approval and construction milestones are announced.
Check current status: GMDA →
About the city
Guwahati, at a glance
Guwahati is the largest city in Assam and the biggest metropolis in northeast India, sitting on the south bank of the Brahmaputra at the foot of the Shillong Plateau. Once the seat of the ancient Kamarupa kingdom, it's known today as the Gateway to the Northeast — the hub most people pass through on the way to Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, or the rest of the region, and a growing city in its own right.
The city's identity is tied to the river. Ferries still cross to Umananda, the small Shiva temple on a river island, and North Guwahati across the water is turning into one of the fastest-growing parts of the metro area. Uphill, Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill draws pilgrims from across the country year-round, especially during Ambubachi Mela in June.
Guwahati has grown fast — from a mid-sized state capital to a metro area pushing past two million people — and the roads, drainage and public transport haven't always kept pace. That tension, between an old riverside city and a rapidly expanding one, is a lot of what a site like this one ends up tracking day to day: the weather and air people are breathing, the traffic and infrastructure debates, and the slow-moving plans — like the metro rail project below — meant to catch the city up.
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Today in the city
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