INDIA: PRIME MINISTER VAJPAYEE INAGUARATES FIRST PHASE OF DELHI METRO RAIL SYSTEM LINKING CITY AND SUBURBS
Record ID:
1377633
INDIA: PRIME MINISTER VAJPAYEE INAGUARATES FIRST PHASE OF DELHI METRO RAIL SYSTEM LINKING CITY AND SUBURBS
- Title: INDIA: PRIME MINISTER VAJPAYEE INAGUARATES FIRST PHASE OF DELHI METRO RAIL SYSTEM LINKING CITY AND SUBURBS
- Date: 24th December 2002
- Summary: NEW DELHI (DECEMBER 24, 2002) (ANI) ***CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** WIDE OF EXTERIOR OF METRO RAILWAY STATION WITH BANNER READING "DELHI METRO WELCOMES OUR PRIME MINISTER" SCU GUARD IN CEREMONIAL UNIFORM AND HEADGEAR SMV INDIAN PRIME MINISTER ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE INAUGURATING METRO RAIL BY CUTTING THE RIBBON VAROIOUS, VAJPAYEE UNVEILING THE PLAQUE WITH DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER LAL KRISHNA ADVANI AND DELHI CHIEF MINISTER SHIELA DIKDHIT STANDING NEARBY CLOSE OF PLAQUE VARIOUS, VAJPAYEE BUYING TICKET FROM THE COUNTER TO TRAVEL IN THE INAUGURAL RUN CLOSE OF VAJPAYEE HOLDING THE TICKET WIDE OF VAJPAYEE SHOWING THE TICKET CLOSE OF ELECTRONIC BOARD WELCOMING THE PREMIER VARIOUS, VAJPAYEE GOING THROUGH TICKET BARRIER
- Embargoed: 6th July 2005 21:35
- Keywords:
- Location: NEW DELHI, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Politics,Transport
- Reuters ID: LVA29IDBCN60F1CE8EXGP6CMU4IO
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has inaugurated the first phase of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation service.
Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Tuesday (December 24) launched Delhi Metro's first train which he said will open "a new chapter" in the national capital's history.
In the first line, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation train will cover a distance of 8.3 kms (5.1 miles) between the eastern suburb of Shahdara and Tis Hazari.
Besides Vajpayee, officials and guests including Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani and Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit bought tickets for a special ride in the coach decorated with flowers.
Regular train service will begin on December 25.
Visitors and uniformed DMRC officials waved as the train left the Seelampur station where the main inaugural function was held.
"Today metro is starting and it will improve the transportation and ease commuting," Vajpayee later told audience at a public meeting.
"There will be less congestion on the roads and number of buses will also reduce. It should also have an impact on reducing the pollution level. On the whole it opens a new chapter in the history of Delhi," he added.
The target date for completion of the first phase which would cover 62.5 kms (40 miles) is September 2005.
The entire metro project is estimated to cost 81.55 billion rupees and construction of the last phase is expected to end in 2021 after connecting the Indian capital with its suburbs.
For New Delhi - rated as one of the world's most polluted cities, five years ago - and which is now battling pollution, the metro would mean a reduction in atmospheric pollution as it runs on electricity and takes 2,600 less buses off the roads.
The metro rail would have benefits like less travelling time and cutting five billion rupees in fuel per year thereby saving India precious foreign exchange.
There would also be reduction in accident rates. The network - running on elevated and ground-level tracks - would ultimately carry the same amount of traffic as nine lanes of buses or 33 lanes of motor cars. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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