Plan underway to link RRTS to Jewar airport: Gen VK Singh

The entire RRTS project is estimated to cost ₹30,274 crore, and it’s expected that the full 82km section will be completed by March 2025

The Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) is set to connect with the upcoming Jewar airport, as authorities work on a detailed project report (DPR) for this expansion, according to General VK Singh (retired), the minister of state for road transport & highways and civil aviation.

General VK Singh, who is also a member of parliament from Ghaziabad, on Tuesday, conducted an inspection of the 17km priority section of the RRTS project. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

General VK Singh, who is also a member of parliament from Ghaziabad, on Tuesday, conducted an inspection of the 17km priority section of the RRTS project. There are expectations that this section might be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the upcoming ‘Navratri’ festival.

The 17km priority section, which spans from Sahibabad to Duhai in Ghaziabad, will be the country’s first to commence passenger operations. It’s a crucial part of the 82km RRTS project that aims to link Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut.

The entire RRTS project is estimated to cost ₹30,274 crore, and it’s expected that the full 82km section will be completed by March 2025.

“Under the present project, the RRTS connectivity is between Delhi and Meerut. We are also planning to take up the project from Duhai to Jewar airport so that it gets connectivity to Delhi. The focus of the airport at Jewar will be on western Uttar Pradesh and many people from this region are likely to take flights from Jewar. So, they can go to Meerut to Delhi from Jewar easily. The DPR is being prepared,” Gen Singh said while speaking to media at Sahibabad RRTS station on Tuesday.

The RRTS project initially included corridors like Delhi-Meerut, Delhi-Alwar, Delhi-Panipat, Delhi-Palwal, Delhi-Khurja, Delhi-Rohtak, Delhi-Hapur, and Delhi-Baraut. The prioritized three corridors fall under Phase 1 of the RRTS project, while the other five routes were identified under the Functional Plan on Transport for National Capital Region-2032.

The proximity of Khurja City to Jewar makes this RRTS expansion crucial for enhancing accessibility to the upcoming Jewar airport.

The work for the development of the Jewar airport has progressed fast after November 25, 2021, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the project’s foundation stone. The airport aims to begin operations initially with two runways by late 2023, with plans for expansion to six runways.

As preparations for the likely inauguration of the 17km priority section of the RRTS project intensify, it’s expected that Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath may visit the site to inspect the arrangements and preparations.

“The CM will visit Hapur on October 17 and he may likely visit here. The auspicious works are done during the ‘Navratris’ and we should wait for the festival time,” Gen Singh added.

The 82km RRTS project includes 25 stations, with 22 of them falling under the jurisdiction of Uttar Pradesh. Ghaziabad district alone has eight stations, including five on the 17km priority section.

Once fully operational, the 82km RRTS route is anticipated to serve approximately 8 lakh passengers per day. “The infrastructure for the 17km priority section is already complete and RRTS trains are running with full operational status but without passengers. Once the inauguration takes place, the passenger operations can start immediately,” said a spokesperson from NCR Transport Corporation (NCRTC)– the agency executing the RRTS project.