Daily ridership across all metro rail systems crosses 10 million in India
metro ridership as daily ridership across metro systems in the country has already crossed the 10 million mark, and is expected to exceed 12.5 million in a year or two, according to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
This comes after UK-based publication, The Economist claimed that India's metro rail systems are failing to attract enough passengers in its year-ending 'Christmas Double' issue, dated December 23 last year.
According to a press release by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs highlights the significant growth of metro rail in the country, emphasizing that daily ridership across all metro rail systems has surpassed 10 million, reflecting the evolving aspirations of a rapidly urbanizing young India.
The UK publication was criticized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for factual inaccuracies and lacking necessary context, contending that none of India's metro rail systems have achieved even half of their projected ridership.
The ministry rebutted claims made by UK publications, emphasizing that over three-fourths of India's current metro rail network has been conceptualized, constructed, and operationalized in less than a decade.
In 2023, India's metro rail ridership increased three times from 2019. This can be attributed to traffic congestion and a preference for faster transit options.
For example, the Chennai metro rail service attracted three crore new passengers in 2023, increasing the daily footfall to 2.5 lakhs.
As of November 2023, India has 895 kilometres (556 miles) of operational metro lines and 16 systems.
