Aaj Tak and Amar Ujala report Varanasi’s planned ropeway is 96% complete, bringing a project intended to ease congestion and improve access for residents and pilgrims closer to service.
Dainik Jagran and Aaj Tak have described December 2026 as the expected start for passenger service. Aaj Tak reported that the date would become clear after an official announcement, so the December timing remains an expectation rather than a confirmed launch date.
The planned 3.85-kilometer route connects Varanasi Cantt railway station with Godowlia. An Infomerics rating report lists five stations: Cantt, Vidyapeeth, Rath Yatra, Girja Ghar and Godowlia. It gives the line a planned 16-minute journey and estimates that it could carry 3,000 passengers an hour in each direction.
The Prime Minister’s Office said the ropeway is intended to ease road congestion and improve access for residents and pilgrims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the project’s foundation stone on March 24, 2023. Earlier that month, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways listed the Cantt-to-Godowalia Chowk project at 3.850 kilometers and marked it as awarded.
The project is part of the National Ropeways Development Programme, also known as Parvatmala. National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), has a mandate to implement ropeway projects.
Infomerics’ rating report lists a planned funding mix of a ₹484 crore grant from NHLML, ₹240 crore in external commercial borrowing and ₹83 crore in equity.
Dainik Jagran reported that automation and SCADA checks remained underway and that a Swiss team was inspecting the system. Completion of those checks and an official passenger-service date are the next stated steps.
