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Further construction in other sections of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor – New Ashok Nagar to Sarai Kale Khan and Meerut South to Modipuram – is progressing at a rapid pace
Namo Bharat trains have been designed with passenger convenience at its core. (Image: PTI/File)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Delhi section of the RRTS, which means that Namo Bharat trains have now arrived in the national capital.
This 13-km section of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) from Sahibabad in Uttar Pradesh to New Ashok Nagar is now operational. With this, the Namo Bharat Corridor will now stretch over 55 km with 11 stations between New Ashok Nagar in Delhi and Meerut South.
For the newly inaugurated stretch, passenger operations will commence from 5 pm on Sunday and trains will be available every 15 minutes. The fare from New Ashok Nagar station to Meerut South is Rs 150 for standard coach and Rs 225 for premium coach. The minimum fare in standard coach starts from Rs 20 and goes up to Rs 150 for a single trip while in the premium coach, it ranges between Rs 30 and Rs 225.
Started last year, the RRTS was only operational between Meerut and Ghaziabad, stretching over 42 km and nine stations from Sahibabad to Meerut South. To date, Namo Bharat trains have served over 50 lakh commuters. The service is set to add a new dimension to travel options available between Delhi and neighbourhood areas, especially for those seeking a fuss-free and affordable commute.
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Here’s all you need to know:
WHAT ARE THE FEATURES ON THE NEW 13-KM SECTION?
- According to officials, with the commencement of operations on this section, Meerut city is now directly connected to Delhi.
- Officials said this will reduce travel time by one-third, enabling commuters to travel from New Ashok Nagar to Meerut South in just under 40 minutes.
- They said six km of this section is underground and includes a prominent station on the corridor, Anand Vihar. This marks the first time that Namo Bharat trains will operate in an underground section, they added.
- Officials further said the Anand Vihar underground station is one of the largest stations on the Namo Bharat corridor. Commuters will be able to travel to Meerut South in just 35 minutes from this point.
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Anand Vihar station will further offer multi-modal integration between the existing six modes of public transport in the area. These include two ISBTs at Swami Vivekananda (Anand Vihar) and Kaushambi, two corridors of Metro (Pink and Blue Lines), Anand Vihar railway station, apart from the City Bus Stand. This will enable commuters from Meerut and Delhi to travel seamlessly to any corner of the country by Metro, ISBT, and railways.
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They also said as a special arrangement for the movement of vehicles and pedestrians at Anand Vihar station, three bridges have been built over the Ghazipur drain. Two of these are to be used for vehicle entry and exit, while one is exclusively for pedestrians, they added.
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New Ashok Nagar is the first elevated Namo Bharat station to be operational on the Delhi section, officials said. The corridor crosses the New Ashok Nagar Metro station at a height of 20 metres, they said.
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Along with train services, a commercial centre has also been planned at the station for the convenience of commuters, they said. This station is being connected to the Blue Line of Delhi Metro through a 90-metre-long foot overbridge, they added.
WHICH ARE THE OPERATIONAL STATIONS ON THE RRTS?
Now, there are 11 operational stations on the RRTS corridor between New Ashok Nagar and Meerut South.
- New Ashok Nagar
- Anand Vihar
- Sahibabad
- Ghaziabad
- Guldhar
- Duhai
- Duhai Depot
- Muradnagar
- Modi Nagar South
- Modi Nagar North
- Meerut South
As it existed before the inauguration of the Delhi section, Sahibabad was the first station and Meerut South the last. New Ashok Nagar and Anand Vihar in Delhi have now been added on the national capital side.
WHAT IS THE DELHI-MEERUT RRTS CORRIDOR?
The Delhi-Meerut RRTS has been conceived as an 82-km corridor originating at Sarai Kale Khan in New Delhi and terminating at Modipuram in Meerut. With the inauguration of the 13-km Delhi section, 55 km of the corridor is now fully operational.
Once complete, it will feature 16 Namo Bharat stations along with nine additional stations for the Meerut Metro, making it a comprehensive and transformative regional transit solution. Further construction in other sections – New Ashok Nagar-Sarai Kale Khan and Meerut South-Modipuram – is progressing at a rapid pace.
It is a semi high-speed rail corridor for regional transit purposes, and will connect the National Capital Region (NCR) cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut. Part of the RapidX project managed by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), it is the first out of three rapid rail corridors planned under the first phase.
Trains will run at a maximum speed of 180 kmph, and the corridor will start from Delhi’s Jangpura, run through Sarai Kale Khan — the terminal for the three planned corridors, both in Delhi — and end at Modipuram in Meerut. Its two depots will be located in Duhai and Modipuram.
Modi had laid the foundation stone for the project in March 2019, while construction began in June that year. The first stretch of the service began in October 2023 with the 17-km priority section between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot, which was also inaugurated by the prime minister. But, it was 2024 when the service expanded with two sections in March and another in August taking the total length to more than 40 km.
Here are its salient features:
- The entire Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Corridor is projected to remove over one lakh private vehicles from the roads and reduce carbon emissions by 2.5 lakh tonnes annually. The project has been designed with passenger convenience at its core.
- The station premises offer free drinking water and washrooms. One coach in each train is reserved for women, and other coaches also have reserved seats for women, the elderly, and the differently abled. Specific spaces have been provided for wheelchairs and stretchers inside the trains.
- A train attendant is available on each train to assist and ensure the convenience of all passengers. Additionally, a panic button has been provided inside the coach and on the platform screen doors to request help in case of an emergency.
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HOW IS RRTS DIFFERENT FROM DELHI METRO?
Apart from being faster, the RRTS is different from the Metro because it caters to passengers looking to travel relatively longer distances with fewer stops and at higher speeds.
On its website, the NCRTC said it also differs from the conventional railway system as it will provide reliable, high frequency, point-to-point regional travel at high speed along a dedicated pathway.
Delhi Metro trains run at a maximum speed of 80 kmph, with the average speed on regular lines at 45 kmph. Its fastest line – Airport Express Line (AEL) – operates at a speed of 120 kmph.
The RRTS will allow speeds up to 180 kmph. The transit system provides a new, dedicated, high-speed, high-capacity, comfortable commuter service connecting regional nodes in NCR.
The RRTS is modelled after European railway systems like RER suburban trains in Paris, Regional-Express trains in Germany and Austria and the SEPTA Regional Rail in the United States.
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WHY DO WE NEED THE RRTS?
Delhi, which is one of the biggest cities in India with a large population, not only offers a lot of job opportunities but also better education and healthcare.
Hence, there is a massive traffic inflow from neighbouring cities of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana like Muradnagar, Modinagar, Meerut, Faridabad, Ballabgarh, and Palwal. Traffic also comes from nearby cities like Hapur, Rohtak, Khurja, and Panipat to name a few.
This not only puts pressure on city roads, but causes air pollution that is a major problem during the winter months. A faster alternative for mass movement from the neighbourhood will reduce migration, fuel use, travel time, congestion, traffic as well as pollution.
The project is aimed at pushing the employment generation and opening up of newer commercial hubs across NCR. In view of this, eight RRTS corridors have been planned in this region, of which three have been prioritised to be implemented in the first phase, Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Corridor; Delhi-Gurugram-SNB-Alwar Corridor; and Delhi-Panipat Corridor.
The other corridors, which are also part of the long-term plan include the Delhi-Faridabad-Ballabgarh-Palwal Corridor; Ghaziabad-Khurja Corridor; Delhi-Bahadurgarh-Rohtak Corridor; Ghaziabad-Hapur Corridor; and Delhi-Shahdara-Baraut Corridor.
(With PTI inputs)
