Metro network has grown from five cities to 26 in a decade, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that the country's metro network has seen unmatched expansion over the past ten years, giving a new direction to urban transport. He said that in 2014 only five cities had a metro network, 248 km long. It now stretches to about 1,200 km, and 26 cities are connected by metro.

Modi made the remarks in a post on the social media platform X. He said that had metro expansion continued at the pace before 2014, cities such as Pune might have had to wait not just several years but possibly decades for a metro.

According to the Prime Minister, the metro saves commuters the time that was lost in traffic jams. This gives people more time for their families, and also improves productivity and employment opportunities. Modi said more than one crore people currently travel by metro every day.

In another post on November 2, Modi listed the features of the new Pink Line, or Line 3, of the Pune Metro. About 23 km long, the line will connect the Hinjewadi IT hub with Shivajinagar. He said lakhs of commuters would benefit.

A major feature of the line is that it will be run entirely by women train operators. Modi said this was an important initiative for women's empowerment. The project plans to meet about 30 per cent of its total power requirement from solar energy. According to Modi, this will make the project an example of environment-friendly public transport.

According to a government statement, the Prime Minister on November 2 inaugurated and laid the foundation stone, by video conference, of Pune Metro projects worth about Rs 21,800 crore. These include Pune Metro Line 3 (Pink Line), built at a cost of Rs 8,300 crore. The project is based on modern technology and smart transport facilities.

The foundation stone was also laid for the second phase of the Pune Metro, which is estimated to cost about Rs 13,500 crore. Lines 2A, 2B, 4 and 4A will be developed under it. The statement said this would further strengthen connectivity between the city's residential, commercial and IT areas.

The government statement also said metro projects are not merely a means of travel but also a way of improving the quality of life of city residents. According to the statement, the government's aim is to make travel easier and speed up economic activity by building modern and sustainable infrastructure.