Metro Rail Policy 2017

The Metro Rail Policy is unveiled in 2017 and it contains some very clear directives for undertaking Metro rail projects in various urban centres. It opens a big window for private investments in metro operations by making PPP component mandatory for availing central assistance on metro projects.

• The Metro Rail Policy 2017 has laid out three significant conditions for catalyzing development of Metro rail systems -
• One, hitherto it will be the responsibility of the state governments to explore and choose various options for urban mobility and then implement the project.
• Two, a Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) is a mandatory prerequisite for planning Metro rail in any city.
• And, three, there should be a statutory body called Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) for ensuring an integrated approach in planning and management of urban transport.

Rationale of the Policy -

• Enhancing mobility in cities through metro rail.
• Explore alternative and innovative sources of funds.
• Comprehensive appraisal speedy implementation.
• Social, Economic and environmental sustainability in urban transport.

At present, 10 Indian cities have functional metro rail networks. These cities are Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Kochi and Lucknow. The first metro service in India started in Kolkata in 1984. More than 664 km of metro rail projects in 15 cities are presently under various stages of implementation, while more than 515 km of metro line are already operational in India.