Work underway on over 1,000 km metro network in 27 cities: PM

The total completion costof the Phase-II project is Rs 5,384 crore, an official said.Modi inaugurated the 6.5 km stretch of Phase-1 inMarch 2019.The Surat Metro Rail Project is 40.35 km long andcomprises two corridors.

Work is in progress on over1,000 km long metro rail network in 27 cities in India, PrimeMinister Narendra Modi said on Monday.

He was speaking after performing the ground breakingceremony of the Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project Phase-II andSurat Metro Rail Project via video conferencing.

''There was a time when there was no modern thinkingand policy on metro in our country. The result was that therewas a different (type of) metro in each city,'' Modi said.

There was no uniformity then on the metro trains whichstarted in different cities. There was no integration of metrowith other modes of transport back then,'' he said.

Now, an integrated approach has been brought in sothat various modes of transport, such bus and trains,complement each other rather than running independently, headded.

Both the metro projects in Gujarat would come up at anestimated cost of around Rs 17,000 crore, Modi said.

The metro network in Ahmedabad and Surat will furtherstrengthen the connectivity in the two major business centresof the country, Modi said, adding the government is developingan integrated urban transport system.

The difference between the approach of his governmentand the previous governments is the (pace of) expansion of themetro rail network across the country, he said.

''Before 2014, only 225 km of metro line becameoperational in 10-12 yrs. In the last six years, over 450 kmof metro network became operational,'' Modi said.

The Ahmedabad and Surat metro projects are expected toprovide an environment friendly Mass Rapid Transit System tothese cities.

Modi said the metro projects are designed keeping inmind both present as well as future needs.

The Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project Phase-II is 28.25 kmlong with two corridors. While corridor-1 is 22.8 km long andis from Motera Stadium to Mahatma Mandir, corridor-2 is 5.4 kmlong and is from GNLU to GIFT-City. The total completion costof the Phase-II project is Rs 5,384 crore, an official said.

Modi inaugurated the 6.5 km stretch of Phase-1 inMarch 2019.

The Surat Metro Rail Project is 40.35 km long andcomprises two corridors. While corridor-1 is 21.61 km long andis from Sarthana to Dream City. Corridor-2 is 18.74 km longand is from Bhesan to Saroli. The completion cost of theproject Rs 12,020 crore.

Mentioning various ''pro-people'' schemes and projectshis government has floated or supported, such as Nal Se Jaland Ayushman Bharat, Modi said India is now taking decisionswith full confidence and also implementing it.

As many as 21 lakh persons in Gujarat received freetreatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, he said.

In Gujarat alone, 2.5 lakh houses were built for thepoor under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna-Gramin, he said.