The plan for Metro Neo and Metro Lite in Dehradun has been dropped. Instead, the Uttarakhand Metro Rail Corporation (UKMRC) is preparing to introduce bi-articulated buses under the rapid transit system. In April, UKMRC signed an agreement with Swiss company HESS, which has already submitted a detailed report considering traffic load and peak-hour passenger volume. Similar buses operate in Brisbane, Switzerland, and France.
Earlier, a DPR was prepared for Metro Lite in 2019, but experts found it unfit for Dehradun due to cost and infrastructure limits. Later, Metro Neo was considered on the Nasik model, but in May 2025, the central government rejected the proposal, stating that the city’s traffic can be managed with e-buses and a bus rapid transit system (BRTS).
HESS has now presented bi-articulated buses as a more practical option. The report compares metro, ropeway, and Neo Metro systems, concluding that articulated buses can efficiently handle the city’s requirements at lower costs. UKMRC will present this proposal to the state government next month, and if approved, it will be sent to the Centre for final clearance.
