RRTS project: Speed trials start on Ghaziabad-Meerut (south) section

The 23km RRTS section in Meerut has an elevated section of about 18km. Of this, 11km is complete and work on the viaduct is progressing fast on the remaining 7km and is likely to finish by the next six months

The viaduct on a 7km Meerut (south) to Modipuram underground stretch of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project is about 60% complete and the pending work is likely to get complete in the next six months, officials of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), the agency executing the RRTS project, said on Wednesday.

The officials are expecting that the 25km section will be ready by end of March 2024. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The 82km long RRTS project is proposed to link the three cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut, said officials.The RRTS project has 25 stations in all -- four in Delhi, eight in Ghaziabad and 13 in Meerut and the entire stretch is likely to get operational by June 2025.

Of the 82km, a 17km priority section, from Sahibabad to Duhai Depot in Ghaziabad, became operational on October 20, 2023 and trials are ongoing on a 25km additional stretch from Duhai to Meerut (south).

The officials are expecting that the 25km section will be ready by end of March and speed trials of trains reaching an operational speed of 160km/hour were initiated on Wednesday.

The Meerut (south) to Modipuram stretch is vital and comprises 13 stations, of which nine are part of a local metro module. The four dedicated RRTS stations are Meerut (south), Shatabdi Nagar, Begum Pul and Modipuram while the local metro stations are Partapur, Rithani, Bhrampuri, Meerut (central), Bhaisali, MES Colony, Daurli and Meerut (north).

“The 23km RRTS section in Meerut has an elevated section of about 18km. Of this, 11km is complete and work on the viaduct is progressing fast on the remaining 7km and is likely to finish by the next six months,” said a spokesperson from NCRTC, asking not to be named.

“The work for viaduct and stations is progressing fast in Meerut while the trials are going on at fast pace on the 25km section from Duhai in Ghaziabad to Meerut (south),” said Puneet Vats, chief public relations officer, NCRTC.

“The speed trials started on Wednesday and it is getting done to check synchronisation of different systems. With trails progressing fast, it is likely that we may apply to the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety in February to conduct safty checks,” said an NCRTC official, who wished not to be named.

Once the 25km section gets operational, all the eight stations in Ghaziabad, including five stations of the priority section, and Muradnagar, Modinagar (south) and Modinagar (north), will have RRTS train connectivity.

According to officials, their focus is on completing the 25km section from Duhai to Meerut (south) by end of March and then move on to the 14km section in Delhi which is likely to be ready by end of 2024. Thereafter, the Meerut section will be made operational with the local metro module, they said.

The entire 82km RRTS project is being built at a cost of ₹30,274 crore, officials said.