Agra Metro project gets PIB nod, UP Govt allocates Rs175 crores

New Delhi (Urban Transport News): Long waited Agra Metro rail project got approval from the Public Investment Board (PIB) and now the path is clear for the introduction of the metro rail system in the Taj city. 

After getting the nod from the PCB, Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has allocated ₹175 crores for the Agra Metro project last week. The Agra metro rail project was struggling since long due to poor and inadequate means of public transport.

"The demand for an efficient transport system has now been met, though the project will take at least five years", said KC Jain, secretary of Agra Development Foundation. The proposed Metro network in Agra city will be around 30 km long and will run on two routes.

The Agra Metro Rail project was announced by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on December 25, 2017, in Noida after the inauguration of Magenta Line of Delhi Metro Rail Project. Along with the Agra metro, he also announced a new metro project in Kanpur. Lucknow which is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh already has a metro rail service.

The metro operation in Lucknow began in 2017. There are talks of setting up several new metro networks in the state, for example, Varanasi and Meerut are likely to have metro systems. The industrial cities of Uttar Pradesh – Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad already have metro lines.