Trial run on RRTS priority section in Ghaziabad likely to start in November

The NCRTC has already received the first two trains from the manufacturing plant at Savli in Gujarat and officials said that a third train will also be received shortly at Ghaziabad’s Duhai depot. The entire train operations for the priority section will be executed through a control centre at the Duhai depot.

The trial run for the country’s first train under the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project is likely to begin in November, sources said. Officials of the project executing agency, National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), said that the first RRTS train will be put to trial on the 17-kilometre priority section in Ghaziabad and it will be the first RRTS stretch to become operational in March 2023.

Ghaziabad, India - September 13, 2022: Construction work underway for the Rapid Rail project on Delhi Meerut road, in Ghaziabad, India on Tuesday, September 13, 2022. (Photo by Sakib Ali /Hindustan Times)

The NCRTC has already received the first two trains from the manufacturing plant at Savli in Gujarat and officials said that a third train will also be received shortly at Ghaziabad’s Duhai depot. The entire train operations for the priority section will be executed through a control centre at the Duhai depot.

“The work for the viaduct for the 17-km priority section is about 99% complete. Once it is over, the work for laying of tracks and installation of overhead equipment will be taken up in the month of October. Thereafter, the trial run will start in November. The trial run will involve the speed-test of the trains and will also include a host of other tests for the safety and operational readiness of RRTS trains. The speed test will see the trains touch the 180 kilometres per hour (kmph) mark,” said Puneet Vats, NCRTC chief public relations officer.

Official sources added that different departments of the RRTS project will conduct their tests during the trial run. Thereafter, an integrated test of all the systems will take place before the final safety clearance is given for going ahead with passenger operations.

The entire 82-km phase of the RRTS project will connect Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut and will get commissioned in March 2025. The NCRTC has proposed 30 trains of six coaches each besides 10 trains with three coaches that will serve as a local transit module in Meerut, sources said.

“With the trial run phase nearing, the work for five RRTS stations on the priority stretch is also being expedited and is over 60% complete. These five stations will become fully operational when the priority section starts. Once the trial runs end, the fares will also be rolled out,” Vats added.

The entire project having 25 stations in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh is pegged at ₹30,274 crore.

The RRTS trains will have premium coaches with 60 seats while the standard coaches will have 70 seats. The six-coach RRTS train will be able to ferry 1,750 passengers, which also includes the standing capacity.