Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated Pune Metro's 23-km-long Pink Line, connecting the Hinjewadi IT hub with the District Court Metro station, and laid the foundation stone for four new metro corridors under Phase-II, involving a combined investment of around Rs 21,800 crore.
Addressing the event through video conferencing, Modi said India's operational metro network had expanded from 248 km before 2014 to 1,200 km at present. He said improvements in urban infrastructure would play an important role in accelerating the country's economic growth.
"When the country gave the NDA the opportunity to serve in 2014, we set out with a resolve to ensure the ease of living and ease of transportation for the middle class living in cities," Modi said.
The newly inaugurated Pink Line has been constructed at a cost of over Rs 8,300 crore. The corridor is expected to make daily commuting easier for thousands of IT professionals, ease traffic congestion and reduce dependence on private vehicles.
The pink line will be operated by women and around 30 per cent of its electricity requirements will be met through solar power.
Modi also laid the foundation stone for Pune Metro Phase-II, which has an estimated cost of around Rs 13,500 crore. The expansion will include four corridors - Lines 2A, 2B, 4 and 4A - connecting key residential, commercial and IT hubs across the city.