Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the eagerly anticipated new segment of the Agra Metro. This section, also known as the ‘priority corridor,’ will be covering key tourist attractions like the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. With regard to this, officials have announced five trains, each with the capacity of accommodating 700 passengers. If reports are to go by, it will run daily from 6 AM to 10 PM.
The priority corridor, stretching from Taj East Gate to Mankameshwar Temple, will include stations such as Taj East Gate, Shaheed Captain Shubham Gupta Metro Station, Fatehabad Road MS, Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Mankameshwar Temple. The first three stations will be elevated, while the remaining three will be underground.
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The inauguration by PM Modi will take place via video conferencing, with CM Yogi Adityanath and Governor Anandiben Patel attending the event in Agra.
The Agra Metro project encompasses two corridors totaling 29.4 km, linking Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Sikandra with railway stations and bus terminals. Panchanan Mishra, spokesperson of UP Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC), stated that the total expenditure amounts to NR 8,379.6 crore, which will be benefiting the city’s population of 26 lakhs and cater to over 60 lakh tourists annually. The Mass Rapid Transit System aims to provide an eco-friendly transport solution for the city.
The tariff for the corridor is set at INR 10 for travelling between stations, INR 20 for two stations, and INR 30 for three to six stations.
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The Agra Metro project, distinguished by its yellow colour, is the third such project managed by UPMRC, following Lucknow and Kanpur Metro projects. The commissioner for Metro Rail Safety granted final approval after a thorough three-day inspection.
The absence of conventional overhead equipment (OHE), prone to disruptions caused by factors such as bird activity and kite flying, will be a notable feature. The Third Rail System, unaffected by these issues, promises enhanced efficiency in train operations. Additionally, the system will incorporate an automatic climate control feature.
Emphasising environmental conservation, the project is expected to recharge 10 lakh litres of groundwater annually, with 300 recharge pits being constructed along the metro rail alignment for this purpose.