On 6th March 2024, during his visit to West Bengal, Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the Agra Metro’s priority corridor (from Taj East Gate to Mankameshwar) in Agra, Uttar Pradesh(UP).
- Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister (CM) of UP, flagged off the Agra Metro from Taj Mahal Metro Station, Agra, UP. This is the 6th Metro project in UP.
Note:
- The Agra metro has created history for being the 1st in India to start operations almost 9 months ahead of schedule.
- The Metro has become the 1st in India to achieve the record of developing 3 underground stations in an area of 3 km.
About Agra Metro Project:
i.The Foundation of Agra Metro project was laid by PM Modi in December 2020. This is the 3rd project managed by Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC).
ii.The Agra Metro project encompasses two corridors totaling 29.4 km(~30 km), linking Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Sikandra with railway stations and bus terminals.
iii.The total expenditure of the projects amounts to Rs 8,379.6 crore
iv.The project was financed partly by the Government of India and Govt. of UP on an equal equity basis and EUR 450 million (approx. Rs. 4860 crore) loan from EIB approved in December 2021.
v.The Agra Metro project is distinguished by yellow colour.
About the priority section:
i.The priority section running upto 6 kilometres with six stations. This includes 3 elevated stations (Taj East Gate, Shaheed Captain Shubham Gupta Metro Station and Fatehabad Road MS) and 3 underground stations(Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Mankameshwar Temple).
ii.This section covers tourist attractions like Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Sikandra Tomb.
Points to note:
i.The Two corridor of the agra metro is set to have 27 stations of which 20 will be elevated and 7 underground.
ii.The 1st Corridor of Agra Metro (from Taj East Gate to Sikandra covering 14 km) is set to have 14 stations out of which construction of 6 stations has been completed.
ii.The 2nd Corridor of the metro from Agra Cantt Station to Kalindi Vihar will cover over 16 km.
Key People:
Sushil Kumar, Managing Director (MD) of UPMRC ; and Nina Fenton, Head of European Investment Bank (EIB) Regional Representation for South Asia were present during the event.
EIB Global Provides EUR 450 million Loan for Construction of 30 Km Long Agra Metro
The Agra Metro Rail Project backed by EUR 450 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) covers the construction of 2 interconnected urban metro rail lines, spanning 30 kilometers long, and a network of 27 strategically located stations in Agra, UP.
Purpose: The project addresses congestion, pollution (air and noise), road safety, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while providing affordable mobility solutions and enhancing accessibility to job and education opportunities.
EIB’s Commitment to India:
India has received a total of EUR 3 billion for metro investments in Agra, Bangalore, Bhopal, Kanpur, Lucknow, and Pune, making it the largest beneficiary of EIB transport financing outside Europe.
Global Connectivity and Climate Action:
i.The Agra Metro aligns with the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, contributing to global and regional connectivity in the digital, climate, transport, health, energy, and education sectors.
ii.EIB’s support reflects the transformational impact of the Agra metro on urban transport, pollution reduction, travel time, and emissions.
- EIB is recognised as the European Union (EU) climate bank.
About European Investment Bank (EIB):
President– Nadia Calviño
Headquarters– Boulevard Konrad Adenauer, Luxembourg
Founded in– 1958
