New Delhi: Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal said that in the last 10 years, metro rail services have been expanded in 21 cities of the country. In 2014, only five cities had metro rail facilities. He said that 700 km of new metro lines have been built in the last decade since the Modi government came to power. The length of the metro track in the country has become 945 km. Apart from this, the cabinet has approved three new proposals on Friday.

These include the Thane Integrating Metro Rail Project Corridor, expansion of metro network in Pune and Bengaluru. These projects will further increase the country's metro network, which is already the third largest metro rail network in the world after the US, China. Union Minister Manohar Lal said, we will soon overtake the US in terms of metro rail network and reach second place after China. The remaining two priority corridors connecting Gurugram, Manesar and Dharuhera, Sonipat and Panipat will also be approved soon.

He said that before 2014, only 600 meters of metro line was being constructed every month, but in the last 10 years this number has increased 10 times every month. This figure has increased to six kilometers. He said, India is cooperating internationally in the construction of metro rail projects. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is working on a metro rail project in Bangladesh. It is also providing consultancy services to Jakarta.

Countries like Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kenya and El Salvador have also shown interest in partnering with the DMRC for metro projects.