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PM Modi to inaugurate Delhi RRTS stretch today
With this, the RRTS will connect Delhi with the NCR city of Meerut, officials with the agency executing the project, said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate a 13km section of the Rapid Regional Transit System (RRTS) between Sahibabad in Ghaziabad and New Ashok Nagar in east Delhi on Sunday, officials aware of the matter said.
With this, the RRTS will connect Delhi with the NCR city of Meerut, officials with the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), the agency executing the project, said.
After the Prime Minister formally launches the Delhi section — along with two RRTS stations in the Capital — he will likely travel from Sahibabad to New Ashok Nagar. The 13km stretch will be opened for the public starting at 5pm.
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“With this inauguration, RRTS trains will now arrive in Delhi, ushering in a new chapter of high-speed mobility options for the national Capital boosting regional connectivity. Starting Sunday at 5pm, Namo Bharat trains will be available to the public at a frequency of 15 minutes,” Puneet Vats, spokesperson for the National Capital Region Transport Corporation, said.
Trains operating on the RRTS corridor have been named Namo Bharat. NCRTC officials said the fare for the standard coach on Namo Bharat trains will range between ₹20 and ₹150, while passengers will have to shell out between ₹30 and ₹225 to travel in the premium coach.
At present, only a 42km section of the RRTS corridor is open — between Sahibabad and Meerut South, and all of it in Uttar Pradesh. After Modi opens the Delhi stretch, a 55-km RRTS corridor will become operational.
“With the commencement of operations on this section, Meerut city is now directly connected to the Capital through Namo Bharat. This will reduce travel time by one-third, enabling commuters to travel from New Ashok Nagar to Meerut South in just under 40 minutes,” Vats explained.
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However, the entire 82km corridor — stretching one on side till Jangpura in Delhi and the other till Modipuram in Meerut — will only be ready by around mid-2025, officials said.
The entire Uttar Pradesh stretch of the transit system is elevated, while half of the 13km stretch to be inaugurated is underground, marking it the first underground RRTS section.
Officials said that dedicated pick-up and drop-off areas have been created at the new stations, while ramps and spacious lifts have been installed to facilitate access for wheelchairs and stretchers. For the convenience of visually impaired passengers, tactile paths have been incorporated, they added.
“One coach in each train is reserved for women and other coaches also have reserved seats for women, the elderly, and Divyaangjans. Inside the Namo Bharat trains, specific spaces have been provided for wheelchairs and stretchers. Additionally, a panic button has been provided inside the coach and on the platform screen doors to request help in case of an emergency,” said the official.
