Lucknow, Sep 5 (IANS): Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the first service of Lucknow Metro on Tuesday at the Transport Nagar railway station.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik, senior Ministers of the state cabinet, local legislators and Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Hardeep Puri were present on the occasion along with Principal Advisor to the project E. Sreedharan.

The 8.5 km stretch of the rapid transport system Lucknow Metro -- starting from Transport Nagar to Charbagh railway station -- will be open for public from Wednesday.

Chief Minister Adityanath, in his address on the occasion, lauded the team behind the early completion of the project and said the metro would ease traffic congestion in the state capital.

He assured that the work on other phases of the Lucknow Metro project would be completed at the earliest.

Adityanath also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for facilitating a loan from the European Investment Bank for the project.