PM Modi inaugurates phase-1 of Ahmedabad Metro rail project, travels in train

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated phase-1 of the Ahmedabad Metro rail project between Thaltej and Vastral here, and also travelled in the train.

He inaugurated the project on the metro rail's east-west corridor from Kalupur station, where he reached in Vande Bharat Express train that he flagged off from Gandhinagar railway station in the morning.

The prime minister flagged off the metro train at Kalupur station. He then boarded the train there and travelled to Thaltej metro station. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and party MPs C R Paatil and Kirit Solanki accompanied him during the journey.

With the inauguration, the 21-km corridor of the project between Thaltej and Vastral with 17 stations became operational. This corridor has a 6.6 km underground section with four stations, the Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) said in a release.

On March 4, 2019, the prime minister had inaugurated a part of phase-1 of the project connecting Vastral to Apparel Park, a distance of 6.5 km. The project was sanctioned in 2014.

The metro rail tickets will be priced between Rs 5 and Rs 15, the GMRC said. The second phase of the project will connect state capital Gandhinagar to Ahmedabad, which will essentially be the expansion of the first phase.

This phase will have two corridors - a 22.8-km stretch from Motera Stadium to Mahatma Mandir having 20 stations and a 5.4-km route from Gujarat National Law University to GIFT City having two stations. The entire route under phase-2 of the project will be elevated. The second phase of the project will connect state capital Gandhinagar to Ahmedabad, which will essentially be the expansion of the first phase.

(With PTI inputs)