Indian Railways is moving fast towards modernizing its railway network, adding new-gen high-speed and semi-high speed trains like Vande Bharat Express, as well as upgrading railway stations across the country like airports Redeveloping with design. While the Indian Railways runs one of the largest train networks in the world, it lacked an urban transport system connecting major cities in adjacent regions like many European countries. To solve this problem, the Indian Railways announced the Vande Bharat Metro, which would be based on the Vande Bharat Express but run a shorter distance of 100 km, connecting two major cities within 10 km.
While the Railways is working to introduce this new type of urban transport soon, Delhi-NCR is set to launch India’s first urban rail network called the Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) on the Delhi-Meerut route. The project is being implemented by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), which finalized the 88-km Delhi-Meerut route, marking the inauguration of rapid rail in India.
NCRTC is rapidly developing infrastructure along the route passing through cities like Ghaziabad. The estimated date of launch of the entire project is 2025, but passengers can enjoy a ride on the Alstom-built modern trains from March 2023 itself. Officials told PTI that the 17-km Duhai-Sahibabad priority section of the country’s first Delhi-Meerut RRTS train corridor is expected to be operational by the end of March this year. The priority section has four stations – Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar and Duhai.
Delhi-Meerut RRTS: Speed
According to the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), the RRTS trains will have a design speed of 180 kmph and an operational speed of 160 kmph. This makes RRTS the fastest operational metro in India with a speed 3 times higher than that of Delhi Metro.
Delhi-Meerut RRTS: Fare
When asked about the fare, an NCRTC official said that it has not been decided yet. However, reports suggest that the RRTS will charge Rs 2 per km, which means a Delhi-Meerut ticket will cost commuters Rs 170.
Delhi-Meerut RRTS: Design
Modern RRTS trains have 2×2 transverse cushioned seating area, wide standing area, luggage rack, CCTV cameras, laptop/mobile charging facility, dynamic route map, auto control ambient lighting system, WiFi facility, heating ventilation and air conditioning system ( HVAC). among other features.
Delhi-Meerut RRTS: Stations
An official told PTI that RRTS stations are expected to receive lakhs of commuters daily. To facilitate their travel and ensure easy access to the station, NCRTC is going to create a dedicated pick-up and drop-off zone at stations away from the main carriageway.
In addition, there will be pedestrian-friendly walkways, lifts, escalators, seating areas and other passenger-centric amenities that will facilitate universal access at the stations. NCRTC is constructing entry and exit points of elevated stations on RRTS corridors on both sides of busy roads like Link Road and Delhi-Meerut Road.