Have to see the Taj Mahal once in a lifetime! That’s probably how many of the 8 million visitors to this unique monument feel every year. Since 7 March 2024, visitors, but above all the approximately 1.7 million inhabitants of the city of Agra in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, have a modern, clean and fast means of mass transport at their disposal: the new metro.
The new railway runs half elevated and half underground on the first section Mankameshwar Mandir – Taj East Gate with a length of approximately 5.3 km serving six stations. The city’s biggest attraction is thus directly connected to the new network. The Taj Mahal and the famous Red Fort of Agra are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The current expansion plan for the metro in Agra envisages two lines totalling 29.4 km in length (7.7 km of which will be underground), with 28 stations once fully operational.
The opening ceremony on 6 March 2024 was attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (virtually connected) and the head of government of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, among others.
The 28 three-car trains, which were ordered from Bombardier Transportation – now Alstom – in 2020, will be deployed together with 39 similar trains for Kanpur. They offer space for up to 960 passengers. The joint order is worth €245 million and includes the Cityflo 650 train control system.
Die European Investment Bank (EIB) has substantially contributed to the financing of this large project, with a 450 mn EUR credit facility, round about half of the total investment foreseen in the range of 900 mn EUR. Since 2016, the EIB has provided approximately EUR 3 billion for transport projects in India.
