India's Metro Rail Network Hits 945 km, Set to Surpass USA Soon

Union Minister Manohar Lal highlights India's transformative progress in Metro rail, expanding from 248 km in 5 cities (2014) to 945 km in 21 cities. Significant projects and international interest underscore rapid advancements primed to surpass the USA, making India a global leader in urban transit.

Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, today highlighted the significant advancements in India's Metro Rail network over the last decade. Speaking to the media, Lal noted that before 2014, India's Metro Rail system spanned just 248 km and served only 5 cities.

In the past ten years, India has operationalized 700 km of new Metro lines, bringing the total to 945 km, and extended services to 21 cities nationwide. Lal emphasized the rapid progress, stating, 'Before 2014, only 600 meters of Metro line was being constructed per month. Today, this has increased tenfold to 6 km per month,' crediting the government's urban development efforts led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Lal also announced the Union Cabinet's recent approval of three major Metro projects: the 44 km Bengaluru Metro expansion, the 29 km Thane Metro aimed at reducing congestion, and the 5.5 km Pune Metro to enhance urban mobility. He highlighted the strides in indigenization, with over 1,000 Metro coaches produced domestically at four state-of-the-art facilities in the past five years.

With these approvals, India now has 1,018 km of Metro lines under construction. Lal proudly stated that India ranks third globally in operational Metro network length, soon to surpass the USA and become second only to China, attributing this success to the 'Make in India' initiative.

Lal also touched on international interest in Indian Metro expertise, mentioning that Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is active in Bangladesh and Jakarta, with countries like Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, and El Salvador expressing interest in partnerships.

Regarding the Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS), Lal provided updates on the Delhi-Meerut corridor. 'The first RRTS corridor of 82 km between Delhi and Meerut, with a cost of Rs. 30,274 crore, currently has 34 km operational,' he said, expecting full completion by June 2025. He also mentioned planned corridors to Gurugram, Manesar, Dharuhera, Sonepat, and Panipat, noting delays due to resistance from the Delhi government but assured impending sanctions.