"Not Driving Again": Omar Abdullah After Delhi Metro Ride

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has declared that he's "not driving again" after travelling on the Delhi Metro Airport Express Line to SATTE 2025, a premier tourism promotion event.

On X, the National Conference leader shared his experience, saying, "Today I took the @OfficialDMRC Airport Express to get to Yashobhumi for the SATTE 2025 tourism promotion event. Twenty-five minutes in the train beats 1.5 hours in the car hands down and saves fuel & emissions. I'm not driving to Yashobhumi again."

Today I took the @OfficialDMRC AirPort Express to get to Yashobhumi for the SATTE 2025 Tourism promotion event. 25 minutes in the train beats 1.5 hours in the car hands down & saves fuel & emissions. I'm not driving to Yashobhumi again. pic.twitter.com/PNrlpFXG6m

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 19, 2025

This wasn't the first time Mr Abdullah praised the metro. In 2018, after his first ride on the Airport Express, he called it a "world-class piece of infrastructure" and "by far the best way to get to Terminal 3."

Having used the @DelhiMetro_ for the 1st time today & that too the Airport Express, it is a world class piece of infrastructure. By far the best way to get to T3 Delhi Airport. I'm a fan.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) January 25, 2018

Speaking as the Guest of Honour at SATTE (South Asia's Travel & Tourism Exchange), Mr Abdullah encouraged travellers to explore Jammu and Kashmir, calling it a destination for pilgrimage tourism, weddings, adventure sports, and peaceful retreats. Quoting the famous Persian couplet by Amir Khusrau, inscribed on the Red Fort, Mr Abdullah said, "If there is a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here - speaking of Jammu and Kashmir."

Coinciding with Omar Abdullah's metro appreciation, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated India's first vertical bi-facial solar plant at Okhla Vihar station on Tuesday. The 50 KW plant is designed to capture sunlight from both sides, promoting sustainability. Installed on the Metro Viaduct, this setup maximizes energy efficiency without occupying extra land, a major step towards sustainable urban transit. A 1MW rooftop solar power plant was also inaugurated at Khyber Pass depot,

"The path forward is clear: balance progress with environmental responsibility, ensuring a cleaner, healthier world for future generations," Mr Khattar said.