New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday highlighted India's rapid urban transport transformation, contrasting the metro network’s pre-2014 growth rate with the rapid expansion achieved over the past decade. 

In a post on X, PM Modi emphasised that India’s operational metro footprint has expanded from just 248 km across five cities in 2014 to nearly 1,200 km spanning 26 cities today, with over one crore daily commuters.

Let me ask you… If India’s Metro network had continued expanding at the pace it did before 2014, how long would the wait be for cities like Pune to have a metro? YEARS….no…DECADES perhaps. And that was UNACCEPTABLE. In 2014, India had just 248 km of Metro lines across 5 cities. Today, we have nearly 1,200 km across 26 cities. Over 1 crore people travel by Metro every day. The impact goes beyond statistics or numbers. It means less time in traffic, more family time, greater productivity and better opportunities. This is the transformation we are working towards for urban India!

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 5, 2026

"Let me ask you... If India’s Metro network had continued expanding at the pace it did before 2014, how long would the wait be for cities like Pune to have a metro? YEARS, no DECADES, perhaps. And that was UNACCEPTABLE. In 2014, India had just 248 km of Metro lines across 5 cities. Today, we have nearly 1,200 km across 26 cities. Over 1 crore people travel by Metro every day," he said.

He added, "The impact goes beyond statistics or numbers. It means less time in traffic, more family time, greater productivity and better opportunities. This is the transformation we are working towards for urban India!"

Earlier on Tuesday, the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of Pune Metro projects worth around Rs 21,800 crore through video conferencing. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also participated in the programme.

He inaugurated Pune Metro Line 3, also known as the Pink Line, built at a cost of over Rs 8,300 crore. The project represents an important step towards strengthening Pune's urban mobility infrastructure through technological innovation and modern transportation solutions.

Spanning approximately 23 kilometres, the Pink Line connects Maan to District Court Metro station. The corridor will provide Metro connectivity between the Hinjewadi IT hub and Shivajinagar, improving access to one of Pune's major employment centres and facilitating the daily commute of thousands of IT professionals and other commuters.

Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of Phase-II of Pune Metro, to be developed at an estimated cost of around Rs 13,500 crore. Phase-II comprises Pune Metro Lines 2A, 2B, 4 and 4A, which will substantially expand the city's Metro network and strengthen connectivity across important residential, commercial and IT hubs.

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Under Phase-II, Lines 2A and 2B will span a total length of around 12.75 kilometres. Line 2A will connect Vanaz to Chandani Chowk, while Line 2B will connect Ramwadi to Vitthalwadi, extending the existing east-west Metro network. Line 4, spanning around 25.52 kilometres, will connect Kharadi to Khadakwasla. Line 4A, spanning 6.12 kilometres, will connect Nal Stop to Manik Baug.