New Rapid Transit Corridor Approvals Soon, Says Manohar Lal Khattar

Housing and Urban Affairs minister, Manohar Lal Khattar blamed the Delhi state government for the delay in approvals for the additional Regional Rapid Transit System corridors, besides the Delhi-Meerut route.

He reassured that the two remaining corridors—linking Gurugram, Manesar, and Dharuhera, as well as Sonepat and Panipat to the north of the national capital—will get approval soon.

Hours after the minister's claim, the Delhi government, in a statement, said that there has been no delay on its part. "The Delhi government has already given its share of amount to fund the project," it said.

The union minister also said that 700 km of new metro lines have been added over the past decade, increasing the total track length to 945 km. He mentioned that metro services are now available in 21 cities across the country which served only in five cities prior to 2014.

On the metro rail network expansion, Khattar highlighted the significant transformations in India's metro rail system throughout the last ten years.

Khattar pointed out that before 2014, India's metro rail network was limited to just 248 km and worked in only five cities. Its construction was previously averaging only 600 meters of metro line per month, he said.

Khattar emphasised that this rate has now increased tenfold to six km per month, showcasing the government's commitment to urban development.

"Prior to 2014, the metro rail system in India was limited to just 248 km and operational in only five cities. Over the last ten years, 700 km of new metro lines have been made operational, bringing the total operational length to 945 km, and extending metro services to 21 cities across the country," he said.

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved metro rail projects for Pune, Thane and Bengaluru.

Khattar noted that India has set up four facilities for metro coach production, which have manufactured over 1,000 coaches in the last five years to support various metro systems across the country. He also mentioned that with the recent project approvals, India now has 1,018 km of metro lines under construction and ranks third globally in terms of operational metro network length, behind China and the US.

"We are poised to soon surpass the US and become second only to China," he said, attributing this success to the 'Make in India' initiative championed by Modi.

In addition to domestic achievements, the minister spoke of the growing international interest in India's expertise in metro rail systems.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is currently involved in the implementation of a metro rail system in Bangladesh and has provided consultancy services in Jakarta, he said.

Also, nations such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, and El Salvador have shown interest in collaborating with DMRC for their metro development initiatives.

(With PTI Inputs)