Narendra Modi says "public transport plays a major role" in urban development in Tamil Nadu

On Sunday in Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened and introduced infrastructure projects valued at 13,000 crore rupees, among them the second stage of the Chennai Metro rail system. Speaking there, he said he would keep pursuing the state’s progress and that his commitment had not changed as state administrations changed. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay thanked him for the metro launch and asked the national government to clear Chennai Metro’s third stage, revisit proposed metro lines in Coimbatore and Madurai, and issue delayed Samagra Shiksha money. Modi said the investments would aid transport links, business and youth employment, and he underscored public transit’s place in city growth, noting metro coverage had reached 25 cities, with track length rising from 250 km in 2014 to 1,100 km in 2026.