More cities to get Metro corridors, FM says, but allocation finds no mention

FM Sitaraman said that NAMO trains and and metro rail services will be added in more cities.

Allocation for metro projects did not find a mention in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman's Interim Budget 2024-25, but it was flagged that metro project expansion will continue in larger cities.

Sitaraman said that NAMO trains and and Metro rail services will be introduced to more cities. As of now, India has 895 km of Metro lines, operational in 20 cities.

The budgetary allocation in the last fiscal for Metro projects was Rs 19,518 crore.  The move also aligns with the government's aim to overhaul urban transport in the country and transform regional connectivity.

Last year, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri vowed that India's Metro network will surpass the operational length of the US Metro network in the next 2-3 years, and become the second largest in the world.

According to reports, last year, the Public Investment Board (PIB) approved Metro rail ventures in Agra, Kanpur, Ahmedabad and Patna. Additionally, it has given the green light to the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Rapid Rail Transit corridor.

In its report on budget expectations, consultancy firm Deloitte highlighted that the government has been focused on building a strong infrastructure over the past five years, with most spending concentrated on roads and railways.