India’s Shiny New Metros Are Costly White Elephants
They’re more like political vanity projects than genuine attempts to transform urban transit.
Many of India’s metros are costly white elephants.
Photographer: Anna Zieminski/AFP/Getty Images.
Above ground, New Delhi is one of the world’s most unwelcoming capitals. Traffic is chaotic, air quality abysmal, and the crowds overwhelming. Underground is a different story: The Delhi Metro’s air-conditioned efficiency makes you feel like you’re in a completely different city.
It is easy to understand why everyone in India now wants a similar system. The government announced this month that 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of metro lines have been built across the country. This is indeed remarkable, given that Indian towns have long struggled to build world-class public infrastructure. But the Delhi Metro is now one of the longest in the world — only Moscow, London and New York have larger networks outside mainland China — and 22 other Indian cities have metros in various stages of completion. Authorities promise that another 1,000 kilometers will be finished soon.