Gurgaon: The city’s Rapid Metro is seeing more commuters, but higher operating costs continue to strain its finances. A key concern has been the rise in expenditure. Passenger footfall has gone up steadily over the past year, with average daily ridership now hovering around 53,000 passengers, up from nearly 47,000 last year. Total ridership increased by 13.5% between April 2025 and Feb 2026, reaching 1.7 crore passengers, up from 1.5 crore in the corresponding period last year, according to data shared by Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Ltd (HMRTC) on Thursday.At a board meeting, chief secretary Anurag Rastogi, who presided, said the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of integrated transport synergy. He emphasised the need for timely project execution and improved coordination among agencies.Officials said the increase reflects improved mobility demand, with several months recording noticeable growth compared to last year. According to data, July recorded the highest jump of 22.93%, with ridership of 17.8 lakh. This was followed by Sept with 17.5 lakh passengers and Aug saw 16.6 lakh ridership.However, the gains in ridership have not translated into a strong financial cushion. The HMRTC has managed to move out of losses and record a surplus this year, but the improvement was marginal. While total income increased to Rs 58.9 crore from Rs 42 crore last year, expenditure also rose sharply to Rs 58.7 crore, leaving only a marginal surplus of Rs 0.22 crore. In comparison, the system saw a deficit of Rs 9.2 crore in the previous year.Officials attributed the pressure on finances primarily to a 14.46% increase in operational expenses, driven by higher power charges, overhaul of rolling stock and repair of viaduct infrastructure. Power and traction costs alone rose to Rs 11.26 crore, while overall operational costs climbed to nearly Rs 32 crore. This has limited the impact of higher commuter numbers on overall financial health.While fare revenue registered a modest growth of 12.6%, a large part of the financial improvement came from non-fare sources, which surged by 108%. Revenue from advertisement rights through e-auctions alone more than doubled to Rs 21.5 crore.Additional income from station space rentals and marketing activities also saw incremental increases, reflecting a growing reliance on commercial streams to offset operational costs.HMRTC managing director Chander Shekhar Khare told TOI, “Despite rising operational costs, we have recorded a surplus this year. Service reliability has contributed to the increase in ridership. At the same time, we are pushing non-fare revenue through advertisement rights and will soon invite tenders for station naming rights, which will further boost revenue while also ensuring better maintenance of station premises.” Khare said the state is also making progress on multiple metro and regional transit projects.The official said metro connectivity from Sector 56 in Gurgaon to Pachgaon is under consideration, with depot location finalised in Sector 36A near Sihi village. Similarly, the Ballabhgarh-Palwal metro extension is under techno-feasibility assessment by RITES, while a fresh study for Bahadurgarh-Asaudha connectivity is also being undertaken following the decision by HRIDC to develop a new interchange station at Asaudha to enhance ridership. Last month, Haryana govt approved the final alignment of Gurgaon-Faridabad-Noida RRTS corridor, with DPR preparation underway by NCRTC.
