NEW DELHI: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s first-ever driverless train on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line and launched National Common Mobility Card on the Airport Express Line on Monday, via video conferencing.
“The inauguration of the first driverless metro train shows how fast India is moving towards smart systems. Today Delhi Metro is being connected to the National Common Mobility Card. A few decades ago, when the impact of urbanisation and the future of urbanisation were both clear, the country saw a different attitude,” said PM Modi.
There was not much attention about the needs of the future, half-hearted work was done, confusion persisted, he added.
“Unlike this, modern thinking says that urbanisation should not be seen as a challenge and used as an opportunity. An opportunity in which we can build better infrastructure in the country. An opportunity through which we can increase Ease of Living. This difference of thinking is seen in every dimension of urbanization,” said PM Modi.
In 2014, only five cities had a metro rail. Today, metro rail services are available in 18 cities, the Prime Minister stated.
“By the year 2025, we are going to expand it to more than 25 cities. In 2014, only 248 km of metro lines were operational in the country. Today it is about three times more than seven hundred kilometres. By the year 2025, we are trying to expand it to 1,700 kilometres,” he added.
Metro service to 25 cities
By 2025, metro train services will be expanded to over 25 cities across the country, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while adding that “Make In India” is essential for the expansion. “The first metro in the country was started with the efforts of Atal Ji. When our government was formed in 2014, only five cities had metro services and today 18 cities have metro rail service. By 2025, we will take this service to more than 25 cities,” said PM Modi.
“Make In India is very important for the expansion of metro services. It reduces cost, saves foreign currency and provides more employment to people,” he added.
The Prime Minister inaugurated India’s first-ever driverless train on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line and launched National Common Mobility Card on the Airport Express Line today, via video conferencing. “We noted that the expansion of the metro, modern modes of transport should be used according to the needs of the people of the city and the professional lifestyle there,” the PM added.
This is the reason why work is being done on different types of metro rails in different cities, he said. “Delhi-Meerut RRTS will reduce the distance of Delhi and Meerut to less than an hour. MetroLight – In cities where passenger numbers are less, work is being done on MetroLite version. It is prepared at 40 per cent cost of the normal metro,” said PM Modi.
Status of Delhi
Delhi is the capital of a major global, financial and strategic power, that has a population of over 130 crores and this glory must reflect, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. He also assured that the government will make lives of the people of Delhi better and the city advanced.
“Delhi is the capital of a major global, financial and strategic power that has a population of over 130 crores and this glory must reflect. I believe that we all will continue to work together and make the lives of the people of Delhi better and the city advanced,” said PM Modi during the inauguration event of India’s first-ever driverless train on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line.