Kanpur Metro Map 2026: Routes, Tickets and Fares

Kanpur Metro 2026: Key Information at a Glance

• As of August 6, 2026, passenger trains run only between IIT Kanpur and Kanpur Central, covering 15.0 km and 14 stations on Line 1.
• Regular single fares range from ₹10 (≈ USD 0.10) to ₹40 (≈ USD 0.42), with paper QR tickets, mobile QR tickets and the GoSmart stored-value card available.
• The operator advertises normal service from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM and a six-minute peak headway, but travelers should confirm the final train for a specific destination.
• Kanpur Airport has no direct metro connection. Travelers can continue by road from Kanpur Central, but journey time depends on traffic.
• Trains do not yet run between Kanpur Central and Naubasta, and Line 2 from Agriculture University to Barra 8 is still under construction.

Current Line 1 service updates for Kanpur

The operator finished integrated testing along the whole of Corridor 1 on June 28, 2026, as announced in its passenger advisory. Testing and safety inspection did not open the Naubasta section to passengers. A project update from FS Engineering and Italferr dated July 14, 2026 still said commercial approval was pending, and UPMRC’s live route data ended at Kanpur Central on August 6.

The Kanpur Metro map helps travelers distinguish the route that is carrying passengers now from corridors still being tested or built. The current Kanpur metro route map covers one operating service between IIT Kanpur and Kanpur Central.

The Kanpur Metro map is a snapshot of passenger service as of August 6, 2026. Construction milestones south of Kanpur Central do not make Naubasta an open station, and work on Line 2 does not create a second passenger line.

On August 6, 2026, passenger service covered 15.0 km across 14 stations between IIT Kanpur and Kanpur Central. UPMRC’s 2024-25 annual report says the nine-station priority corridor set a national construction-speed record, taking two years and 1.5 months.

The Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation both runs the metro and builds it. It is a 50:50 joint venture of the Government of India and the Government of Uttar Pradesh.

Passenger service began on the 9 km IIT Kanpur to Moti Jheel priority section on December 28, 2021, according to the Government of India opening record. The route reached Kanpur Central on May 30, 2025, adding five underground stations and bringing the operating total to 14.

The open network has nine elevated and five underground stations. A written answer from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in the Lok Sabha dated December 18, 2025 listed exactly 15.0 route-km in service, while live operator data confirmed the same 14 open stations and endpoints on August 6, 2026.

Kanpur Metro Lines and Stations at a Glance

• Line 1, Orange Line: IIT Kanpur ↔ Kanpur Central, open for passenger service with 14 stations.
• Elevated stations: IIT Kanpur, Kalyanpur, SPM Hospital, CSJM University, Gurudev Chauraha, Geeta Nagar, Rawatpur, LLR Hospital and Motijheel.
• Underground stations: Chunniganj, Naveen Market, Bada Chauraha, Nayaganj and Kanpur Central.
• Line 2, Corridor 2: Agriculture University ↔ Barra 8, an approved 8.6 km and eight-station construction project, not a passenger service.

How to Read the Kanpur Metro Map

The map shows the 14-station passenger route between IIT Kanpur and Kanpur Central. It does not show Naubasta, because that station was not open to passengers on August 6, 2026.

Line 2 and the seven stations south of Kanpur Central are still being built. Treat testing, inspection and construction news as building milestones: a section only counts as open once the operator starts passenger service there.

The operating Line 1 already links the university corridor, central districts and Kanpur Central railway station. The practical station depends on the destination, and several attractions still require a short road transfer or walk.

Metro and railway services remain separate at Kanpur Central. Choose the correct exit before continuing to the railway platforms or road transport.

How Do I Use the Kanpur Metro from Kanpur Central?

Kanpur Central Metro is the Line 1 station for the mainline railway interchange, but the railway and Metro remain separate systems. Gate 2 faces railway platform 9 and the ticket counter, while Gate 1 is near the parking lot.

For IIT Kanpur, board the Orange Line service towards IIT Kanpur and stay on the same operating line. For Moti Jheel or Z Square Mall, leave at Motijheel or Bada Chauraha respectively.

UPMRC live station records, checked August 6, 2026, place Z Square Mall 0.1 km from Bada Chauraha and Green Park Stadium 1.3 km from Naveen Market. The zoo and JK Temple are further out, so plan a short ride for the last stretch. The table below lists the distances from the operator’s list of open Line 1 stations.

Does the Kanpur Metro Go to Kanpur Airport?

No. Kanpur Airport, code KNU, has no direct metro station on either approved Phase 1 corridor. The operator’s list of open Line 1 stations contains no airport stop, and the airport information page places the terminal in Chakeri. The published project documents do not include a Chakeri or airport extension.

For this journey, Kanpur Central is the most useful metro-to-road interchange because it is the current southern passenger terminus and has road-facing access. The operator does not designate it as the nearest airport station or publish a fixed road journey time. Complete the final leg by road and check live traffic before departure.

As of August 6, 2026, regular fares on the open route are based on station intervals and range from ₹10 (≈ USD 0.10) to ₹40 (≈ USD 0.42). UPMRC’s live fare data confirms the lowest fare, and the fare for the longest trip on the open route, from IIT Kanpur to Kanpur Central, confirms the highest.

Ticket types on the open route include paper QR tickets, mobile QR tickets and the GoSmart stored-value NCMC card. The fare table below lists only the fares the operator charges on the open route today. Higher fares of ₹50 (≈ USD 0.52) or ₹60 (≈ USD 0.63) do not apply here.

The USD estimates use the European Central Bank cross-rate of USD 1 to INR 95.76 on August 19, 2026.

Ticket vending machines sell paper QR tickets and take cash or digital payment. The official UPMRC app sells one-way and round-trip mobile QR tickets, and you can pay by debit card, credit card or online banking. The app is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store, and both links are in the ticket table above.

The app instructions require a QR ticket to be used or scanned within 30 minutes of purchase. Scan the QR code at the automatic fare collection gate when entering and leaving.

The GoSmart card runs on the open-loop EMV NCMC system and provides a documented 10% fare discount. Tap the card at both entry and exit; the fare is deducted from the stored balance. UPMRC supports NCMC open-loop cards. The sources we checked do not guarantee that every third-party NCMC card works at every gate, so ask the station staff if you are unsure.

Reloads start at ₹100 (≈ USD 1.04) and increase in the same amount, with a maximum balance of ₹2,000 (≈ USD 20.89). Reload at a station or through the official SBI reload portal. SBI lists a reload fee of 1.8% or ₹12 (≈ USD 0.13), whichever is lower, plus a ₹100 (≈ USD 1.04) replacement fee.

The operator advertises normal service from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM and a six-minute peak headway. The published service hours do not state when the first and last trains leave IIT Kanpur or Kanpur Central in each direction.

Use the official timetable information and ask station Customer Care for the last train to a specific destination. The official app also lists first and last train times. The Kanpur helpline is 0512-2246200.

There is no advertised overnight service after 10:00 PM. The operator does not publish separate weekend or holiday service hours, and it gives no frequency for off-peak or late-evening trips.

Wheelchair assistance is available through Customer Care or Security. Official passenger information also confirms free toilets within the paid area and first aid at all stations.

Is the Kanpur Metro Complete in 2026?

No. On August 6, 2026, only 15.0 km and 14 stations between IIT Kanpur and Kanpur Central carried passengers. The full sanctioned project covers 32.4 km and 29 stations across two corridors.

Full Corridor 1 is designed for 23.8 km and 21 stations, consisting of 14 elevated and seven underground stops. Its Kanpur Central to Naubasta balance had passed testing and inspection milestones, but commercial passenger service had not started by August 6, 2026.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s flash report for December 2025 recorded 76% physical completion for the whole project and a revised completion date of March 2027. That date applies to the construction program and does not indicate when passenger service will begin.

What Is the Next Kanpur Metro Expansion Project?

Corridor 2, also called Line 2, is the next approved Phase 1 corridor under construction. It runs from Agriculture University to Barra 8 over 8.6 km with eight stations in the current design, five elevated and three underground.

The operator reported on June 4, 2026 that rail welding and track laying had begun on the elevated section. Agriculture University was redesigned as an elevated station, while Govind Nagar is identified as a future station outside the current eight-station build.

The Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation’s 2047 network vision proposes 200 km for Kanpur. This is a long-term planning concept, not sanctioned construction and not part of the current passenger route.

The operator had not published a current ridership figure for the 14-station network by August 6, 2026, so construction progress alone does not show how heavily passengers use the system.

Fun Fact: A Government of India project note identifies Kanpur as the first Indian metro project to use double T-girders for elevated-station concourses. It also records the first Indian use of a twin pier cap instead of a portal arrangement at a metro depot entry and exit.

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