Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, announced that the Agra metro will be operational by the beginning of 2024. He was inaugurating the underground work for the Agra Metro Rail Project, which is being undertaken by the Uttar Pradesh Rail Metro Corporation (UPMRC). He further added, The priority corridor of six kilometres would be completed ahead of the six months of the scheduled target and Metro services will be operational for the people of Agra by the beginning of 2024. The priority corridor, from Taj East Gate to Jama Masjid, is said to be six kilometres long. Along with three underground metro stations—Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Jama Masjid—it would also contain three elevated metro stations—Taj East Gate, Basai, and Fatehabad Road. Agra Metro would not only help in the public transportation it will also help tourists and generate employment opportunities for the youths. Metro rail services in Lucknow, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad and Kanpur are operational. Agra will also emerge as a metro city in future and give plenty of employment opportunities, enhanced tourism and boost its image on the world map, he added. The proposed G20 summit, which is scheduled to take place in Agra from February 10–13, had its route inspected as well by the chief minister. I have inspected the route for the G20 summit. Uttar Pradesh is ready to host G20 summits with full enthusiasm. UPMRC Managing Director Sushil Kumar said, UPMRC has always executed metro projects timely and ahead of schedule. This time as well we will achieve the same milestone, by delivering a world-class metro to the people of Agra ahead of the set timeline. Deputy General Manager (DGM) and Public Relations Officer (PRO) at Agra Metro, Panchanan Mishra, stated, After the first breakthrough at Agra Fort Metro Station, the tunnel boring machines (TBM) will then go towards Taj Mahal Metro Station (Purani Mandi Chauraha) and will be retrieved thereafter from the retrieval shaft. One TBM will weigh around 450 tonnes and its length is approximately 85 metres. The TBM operates for around 10 metres every day. It will operate from Monday to Friday and on Saturday and Sunday the machinery will be repaired, he added. The excavation work of the tunnel will be done through two TBM named 'Yamuna' and 'Ganga'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually laid the groundwork for the Agra Metro Rail on December 7, 2020. See also: Agra Metro prepares to launch tunnel boring machine https://www.constructionworld.in/gold/transport-infrastructure/metro-rail-and-railways-infrastructure/-agra-metro-prepares-to-launch-tunnel-boring-machine-/38516 UPMRC commences track work of Agra Metro Priority corridor https://www.constructionworld.in/transport-infrastructure/metro-rail-and-railways-infrastructure/upmrc-commences-track-work-of-agra-metro-priority-corridor/37625