Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the final leg of the Ahmedabad–Gandhinagar Metro Rail service, connecting Sachivalaya (Secretariat) and Mahatma Mandir. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister participated in the Somnath Swabhiman Parv in Prabhas Patan and later inaugurated the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Rajkot before arriving in Ahmedabad.

Under the final corridor, metro services will commence at five new stations—Akshardham, Old Secretariat, Sector-16, Sector-24 and Mahatma Mandir, which serves as the terminal station on the Ahmedabad–Gandhinagar Metro Phase 2 route. The 5.36-kilometre extension will also improve metro connectivity to key tourist attractions such as Akshardham Temple and Dandi Kutir.

Multiple trial runs on the route have been successfully completed, with the first trial conducted on Vijayadashami in October last year. Developed by Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation, the corridor is part of the larger Ahmedabad–Gandhinagar Metro network, which will now span 68 kilometres across 54 stations. The expansion aims to provide faster, affordable and environmentally friendly transport to thousands of daily commuters.

The new metro route is expected to directly benefit residents of nearly 20 sectors of Gandhinagar and three surrounding villages. It will also significantly ease daily travel for employees working in around 60 government offices located in the old Secretariat complex and Sector-16. DeshGujarat