ADB approves $1 billion package for Delhi-Meerut rapid rail project

The 82-km corridor that will connect Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut will have with a total of 24 stations -- 21 in Uttar Pradesh and the rest in Delhi.

In a big push for the high-speed Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor between Delhi and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $1 billion loan for the venture, officials of the NCR Transport Corporation (NCRTC), the entity executing the project, said on Tuesday.

Civil construction work for the project is on in full swing over a 50km stretch between Sahibabad in Ghaziabad and Shatabdipuram in Meerut. (Sakib Ali/H Archive)

Civil construction work for the project, which aims at providing a high-speed rail link between Delhi and Meerut to cut down on travel time and boost housing in NCR towns and cities to ease pressure on the national capital, is on in full swing over a 50km stretch between Sahibabad in Ghaziabad and Shatabdipuram in Meerut.

The 82-km corridor that will connect Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut will have with a total of 24 stations -- 21 in Uttar Pradesh and the rest in Delhi.

According to officials, the detailed project report states that about eight lakh passengers will board the high-speed RRTS trains, which will run at 180kmph, for long and short-distance commuting every day.

Commuting time between Delhi and Meerut is expected to reduce drastically — from around 120 minutes at present to 55 minutes once the line is commissioned. The Delhi-Meerut expressway is another project aimed at improving connectivity between Delhi, Meerut and other western UP towns.

“The approval of the $1.049 billion funding package by ADB for the high-speed, high-capacity Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS reflects upon the funding agency’s trust in the project that promises to transform regional mobility besides giving push to polycentric economic development across the region and will lead to improvement in the quality of life of the citizens,” Vinay Kumar Singh, managing director of NCRTC said in a statement.

“Efficient and integrated transport solutions are critical for managing the rapid urbanisation and ensuring balanced urban development of the region,” ADB’s principal transport specialist, Sharad Saxena, said in statement. “This project will provide safe, reliable and seamless travel between Delhi and other cities and pave the way for a paradigm shift in mobility across the NCR,” he said.

The cost of the RRTS project is pegged at Rs 30,274 crore. The project will involve loans to the tune of about Rs 14,000-15,000 crore from external sources while the rest will come from the Centre and the state governments (UP and Delhi) involved, besides Rs 270 crore from the private sector, officials associated with the project said.

“A total loan of about $2.049 billion will come from three sources and will amount to $1.049 billion and two other parts of $500 million each. ADB’s approval will give a major boost to the project. Civil construction tenders for the 50km stretch from Sahibabad to Shatabdipuram have been already awarded and construction activities are on. Tenders for rolling stock was awarded earlier. The rest of the tenders are in different stages,” said Sudhir Sharma, chief PRO of NCRTC.

The NCRTC has first identified a priority stretch of 17km in Ghaziabad (Sahibabad to Duhai) for which work had started in the first phase. Work has also begun for another 33km from Duhai to Shatabdipuram in Meerut.

The priority section is scheduled for commissioning in March, 2023, while the entire 82-km corridor from Delhi to Meerut is expected to be open by March 2025.