82 km, in less than 45 minutes: Namo Bharat to reduce travel time between Meerut and Delhi, PM Modi to inaugurate

The Namo Bharat train will connect major urban centres including Sahibadad, Ghaziabad, Modinagar and Meerut with Delhi.

Published on: Feb 21, 2026, 18:09:17 IST

By Akansha Purohit

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Namo Bharat train from Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, which will significantly reduce the travel time between the UP district and the national capital.

An inside view of Namo Bharat train at a station, in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh (PTI)

Along with the Namo Bharat train, the prime minister will also inaugurate the Meerut Metro at the Shatabdi Nagar Namo Bharat Station. He will also undertake a metro ride till Meerut South Station.

With the inauguration, the 82-km stretch from New Ashok Nagar to Meerut South will be fully operational, making it India's first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS).

At present, only 55 km of the total 82.15 km stretch was operational. The new sections include the 5 km section between Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar in Delhi and the 21 km section between Meerut South and Modipuram in Uttar Pradesh.

Namo Bharat to connect major urban centres

The Namo Bharat train will connect major urban centres in Uttar Pradesh, including Sahibadad, Ghaziabad, Modinagar and Meerut with the national capital with a design speed of 180 kmph and operational speed of 160 kmph.

The originating corridor, Sarai Kale Khan, is also one of the four stations to be commissioned on February 22.

The Sarai Kale Khan station will turn into a major multi-modal hub, seamlessly connecting Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, Delhi Metro's Pink Line, Veer Haqeeqat Rai ISBT, and Ring Road.

Also read: Namo Bharat trains open for personal events, parties, shoots | Check details

The other three stations that are being commissioned tomorrow are Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul and Modipuram in Meerut.

The inauguration of the first 'Namo Bharat Train' will be a step towards strengthening regional connectivity in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Friday.

Currently, the 55 km corridor between New Ashoke Nagar and Meerut South, with 11 stations, is operational.

Also read: Single security check-in starts for Namo Bharat–Metro interchange

Meerut- Delhi travel time to be reduced to 40-45 mins

Talking about the inauguration of Namo Bharat, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the PM will inaugurate India's first Namo Bharat Train between Meerut and Delhi. "The train will reduce travel time between the two cities to 40–45 minutes," ANI quoted Aditynath as saying.

He also said that the two corridors being developed for the Namo Bharat train and the Meerut Metro will give "a new dimension to regional connectivity."

CM Adityanath also inspected the arrangements at Meerut South Namo Bharat Station ahead of PM Modi's visit. Further, a trial run was also conducted on Saturday between Begumpul, Meerut, and Sarai Kale Khan.

The Namo Bharat train is different from the metro as it caters to passengers looking to travel relatively longer distances with fewer stops.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Akansha Purohit
Akansha Purohit is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she is part of the online news desk. She began her journey with the organisation as an intern and later joined the newsroom in a full-time editorial role. With close to a year of experience at Hindustan Times, she contributes to the daily news cycle by writing, curating, and editing digital content. Her work primarily focuses on national and international news, along with explainers that simplify complex developments and ongoing issues. She also writes on matters of public interest, and handles blogs with live updates. Akansha holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi, and completed her postgraduate studies in Digital Media from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. During her postgraduate programme, she worked on several research and journalism projects that strengthened her reporting, editing, and digital storytelling skills.Read More

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