Adityanath inspects RRTS priority section in Ghaziabad ahead of its opening

The 17km priority section in Ghaziabad will be country’s first RRTS stretch to open for passenger operations

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath inspected the Sahibabad station of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project on Thursday, ahead of the inauguration of the 17km priority section in Ghaziabad, which is likely to take place soon, the state information department said.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath inside a RapidX train in Ghaziabad on Thursday. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The 17km priority section in Ghaziabad will be country’s first RRTS stretch to open for passenger operations. However, the information department officials did not provide a date for the inauguration.

Earlier this week, general VK Singh (retired), the minister of state for road and highways and civil aviation, also visited the site and hinted that the section may be inaugurated during the festival of Navratri which starts on Sunday.

“The chief minister visited the inaugural venue and directed officials to complete all pending works. He then visited the RRTS station in Sahibabad, where he was given a presentation on the project. Adityanath said it is a matter of pride for Ghaziabad residents that the inauguration will be done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the information department said in its statement.

The 82km RRTS network is being developed at a cost of ₹30,274 crore to link the three cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut with 22 of its 25 stations falling in Uttar Pradesh. The 17km priority section is already ready and is awaiting its opening, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), the agency developing the network, had said.

The priority section has five stations at Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai and Duhai Depot.

“We have readied the plans for security arrangements and personnel will be deployed once the official programme of the inauguration is received. The CM visited the RRTS station and also the venue,” said Shubham Patel, deputy commissioner of police (trans-Hindon).

The entire project is estimated to be operational in March 2025 and expected to cater to 800,000 daily passengers. On Wednesday, the NCTTC had announced the rates for parking at all five stations on the priority section.

“The chief minister was shown a presentation about our tentative plans for the inaugural event. He also inspected the station and the RRTS trains and showed a keen interest in the features which will be provided to passengers. He also inquired about the work progress and about connectivity to Meerut,” said a spokesperson from NCRTC.