PM inaugurates Delhi RRTS corridor, rides Namo Bharat from Gzb to New Ashok Nagar

Now people can from from New Ashok Nagar in east Delhi to Meerut South station in Uttar Pradesh in just 40 minutes on a Namo Bharat train

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday morning inaugurated a 13-km section of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor from Sahibabad, Uttar Pradesh to New Ashok Nagar, east Delhi, marking the first entry of Namo Bharat trains into the national capital and connecting the city via the high-speed trains to Meerut.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with students during his ride on the Namo Bharat train from Sahibabad to New Ashok Nagar on Sunday. (HT Photo)

Modi also rode on a Namo Bharat train from Sahibabad to New Ashok Nagar station — the journey took less than 10 minutes. The section cost ₹4,600 crore to build and was opened to the public from 5pm onwards with a train frequency of 15 minutes.

HT rode on the train from New Ashok Nagar to the next station en route to Sahibabad, Anand Vihar, during which the train reached a top speed of 118 km/hr. People can now go from New Ashok Nagar to Meerut South in just 40 minutes on a Namo Bharat train (the Sahibabad to Meerut South RRTS route has been open since last year). Officials said that Namo Bharat trains can reach a top speed of 160 km/hr on this route.

“With the inauguration, Delhi-NCR has received a significant gift from the Indian government and has added to India’s urban mobility even further,” Modi said after the inauguration, adding that once the Namo Bharat project is complete, it will have a positive impact on road traffic on the Delhi-Meerut route.

The RRTS corridor from Meerut South to New Ashok Nagar is 55km-long with 11 stations.The full corridor will connect Sarai Kale Khan in south Delhi to Modipuram in Meerut and is expected to be complete later this year.

Modi purchased a National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) using the UPI payment system to travel on the train on Sunday. NCMC is a travel card that allows people to use different types of transport without having to purchase a ticket. The card works for the Metro, RRTS, and even buses. The Prime Minister launched the card in 2019 as part of the “One Nation, One Card” initiative.

The fare from New Ashok Nagar to Meerut South is ₹150 for a standard coach and ₹225 for a premium coach. A premium coach on this route has features such as adjustable seats, vending machines and charging points, officials said. Of the 13km from Sahibabad to New Ashok Nagar, 6km is underground and the rest is elevated.

Passengers give positive feedback

Shah Alam, 33, a Shaheen Bagh resident who works in Meerut, said the new route will let him return home before dinner. “Till now I had to go via Noida to reach Meerut. This new section will cut my travel time by more than two hours,” he said, praising the interiors and station design, too.

Ujwal Gupta, 20, a BTech student and resident of Agra who studies in Meerut, said his travel time will come down by at least two hours. “I go to Meerut via Delhi. Earlier I had to stop in Noida and Delhi, change two modes of transport then go Meerut. Now that hassle is over,” he said.

Like the Delhi Metro, one coach in each train is reserved for women. Other coaches, meanwhile, have reserved seats for women, the elderly and “divyangjans”. In addition, coaches have space for wheelchairs and stretchers too.

Some passengers offered suggestions to improve the experience. The New Ashok Nagar Metro station and RRTS stations are separate and connected by a road. “The connecting road is dimly lit and can be improved upon. However, the overall infrastructure inside the station and the trains is great,” said Prem Lata, 59, a New Vijay Nagar resident.

The Anand Vihar Metro and RRTS stations are also separate.