The Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand government is accelerating preparatory work for Metro rail projects in Ranchi, Dhanbad and Jamshedpur to improve urban mobility.

Planning has advanced the most in Ranchi, where the Centre has granted in-principle approval and a revised Comprehensive Mobility Plan has been finalised. The project has now moved to the preparation of the Alternative Analysis Report and detailed project report (DPR), which will define alignments, technology choices and cost estimates. The proposed Ranchi metro network will cover 51.3 km across three corridors, with expected daily ridership of over 70,000 passengers.The first route will span 16.1 km from Kachhari Gol Chakkar to Nayasarai, while the second corridor will cover 13.7 km, connecting Pahartoli and Namkum.

Jharkhand Urban Infrastructure Development Company has floated tenders for the reports, which will decide elevated or underground sections. In Jamshedpur and Dhanbad, RITES has received letters of acceptance for similar studies. The projects will be implemented in phases, starting with feasibility assessments.