India’s Metro Network to Surpass US in 3-4 Years, Says Minister Tokhan Sahu
New Delhi, October 1: Tokhan Sahu, the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, announced that India’s metro rail network is expected to become the second largest in the world, surpassing the US, within the next 3-4 years. Currently, India has 973 kilometers of operational metro lines across 23 cities.
In an interview, Sahu highlighted that three major metro projects worth Rs 31,000 crore have been approved within the first 100 days of the current government. These projects include Bengaluru Metro Phase-3, the Thane Internal Ring Road Metro Project, and the southern extension of the Pune Metro Rail Project.
Since 2014, India’s metro network has grown from 248 kilometers in 5 cities to 973 kilometers in 23 cities. With an additional 985 kilometers under construction, India now has the third-largest metro rail network globally, after China and the US. Indian metros currently serve over 10 million passengers daily.
Sahu also mentioned the submission of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Namo Bharat Metro Rail Project from the Government of Uttar Pradesh. The approval of these projects depends on feasibility and resource availability.
The Delhi Metro Rail Network Corporation (DMRC) is likely to expand by 350 kilometers in Phase 5, connecting areas in Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and other parts of the NCR. The new metro lines are expected to boost connectivity and meet the growing demand for efficient public transportation.
Regarding the Rithala-Kondli metro project, Sahu noted that the Delhi government has granted its approval, and the project will be considered soon. Despite delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Delhi Metro construction is progressing rapidly.
Sahu praised the Delhi Metro as a world-class institution known for completing projects efficiently and on time.
Doubts Revealed
Metro Network -: A metro network is a system of trains that run in cities to help people travel quickly and easily. It’s like a big train system just for the city.
US -: US stands for the United States of America, which is a country in North America.
Minister Tokhan Sahu -: Tokhan Sahu is a government official in India who helps make decisions about housing and city planning.
Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs -: This is a government job in India where the person helps plan and improve cities and homes for people.
Operational metro lines -: These are metro train routes that are already built and being used by people.
Bengaluru Metro Phase-3 -: This is the third part of a big project to build more metro train routes in the city of Bengaluru.
Thane Internal Ring Road Metro Project -: This is a project to build metro train routes in Thane, a city near Mumbai, to help people travel around the city.
Delhi Metro Phase 5 -: This is the fifth part of a big project to add more metro train routes in Delhi, the capital city of India.
