RRTS: Underground tunnelling over, focus to shift to Ghaziabad-Meerut section

A 17km priority section in Ghaziabad, extending from Sahibabad to Duhai Depot and encompassing five RRTS stations, is already complete and awaits inauguration

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) achieved a significant milestone on Tuesday, marking the completion of civil construction for the entire underground tunnelling works of the 82km long Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project, officials said. This project aims to connect the cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut.

NCRTC officials said over 80,000 precast segments were utilised, each measuring 1.5 metres in length, to form the tunnel rings. (HT Photo)

Officials familiar with the development said the focus will now shift to the section from Ghaziabad’s Duhai Depot to Meerut (South), where the viaduct is already finished. They added that the track laying activities are expected to conclude within the next three months.

Spanning 82km, the country’s inaugural RRTS project comprises an elevated portion of around 70km, with about 80% of the viaduct completed. The remaining work, approximately 5.5km from New Ashok Nagar in Delhi to Sahibabad in Ghaziabad, and about 6.5km in Meerut, is underground.

Puneet Vats, chief public relations officer, NCRTC, said, “The civil construction of the entire underground tunnelling works for the project has been completed. The latest breakthrough occurred at the Vaishali retrieving shaft in Ghaziabad on Tuesday. The viaduct connecting Ghaziabad to Meerut (South) is already finished, and track laying activities are progressing rapidly. We anticipate track laying to conclude within the next three months.”

On August 23, HT has reported that the underground tunnelling works were nearing completion and could be finished within a week.

Once the section up to Meerut (South) is completed, the project’s focus will shift to the Delhi section. The final section, connecting Meerut (South) to Modipuram, will be taken up after that, as this section includes a local Metro module for operations in Meerut.

A 17km priority section in Ghaziabad, extending from Sahibabad to Duhai Depot and encompassing five RRTS stations, is already complete and awaits inauguration.

The overall cost estimate for the 82km long RRTS project is ₹30,274 crore, said officials.

According to NCRTC sources, the Duhai Depot to Meerut (South) section will witness simultaneous installation of signals, overhead equipment, and more. They added that this phase will pave the way for connecting Ghaziabad with western Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, speculations are rife that the combined Ghaziabad to Meerut (South) section might open for passenger operations around the time of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Regarding the underground tunnels, officials said over 80,000 pre-cast segments were utilised, each measuring 1.5 metres in length. These segments were assembled to form the tunnel rings. The RRTS tunnels boast a diameter of about 6.5 metres, a highly optimized dimension compared to global tunnel benchmarks for a similar design speed of 180kmph, accommodating wider and taller rolling stock.

The NCRTC plans to deploy RapidX trains on the 82km corridor, designed for a maximum speed of 180km per hour. The agency aims to open the entire Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor to the public by 2025.