India Moves To Standardise Metro Systems Across The Country, ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan To Lead Panel

In a move to regulate the growing metro rail systems in the country, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi approved the setting up of a panel to lay down standards for the metro systems, Mint has reported.

The panel will reportedly be lead by E Sreedharan, the ‘Metro Man’ of India. Sreedharan is widely credited with having changed the face of public commuting in the country through the Delhi Metro, most of which was laid under his leadership.

The PM has said that with the growing number of metro systems in the country a need for greater coherence is being felt, while referring to the metro systems as a success of co-operative federalism between the Centre and the states.

“Our government brought out a policy relating to metros. This is because we felt that aspects relating to metro systems need greater coherence and it should work as per a basic set of standards,” he said.

The PM also lauded the Make-in-India metro coaches that are now being exported to other countries apart from being used in domestic systems. “Several nations helped us in the making of Delhi Metro and other metros. Now, we are helping other nations by designing coaches for their metro systems,” the PM said.

The PM also inaugurated the 11.2 km long Bahadurgarh corridor of Delhi Metro through video conferencing that will add seven stations to the metro network.