Tunnelling works for 82km long RRTS project nearing completion

NCRTC officials said wider tunnels had been designed to accommodate the larger RapidX trains and their design speed of 180kmph

The NCR Transport Corporation (NCRTC), responsible for the 82-km-long Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project, announced that civil construction work for the project is nearly finished and is expected to conclude in the coming days, officials aware of the development said. They noted completion in Meerut and indicated that only 2% of the work remains for the Anand Vihar to Vaishali section in Ghaziabad.

Each underground tunnel constructed for the RRTS project spans 6.5 metres in width, surpassing the typical Metro systems’ width of 5.8 metres. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The project, spanning 82 km, will link Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut. Primarily elevated for 70 km, the RRTS corridor also comprises a 12 km underground section near Anand Vihar in Delhi (5.5 km from New Ashok Nagar to Sahibabad in Ghaziabad, with a station at Anand Vihar) and six kilometres in Meerut, with stations at Bhainsali, Meerut (central), and Begum Pul.

Puneet Vats, chief PRO of NCRTC, said, “The underground civil construction of tunnelling work for the RRTS project is likely to conclude within a week. The pending work solely lies in the Anand Vihar to Vaishali section. As a result, the tunnelling progress stands at approximately 98%. Once tunnelling is complete, we’ll proceed with track laying, signal installation, and overhead equipment setup.”

Each underground tunnel constructed for the RRTS project spans 6.5 metres in width, surpassing the typical Metro systems’ width of 5.8 metres. NCRTC officials said wider tunnels had been designed to accommodate the larger RapidX trains and their design speed of 180kmph.

Officials said that cross-passages have been incorporated every 250 metres within the tunnels, aiming to facilitate maintenance and passenger evacuation during emergencies.

NCRTC has already completed the nation’s first RRTS section of 17 km in Ghaziabad, extending from Sahibabad to Duhai Depot, encompassing five stations and awaiting inauguration.

Upon opening the priority section for passengers, operations will progress from Duhai towards Meerut in the subsequent phase, followed by Delhi, officials said. They added that the final implementation will involve the metro module in Meerut.

Vats further added, “Track laying on the elevated corridor is proceeding rapidly. Around 50% of track laying is complete from Duhai to Meerut (south). Most of the viaduct is also finished, with only approximately 15 km pending across different locations in Delhi and Meerut.”

The RRTS project, with an estimated cost of ₹30,274 crore, is slated to commence operations in March 2025. The route, spanning 82 km, encompasses 25 stations, with three in Delhi, eight in Ghaziabad, and the remaining in Meerut.