Ghaziabad to Noida airport link: Feasibility report proposes 11 RRTS stations with local metro module

To connect the airport with the catchment area, the state government requested NCRTC to draw up a feasibility report for a high-speed train corridor to the airport

The feasibility report for high-speed rail connectivity between Ghaziabad and the upcoming greenfield Noida international airport in Jewar has proposed 11 stations of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) and also a local metro module of 15 stations, officials in the know of the matter said on Thursday.

The NCRTC is already executing the 82km long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS project and a 17km priority stretch in Ghaziabad is already operational. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

In December 2023, the Uttar Pradesh government approved 72km long RRTS corridor between Ghaziabad and upcoming greenfield Noida international airport in Jewar and asked the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) to prepare the feasibility report. The project is estimated to cost about ₹16,000 crore.

The NCRTC is already executing the 82km long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS project and a 17km priority stretch in Ghaziabad is already operational.

“The feasibility report (for Ghaziabad to Noida airport) has been prepared and teams are working on the detailed project report for the link as directed by the state government. The DPR is expected to be ready in the next three or four months,” said Puneet Vats, chief public relations officer, NCRTC.

The Noida airport is likely to start operations by December 2024 and is expected to handle about 71 million passengers per day by 2042-43. To connect the airport with the catchment area, the state government requested NCRTC to draw up a feasibility report for a high-speed train corridor to the airport.

The feasibility report proposes a 37.15km RRTS/Metro system between the Ghaziabad RRTS station and Kasna. This stretch would have 22 stations, including 15 of the local Metro module.

The feasibility report has proposed seven RRTS stations – Ghaziabad, Ghaziabad (south), Greater Noida (West), Knowledge Park 5, Surajpur, Pari Chowk and Ecotech 6.

The report has proposed a local Metro module comprising stations in Siddharth Vihar, Sector 16C in Greater Noida, Ecotech 12, sectors 2, 3, 10 and 12 in Greater Noida, near Surajpur, Malakpur, Ecotech 2, Knowledge Park 3, Gamma 1, Omega 2, Phi 3 and Ecotech IE.

The second stretch from Kasna to Noida airport will be about 35.11km and the report has proposed four RRTS stations – Dankaur, Yeida North (sector 18), Yeida Central (sector 21, 35) and finally the Noida airport.

The officials aware of the matter said the first stretch has provision for a local transit module as it is developed and populated, while the infrastructure provision will be made to have a similar module for the second stretch where a local module may be deployed in the future.

“The proposed RRTS/Metro system will serve the dual purpose of providing fast connectivity to Noida airport for passengers and will also provide a highly accessible Metro to passengers of Ghaziabad, Greater Noida and Yeida areas,” said an officer aware of the development, asking not to be named.

Uttar Pradesh chief secretary DS Mishra on December 5 chaired a meeting that approved the ₹1,600 crore project that will connect Noida airport with National Capital Region (NCR) towns of Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut and Delhi.

The meeting was also attended by Uttar Pradesh civil aviation department officials, officials of the Greater Noida authority, Noida authority and the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority, among others.

“After approving the RRTS route, the Uttar Pradesh government asked NCRTC to prepare a DPR of this corridor by March-end, 2024. Once the DPR is finalised and approved, the project will witness swift progress,” said Shailendra Bhatia, officer on special duty, Yeida.