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The Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), also called Namo Bharat trains, will be available to the public at a frequency of 15 minutes.
With this opening, the operational area of Namo Bharat Corridor will increase to 55 km, with 11 stations in total. (PTI)
It feels like a dream to travel from Delhi to Meerut via Ghaziabad in less than an hour, even during off-peak hours. However, from Sunday evening, smooth travel will become a reality as the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), also called Namo Bharat trains, will be available to the public at a frequency of 15 minutes.
The fare from New Ashok Nagar Station, the first operational station from Delhi to Meerut, to Meerut South will be Rs 150 for a standard coach and Rs 225 for a premium coach, an official statement announced on Saturday. The minimum fare for a regular coach starts from Rs 20 and goes up to Rs 150 for a single journey while for a premium coach, it ranges between Rs 30 and Rs 225.
Until now, the RRTS train services, which were first started in 2023, were available only between Meerut and Ghaziabad. The 42 km stretch of tunnel between Sahibabad and Meerut South has nine stations.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate another 13-km section of the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor between Sahibabad and New Ashok Nagar, marking an important development in regional connectivity. With this inauguration, Namo Bharat trains will reach Delhi, ushering in a new chapter of high-speed travel options for the Capital.
With this opening, the operational area of Namo Bharat Corridor will increase to 55 km, with 11 stations in total. Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, while addressing the media on Saturday, said that Delhi has contributed Rs 1,260 crore for the project. “These activities will not only reduce travel time but will also accelerate the growth of the regional economy,” he said.
After the inauguration of the PM, passenger services will start from 5pm on January 5. Trains will be available to the public at a frequency of 15 minutes.
“With the commencement of work on this phase, the city of Meerut is now directly connected to the national capital, Delhi, through Namo Bharat. This will reduce travel time by one-third, enabling commuters to travel from New Ashok Nagar to Meerut South in less than 40 minutes,” read a statement by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).
Last week, News18 reported that the train service has served more than 50 lakh passengers, highlighting its popularity and impact.
Sahibabad-New Ashok Nagar Sections
In a section of 13 kilometers, six kilometers are underground and include the prominent station in the tunnel – Anand Vihar – the first station when entering Delhi from Meerut. This marks the first time that Namo Bharat trains have operated on the underground section. Another station in this system is the top station at New Ashok Nagar. Both stations are located in Delhi.
While the travel time to reach Meerut South from New Ashok Nagar is less than 40 minutes, from Anand Vihar, it is just 35 minutes.
Anand Vihar station is one of the major stations on the corridor and offers Multi-Modal Integration among the six existing modes of public transport in the area. These include two ISBTs at Swami Vivekananda (Anand Vihar) and Kaushambi, two Metro corridors (Pink and Blue Line), Anand Vihar Railway Station, besides the City Bus Stand.
Through this station, commuters from Meerut and Delhi will be able to easily travel to any corner of the country via metro, ISBT, and railway station. Separate check-in and check-out gates, as well as FoB facilities, are provided at the station to ensure smooth, convenient, and safe movement of passengers.
“For the convenience of passengers, Anand Vihar station has been built at a depth of just eight meters below the ground level. To make the tunnel so deep, it was built under the metro lines passing through Anand Vihar. This is a difficult task from the point of view of construction and civil engineering, but the NCRTC, dedicated to helping commuters, has made it possible by using new technologies, strategic planning, and new methods,” added the statement.
As a special arrangement for vehicular and pedestrian traffic at this station, three bridges have been constructed over the Ghazipur canal. Two of these bridges will be used for the entry and exit of vehicles, while the other is for pedestrians only.
This station will provide convenience to commuters from nearby areas like Shrestha Vihar, Ramprastha, Brij Vihar, and Surajmal Vihar, as well as those from different parts of Delhi and the country.
On the other hand, the new Ashok Nagar station is the first elevated station in Delhi. It falls at the new Ashok Nagar railway station at a height of 20 meters. To be built at such a height above an existing and functioning metro station, without disrupting service, is a remarkable achievement from an engineering point of view. This station is connected to the Blue Line of Delhi Metro through a 90 meter long FOB.
Two exit gates have been constructed for the convenience of commuters from nearby areas like New Ashok Nagar, Mayur Vihar, Vasundhara, and Chilla Village.
In Delhi, services are being planned up to Sarai Kale Khan and the work is going on between the section above New Ashok Nagar. In Meerut again, the tracks will run till Modipuram. On both sides, the work is proceeding at a high speed, the statement said.
Spanning 82 km, the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat Corridor starts from Sarai Kale Khan in New Delhi and ends at Modipuram in Meerut. It has 16 stations and nine additional Meerut Metro stations, making it a complete and revolutionary solution for the region.
Once the entire Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Corridor becomes operational, it is expected to take more than a lakh private vehicles off the roads and reduce carbon emissions by 2.5 lakh tonnes per year.