PM Launches India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System

The train is set for its inaugural run on October 21, a day after the inauguration of the 17-km priority section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor

India’s first regional train service (RRTS) which was earlier called RapidX, has its name changed to NaMo Bharat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the priority section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) today in Ghaziabad. 

It is a “transformational” regional development initiative, which is designed to provide high-speed trains for intercity commuting every 15 minutes, which can go up to a frequency of every five minutes according to requirement, the PMO had said.

The 17-kilometer priority segment of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor is scheduled to open for passenger operations on October 21, following its inauguration. The entire 82.15 km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS is targeted to be operational by June 2025.

This priority section, which spans from Sahibabad to Duhai Depot, encompasses five stations: Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, and Duhai Depot.

The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS project, which is being developed at a cost of more than Rs.30,000 crore, is currently under development. It will connect Delhi to Meerut with a travel time of less than an hour through the urban centres of Ghaziabad, Muradnagar, and Modinagar.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with school children and crew of RapidX train – 'NaMo Bharat' – connecting Sahibabad to Duhai Depot, onboard the train.

He inaugurated the priority section of Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor and flagged off NaMo Bharat at… pic.twitter.com/o6GQp7wMav

— ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2023

CCTV cameras, an emergency door-opening mechanism, and a button to communicate with a train operator are among the safety features of this train. Trains can operate on this corridor even up to a speed of 160 kmph, but the operational speed will be lesser, say officials.

A total of eight RRTS corridors have been identified for development in the National Capital Region (NCR). Out of these, three corridors have been prioritized for implementation in Phase I. They include the Delhi – Ghaziabad – Meerut Corridor, the Delhi – Gurugram – SNB – Alwar Corridor, and the Delhi – Panipat Corridor.

According to PMO’s Press Release, the two metro stretches of Bengaluru Metro will also be formally dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister connecting Baiyappanahalli to Krishnarajapura and Kengeri to Challaghatta. These two metro stretches were opened for public service from 9th October 2023 to provide convenience to the public commuting on this corridor, without waiting for formal inauguration. 

Comparison: 3 Times faster than Metro