With an operational metro line of around 810 km and over 980 km of the metro network and RRTS currently under construction in 27 cities, India now has the fifth-largest metro network in the world, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri said on November 4, 2022.
India will soon overtake advanced economies like Japan and South Korea to become the third largest network. These developments will significantly reduce traffic congestion and associated air quality and emissions concerns, he said.
Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri inaugurated the 15th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference and Expo 2022, along with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in Kochi on November 4, 2022.
Recognising the incorporation of best practices/ learnings from other countries into the Indian Urban Mobility Systems, Hardeep Puri added that India has been able to learn from the experiences of other countries of the world. The newly introduced metro lines are the systems which are incorporating the best practices of others. He also said that our process of indigenisation would contribute to an experience wherein we would be able to share with other countries at a similar level of the developmental ladder.
The union minister expressed satisfaction for his association with transport and the evolution of metro and other transport systems over the period of five years. He also congratulated Kochi Metro for developing the innovative Kochi Water Metro project that will link ten islands through 15 routes and cater to over 1,00,000 people every day across the 78-km network. The Water Metro system will offer an affordable and sustainable alternative to commuters. He also added that inland water transport system is inherently more energy efficient compared to road or rail transport.
