India may overtake US in metro rail network length in two years: Minister

New Delhi, Sep 5 (AHN) Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs Manohar Lal on Saturday said that India is likely to overtake the United States in terms of metro rail network length in the next two years.

After inaugurating the extended metro rail service in Indore, the minister said India's metro network had reached 1,170 km across 26 cities compared with 1,386 km in the US.

“With the extended Indore line, India's metro rail network has reached 1,170 km,” he said and added that the nation was now 216 km short of the US network.

I think in the next two years, we will overtake the US and become the world's second-largest country in terms of metro rail network after China, according to him.

In addition, China currently has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines, he added.

According to the minister, metro rail services were operational on 245 km across five cities when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014.

The network has since expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities, he added.

He further stated that metro rail was not merely a mode of transport but also a means of improving people's ease of living and its expansion was linked to the goal of building 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047.

The extended Indore metro service -- built at a cost of Rs 2,850 crore -- will now operate on a 17-km route between Gandhi Nagar and Malviya Nagar Chauraha.

The service was earlier operating commercially on a six-km stretch between Gandhi Nagar and Super Corridor-3 stations.

Additionally, the first trains on the extended route will depart from both ends at 9 am daily. On the other hand, the last service will run at 7 pm.

Trains will be available every 15 minutes, with more than 80 trips scheduled daily.