NCRTC installs 200-tonne steel span at Barapullah for RRTS corridor

First, the girders were lifted individually from the ground and placed on the Barapullah flyover using two cranes stationed on one side

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has completed the installation of a 200-tonne steel span with four girders over the Barapullah flyover, connecting Sarai Kale Khan station with the upcoming Jangpura stabling yard on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor, officials said on Thursday.

The entire corridor is scheduled to become operational by mid-2025, officials said. (HT Photo)

The installation was completed over 10 nights in coordination with the Public Works Department (PWD) and Delhi Traffic Police to minimise disruption to traffic, according to NCRTC. Officials also stated that the Jangpura stabling yard, situated near Sarai Kale Khan station, is being developed to accommodate Namo Bharat trains, which are part of the RRTS project.

“For the construction of a viaduct in the elevated section of the Namo Bharat corridor, NCRTC usually erects pillars at an average distance of 34 metres,” said NCRTC spokesperson Puneet Vats. He said that in some complex areas, where the corridor crosses rivers, bridges, rail crossings, metro corridors, expressways or other such existing structures, it is not practically possible to maintain this distance between pillars. “In such areas, special steel spans are used,” Vats said.

At the Barapullah flyover location, where the RRTS corridor intersects both a drain and the flyover, the installation of a steel span was necessary to overcome space and elevation constraints. The steel span comprises four girders, each 40 metres in length and weighing 50 tonnes, Vats added.

The installation process involved a two-stage lifting method using three high-capacity cranes. First, the girders were lifted individually from the ground and placed on the Barapullah flyover using two cranes stationed on one side. In the second stage, two cranes positioned on either side of the flyover were used to install the girders on designated pillars, the spokesperson explained.

To ensure public safety during the complex operation, alternate power supply arrangements were made in coordination with Delhi Transco Limited, as a 220 KW high-tension line passes above the area, officials said. The 4.5 km Delhi section of the corridor between Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar is preparing for operations, with trial runs on this stretch having begun on April 13. Currently, Namo Bharat trains are operational across 11 stations along the 55 km stretch from New Ashok Nagar to Meerut South, they added.

The entire corridor is scheduled to become operational by mid-2025, officials said.