PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Namo Bharat Rapid Rail and Meerut Metro, calls it a milestone for developed India.

New Delhi, February 22, 2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Namo Bharat Rapid Rail and Meerut Metro services in Meerut, describing the project as a powerful symbol of connectivity for a “developed Uttar Pradesh” and a “developed India.”

This marks the first time in the country that both rapid rail and metro services have been launched simultaneously from the same platform.

Addressing a public gathering, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the integrated transport system reflects the vision of a modern India, where metro services cater to intra-city travel while Namo Bharat trains strengthen inter-city connectivity and promote the concept of “twin cities.”

Referring to the “double-engine government,” Narendra Modi said that development projects no longer remain stalled. “We complete the work we start,” he said, recalling that he himself laid the foundation stone and inaugurated the services.

Narendra Modi’s interaction with passengers, focus on women empowerment:

During his visit, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled on the Meerut Metro and interacted with students and passengers.

He highlighted women’s participation in the project, noting that a majority of train operators and station control staff are women.

Calling it a symbol of “women’s power,” he congratulated the people of Uttar Pradesh for the country’s first Namo Bharat Rapid Rail service.

Connectivity and infrastructure boost:

Recalling his long association with Meerut, Modi said that his Lok Sabha election campaigns in 2014, 2019, and 2024 began from this historic land.

He thanked the region’s farmers, artisans, and entrepreneurs for their continued support.

He pointed out that before 2014, metro services were limited to just five cities, whereas today they operate in more than 25 cities, making India the world’s third-largest metro network.

A unique feature of the project, he said, is the integration of railway, metro and bus terminals in areas such as Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, Ghaziabad, and Meerut. For the first time, Namo Bharat and metro services will operate on shared tracks and stations.

This integration, the Prime Minister noted, will allow commuters to travel seamlessly within cities or directly to Delhi, reducing the need for workers and students to live in rented accommodation in the capital.

Employment, MSMEs, and Global markets:

Highlighting infrastructure investments—including expressways, freight corridors, and the Jewar International Airport—Narendra Modi said these projects are generating employment and attracting new industries to the region.

Speaking on the MSME sector, he said a Rs 10,000-crore fund announced in the Union Budget would improve access to credit.

He also mentioned initiatives to help weavers and small entrepreneurs access global markets, adding that the removal of the Rs 10 lakh courier shipment limit will enable businesses in Meerut and across Uttar Pradesh to sell directly to customers in the US and Europe through online platforms.

Farmers, manufacturing, and law & order:

Referring to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, Mosi said his government honored him with the Bharat Ratna and is working to boost farmers’ income through schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, under which about Rs 95,000 crore has been transferred to farmers in Uttar Pradesh.

The Prime Minister said the state’s transformation—from an era of riots and crime to progress in defence manufacturing, mobile phone production, and tourism—has been significant. Improve law and order, he said, has strengthened the economy and boosted manufacturing.

Concluding his address, Narendra Modi said Uttar Pradesh is emerging as a manufacturing hub, noting that the foundation stone of the state’s first semiconductor factory has been laid. “A developed Uttar Pradesh is essential for a developed India,” he asserted.

Also Read: India’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train introduced; Guwahati-Kolkata route to begin in January.

EOM.