The Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (Delhi–Meerut RRTS) is a partially operational 82.15 km (51.05 mi)-long semi high-speed rail and regional transit corridor that will connect the National Capital Region (NCR) cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut.[12][13] It is the first of the four rapid rail corridors planned under the first phase of the RapidX project managed by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC). Designed to allow a maximum speed of 180 km/h (110 mph), the distance between Delhi and Meerut will be covered in less than 60 minutes. The project is being executed at a cost of ₹30,274 crore (US$3.6 billion). It will start from Jangpura as the starting station, run through Sarai Kale Khan, the terminal for the three planned corridors, both in Delhi, and end in Modipuram in Meerut. It will have 16 stations and two depots at Duhai and Modipuram.[14][15][16][17][18]
The foundation stone for the project was laid by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi in March 2019, and construction began in June 2019.[19][20] The project's first phase, or the 17 km (11 mi)-long priority corridor from Sahibabad to Duhai Depot, was expected to become operational by March 2023.[21] However, due to pending works in some stations, especially in Ghaziabad, it got delayed. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 October 2023, and the rest of the entire 82 km (51 mi)-long corridor will be opened by June 2025. The corridor was extended till Modinagar North from Duhai Depot on 6 March 2024 and till Meerut South on 18 August 2024, thereby increasing the overall operational length to about 34 km (21 mi) and currently to 42 km (26 mi).[6][7] The owner of the corridor and its trains is the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), under whom the construction is also underway, while the operator is DB RRTS Operations India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn (DB).[22] Upon opening, the RRTS became the first regional transit system of India, also consisting the fastest rapid transit train in India, at an operational speed of 160 km/h (99 mph).[4][5]
Background
Due to increasing population, traffic, congestion, pollution, demand and risk of accidents and mishaps in the National Capital Region (NCR), in 2005, the Planning Commission formed a task force under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) to develop a multi-modal regional transit system for the NCR. This was included in the Integrated Transport Plan for NCR 2032, with special emphasis on Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) connecting regional centres. In 2013, The Governments of India and Delhi decided to create a comprehensive plan for developing a regional railway that will connect Delhi directly with the adjoining cities and regions of the NCR and beyond. Therefore, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) was formed in July 2013, as a joint venture (JV) of the Governments of India and the states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The objective of this company is to reduce dependence of commuters on road-based transportation and enhance regional connectivity within the NCR and beyond, and construct, own and operate the Regional Rapid Transit Systems (RRTS). Within Delhi, the RRTS systems will largely run underground, connect to the Delhi Metro and provide commuters with a faster alternative option as a last-mile connectivity to reach their destination. These systems will be similar to other regional transit systems in the world, like London's Crossrail, Paris' RER and Munich's S-Bahn. Initially, eight corridors traversing the NCR of at least 1,000 km (620 mi) were planned to be implemented, which now increased to nine, of which four corridors are being tracked to implement in the coming years, including the Delhi–Meerut, Delhi–Alwar, Delhi–Panipat and Ghaziabad–Jewar corridors. The Delhi–Meerut corridor was chosen to be implemented first, due to high frequency of travellers and traffic between Delhi and Meerut, so, the central, state governments and the NCRTC began studies and cleared its construction.[23]
History
The feasibility study and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) were approved by the Government of Uttar Pradesh in May 2017. In February 2019, the Government of India approved the project to be implemented, and also approved the funding of ₹30,274 crore (US$3.6 billion).[24][25] Therefore, On 8 March 2019, Prime MinisterNarendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the corridor and the Meerut Metro projects, and construction for both the projects began in June 2019.[26] The metro has been added on the RRTS route in Meerut to provide local connectivity, covering 21 km (13 mi).[27] The NCRTC planned for the 17 km (11 mi)-long priority section between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot to begin regular operations by March 2023.[28] However, due to some works pending in the stations, especially in Ghaziabad, it got delayed, so it was inaugurated and opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 October 2023.[5] In July 2022, the NCRTC selected Deutsche Bahn (DB), the national railway company of Germany, to operate and maintain the corridor for 12 years with a further five years' option, as part of the contract. Hence, after the opening of the corridor, the company formed a subsidiary named DB RRTS Operations India Pvt. Ltd., and began to look after the operations from the same day.[29][22] The NCRTC named the provider of the services as RapidX and the trains as Namo Bharat, the fastest rapid transit train of India, at an operational speed of 160 km/h (99 mph), soon after the inauguration of the corridor.[30][31]
In December 2023, after conducting trials runs on another 25 km (16 mi)-long section between Duhai Depot and Meerut South, the NCRTC announced that the section would be likely opened by March 2024, thereby taking the operational length to about 42 km (26 mi).[32] Therefore, the section was opened till Modinagar North on 6 March 2024, and till Meerut South on 18 August 2024, thus increasing the operational length to about 34 km (21 mi) and presently to 42 km (26 mi).[33][7] Another 16.6 km (10.3 mi)-long section from Sarai Kale Khan to Sahibabad is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.[34] In November 2021, the NCRTC decided to build a station, as the terminating station of the corridor, in Jangpura in the Delhi section. Originally, it was planned to have the stabling yard and operations control centre (OCC) for looking after the three corridors originating from Sarai Kale Khan, but the station plan was created to provide people living in Jangpura and adjoining localities connectivity to the RRTS, through the densely congested Mathura Road. Upon this addition, the number of stations on the corridor increased to 16. The station will be underground, and will be completed and opened after the completion of the rest of the corridor.[18] The rest of the corridor till Modipuram is expected be operational by June 2025.[4]
Following the Galwan Valley skirmish on 15 June 2020, there were calls by the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch for the Government to cancel the bid of a Chinese company involved in constructing and manufacturing the trains of the RRTS.[35][36] Although the Chinese company was not abstained from constructing a tunnel portion of the RRTS, the trains were decided to be built by another company. Hence, a re-bidding was conducted by the NCRTC, and Bombardier Transportation, a former Canadian company in railway manufacturing, now acquired by Alstom, a global French company in railway manufacturing, won the bid to make the trains for the RRTS and the Meerut Metro. The company will supply 210 coaches consisting of 30 trainsets with six coaches each, which could be extended to eight coaches based on demand. The trains are being manufactured in the company's plant in Savli, Gujarat.[37][38]
Route
Of the entire length, 68.03 km (42.27 mi) will be elevated, 14.12 km (8.77 mi) will be underground and 1.45 km (0.90 mi) will be at-grade for connections to two depots, to be located at Duhai and Modipuram.[14] In the densely populated areas of Delhi and Meerut, the route will be underground including near the Yamuna river at Anand Vihar.[16] The entire route is designed for a maximum speed of 180 km/h (110 mph), with an operating speed of 160 km/h (100 mph).[39][40] The average speed is approximately 100 km/h (62 mph).[40]
Meerut South RRTS stationDelhi-Meerut RRTS line under construction at Roorkee Road in Meerut
Since August 2024, the 42 km (26 mi)-long Sahibabad–Meerut South section is operational.[7] The 16.60 km (10.31 mi)-long section from Sarai Kale Khan to Sahibabad is expected to become operational by the end of 2024.[34] After the addition of Jangpura as the starting station of the corridor, which is slated to open after the opening of the entire corridor, the number of stations became 16 from the previous plan of 14.[14][18][41]
Construction
The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has divided the civil construction work of the RRTS project into eight packages and 30 packages for all stations, ramps, tunnel sections and technical facilities, consisting of 16 stations and two depots. Of the eight packages, two packages in the Meerut section are also part of the Meerut Metro project. The list of all packages, their contractors and statuses is as follows:[42][43]
Catenary Maintenance Vehicle And Engineering Maintenance Vehicle
PTL – Royal JV
Completed
Pkg-M5
Fully Automatic CNC under floor wheel lathe machine
HYT Engineering Co. Pvt. Ltd.
Partially completed
Pkg-M7
Construction of Emergency Evacuation System including connecting Foot Over Bridge from track level to road level at various locations
Quality Buildcon Pvt. Ltd.
Partially completed
Facilities
Drinking water facilities at Modinagar South stationThere are charging points near every seat inside the train. The coach depicted in the picture is a standard coach.
All stations and trains of the RRTS have similar facilities like that of an airport. They have several facilities to fulfill the requirements of travellers and on-board passengers to ensure smooth and hassle-free experience, like booking counters, ticket and food vending machines, on-board catering and washrooms, check-in kiosks, baggage checking counters, CCTVs, platform screen doors (PSDs), washrooms, retiring rooms, restaurants, retail stores, free WiFi, child care facilities, emergency and medical facilities, facilities for physically challenged passengers like wheelchairs, escalators, elevators and connecting facilities to other existing transport modes like Delhi Metro stations in the Delhi section, inter-state bus terminals (ISBTs) of the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) at Anand Vihar, Sahibabad and Shaheed Sthal at Ghaziabad, Indian railway stations, Meerut Metro stations in the Meerut section, cabs, auto-rickshaw stands, parking spaces, etc. All services are provided to passengers on-board the trains and travellers in the stations by RapidX.[30]
In November 2023, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) introduced online booking facilities through which passengers can book tickets online, with a mobile app named 'RRTS Connect'. For the very first time in India, the NCRTC has introduced a "one-tap ticketing" feature to commute in the Namo Bharat trains through the 'RRTS Connect' app. This feature allows commuters to generate a QR code swiftly on this app from anywhere within 300 metres of the RRTS station premise, with just one tap and without bothering about destination, thus saving them time and effort to book tickets in advance. This is also the first time in the world that such a ticketing feature is being provided in any public transport system. In line with the NCRTC’s efforts to ensure a seamless and hassle-free travel experience, this initiative lets commuters travel with spontaneity and allows flexibility in changing destinations during the journey.[44]
All stations of the RRTS have similar features like that of an airport. They have several technologically advanced features to enhance and give passengers a smooth and streamlined experience, as follows:
Multi-Modal Transport Integration: All stations will be integrated with various modes of transport like metro stations, railway stations, inter-state bus terminals, cabs and parking spaces to seamlessly facilitate the movement of commuters between the modes through skywalks, elevated walkways and entry/exit points. The RRTS will be the first regional transit system and rapid transit in India to merge and operate parallelly along another rapid transit in Meerut.[46]
Safety: All stations are fully surveillanced with CCTVs and security staff. They also have platform screen doors (PSDs) on platforms for enhanced commuter safety.[47]
Sustainability: All stations use eco-friendly measures to generate electricity, dispose waste and conserve water without affecting the environment, like solar panels on the roofs, adequate dustbins, water and sewage treatment systems, green spaces and electric vehicle charging points in the stations' premises and proper cleanliness in the entire premises. The implementation of the RRTS will shift the modal share from the present 37% to 63% in favour of public transport in the region, which will result in drastic reductions in traffic on roads, by reducing an estimated more than 100,000 daily vehicle circulations and 300 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per day, thereby ensuring sustainability.[48][49]
Ridership
The RRTS, after starting operations on the 17 km (11 mi)-long stretch from Sahibabad to Duhai Depot from October 2023, the initial ridership varied between 2,500 and 3,000 passengers per day.[50] As of May 2024, following the extension of the corridor by another 17 km (11 mi) from Duhai Depot to Modinagar North in March 2024, which brought the total operational length to about 34 km (21 mi), the ridership is around 12,000 passengers per day, which is an increase of about five times than before.[1] In May 2024, the corridor crossed the record of 1 million passengers since its opening in October 2023.[51] It is expected to go up to 800,000 per day after the entire 82.15 km (51.05 mi)-long corridor from Sarai Kale Khan to Modipuram becomes operational by June 2025.[3]
Stations
The RRTS corridor will begin from Jangpura and take its course from Sarai Kale Khan, both in Delhi. Then, it will pass through Ghaziabad, from which three more corridors to Jewar, Hapur and Khurja have been planned to connect the nearby towns and cities lying in Uttar Pradesh with the National Capital Region (NCR), cross Meerut simultaneously with the Meerut Metro and end in Modipuram. The corridor will have a total of 16 stations, with 9 more as intermediate stations of the Meerut Metro where the RRTS will not have any stops, except four stations at Meerut South, Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul and Modipuram, where both the RRTS and the Meerut Metro will be integrated together for stops. The corridor has currently 8 stations and one depot functional, and 8 more along with the Meerut Metro and another depot under construction. The stations' exterior designs are inspired by the feather colours of the Peacock, the national bird of India.[52] The following list shows the stations, their integration with existing transport modes and their statuses.[42][41]
On 1 May 2020, Bombardier Transportation, a former Canadian company in railway manufacturing, now acquired by Alstom, a global French company in railway manufacturing since January 2021,[53] emerged as the lowest bidder among a group of three bidders to supply and maintain 210 coaches for a 15-year period, with a price bid of ₹2,577 crore (US$310 million). The 210 coaches include 180 coaches consisting of 30 six-car trains for the RRTS, and 30 coaches consisting of 10 three-car trains for the Meerut Metro.[54][55]
In September 2020, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) released the design of the RRTS train, which is inspired by the Lotus Temple. Designed in Hyderabad, the trains have a design speed of 180 km/h (110 mph) and an operational speed of 160 km/h (99 mph), making them the fastest rapid transit trains in India. Each fully air-conditioned, six-car trainset, which could be extended to eight coaches based on demand, consists of one premium coach and one coach reserved for women, and is be able to carry 1,750 passengers.[56][55] It is compatible with a host of train protection systems like automatic train protection (ATP) and automatic train control (ATC) systems, and also has features like regenerative braking.[55]
The trains are the first-ever rapid transit trains in India to have an aerodynamic and sleek design and ergonomically designed seats. They have several facilities and amenities to cater the needs of the passengers, such as on-board catering, ticket scanners, food vending machines, information display systems, hand rests on the sides of the seats, adequate walking space, window blinders, charging points, fire alarms, washrooms, CCTVs, separate seats for and wheelchairs for physically challenged passengers. The trains were named as Namo Bharat after the inauguration of the corridor.[30]
The entire rolling stock is being manufactured in India at Alstom's plant in Savli, Gujarat,[57] and the first trainset was delivered to the NCRTC in May 2022. As of February 2024, of the 30 trains of the RRTS, more than 10 trains have been received and are in operation.[55]
The RRTS, after starting from Jangpura, will be connected to the Delhi Metro's Pink Line at Sarai Kale Khan before taking its course towards Meerut. Then, it will have an interchange with the Blue Line at New Ashok Nagar. It will be again connected to the Pink Line and Blue Line at Anand Vihar. After that, it has an interchange with the Red Line at Ghaziabad through which it currently runs till Meerut South. From here, it will have three stations in the Meerut section, with interchanges with the Meerut Metro at Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul and Modipuram, after which it will share its trains with the trains of the Meerut Metro at Modipuram depot. In the metro's first phase, the first line will run parallelly along the RRTS tracks on both sides, and the four of its 13 stations will be integrated with the RRTS, at Modipuram, Begumpul, Shatabdi Nagar and Meerut South, so that commuters can seamlessly connect with the metro and the Namo Bharat trains of the RRTS, providing them the ease of travel within Meerut and for connectivity to Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and adjoining parts of the National Capital Region (NCR). This makes the metro the first metro in India to run along and directly integrate with a regional transit system.[61]
Signalling and train control system
The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has decided to equip the corridor along with the Meerut Metro with ETCS L2 signalling, one of the most advanced signalling systems used in Europe. Tenders for its procurement were invited on 17 April 2020, and Alstom was awarded the contract worth approximately ₹937 crore (US$110 million) in January 2021. All operations and trains are controlled by RapidX in its operations control centre (OCC) at Duhai Depot. After the completion of the second OCC at Jangpura, the RapidX will have two OCCs to look after the operations.[62][63]
Nokia partnered with Alstom to implement the 4.9G/LTE private wireless network to support the ETCS L2 signalling. This is the first time in the world that an LTE network is being used along with ETCS L2 signalling.[64]
Future plans
On 26 January 2024, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) drafted a plan to extend the RRTS corridor from its terminating point in Meerut to Haridwar through Muzaffarnagar, in a meeting of the National Capital Region (NCR) planning board. The officials of the NCRTC stated that if the plan is executed, then the travel time from Delhi to Haridwar would decrease to only 2 hours from the current 3-4 hours by road and 5-6 hours by rail. The officials decided to conduct a physical survey of the proposed section to assess the feasibility and execution of the project. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be prepared to further analyse the practicality of the corridor.[65][66]
Environmental protection and sustainability measures
During construction, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has managed the pace of the work on the RRTS, which has become among the fastest infrastructure projects being executed in India, while simultaneously taking extensive pollution control measures in and around the construction sites. A dedicated team of experts appointed by the NCRTC are regularly monitoring the effectiveness of these measures and step-up the activities wherever necessary. Construction is being done within barricaded zones of adequate height and thorough cleanliness is being maintained on these sites. Anti-smog guns and water sprinklers are deployed to settle the dust generated from the works. All the raw materials and debris are kept covered with loose, thin sheets properly at their marked sites. The NCRTC is also repairing and revamping the roads beneath the viaduct sections after completing works to ensure enhanced flow of traffic without interruptions.
Other measures include the installation of 25,000 solar panels on the roofs of all stations and depots to generate 11 MW of electricity through solar power. These installations are expected to generate approximately 666,000 units of solar energy per year over its estimated lifespan of 25 years. The panels will together reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 615 tonnes per year, contributing to a remarkable reduction of 15,375 tonnes over its lifetime. Out of the 25,000 solar panels, it is estimated that 16 of the project’s 26 stations with the Meerut Metro can get approximately 1,100 panels on their rooftops, while the remaining nine smaller stations can get approximately 400 panels. The solar panels will together account for 70% of the total energy requirement. Being a rail-based transit system and reduced friction owing to steel-to-steel rolling contact, the corridor will have one-fifth fossil fuel consumption compared to road vehicles. To sustain water consumption and promote conservation, water recycling systems, rainwater harvesting facilities and sewage treatment systems are all being set up in and near the stations' and depots' premises. These sustainability measures will lead to drastic reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, by an estimated 250,000 tonnes per year, and also save water.[67][68][69]
In January 2024, the NCRTC announced that it has allowed to rent out the RRTS' stations and trains to be featured in shooting films, creating TV documentaries and commercials on a short-term basis, owing to the growing number of over-the-top (OTT) media services in India, or online platforms of entertainment streaming, in recent years, like Netflix, Hotstar, etc. and their increased use of public transport as backdrops in films. The RRTS stations offer well-lit and abundant spaces with vibrant colors and designs, while the Namo Bharat trains of the corridor boast sleek designs and passenger-centric amenities. For featuring the project, the NCRTC has fixed the charge as ₹ 2-3 lakh per hour, depending on the area selected for shooting. Other than shooting, the stations and the trains can also be booked for other purposes, like hosting events even at night hours.[72]
Apr 2021: Track laying started for the Ghaziabad section of the corridor.[78]
Jun 2021: The first elevated section pier (namely for the Sarai Kale Khan section) was constructed.[79]
Jun 2021: Construction work on the first part of the underground portion of began in Anand Vihar.[80]
Jul 2021: The piers were completed for the 24 km (15 mi) elevated stretch.[81]
Jul 2021: Alstom began manufacturing the 210 trains for the RRTS and the Meerut Metro. These are being manufactured in Alstom's plant in Savli, Gujarat.[82]
Aug 2021: It was announced that 650 hectares of land between Guldhar and Duhai RRTS stations will be developed as a commercial, residential and industrial hub.[83]
Aug 2021: Construction work on the second underground section began in Meerut.[84]
Oct 2021: Tenders was issued for the construction of the Modipuram depot.[85]
Dec 2021: Datamatics Global Services – AEP Ticketing Solutions (JV) was awarded a ₹227 crore (US$27 million) contract for the automated fare collection (AFC) system.[86]
Jan 2022:Nokia and Alstom deployed a private wireless network system based on LTE/4.9G with support for ETCS L2 signalling.[87]
Mar 2022: The NCRTC unveiled the first images of the RRTS trains, which would be used for operations after the completion of the construction of the priority corridor.[88]
Mar 2022: The tunneling work for the underground section of the RRTS in Meerut began.[89]
Apr 2022: Roughly 25% of the corridor was completed.[91]
May 2022: Alstom manufactured and delivered the first train to the NCRTC from Savli, Gujarat.[92]
Aug 2022: First trial of the first trainset had been successfully completed.[93]
Jan 2023: The deadline for the completion of both the RRTS and the Meerut Metro projects was set to June 2025.[94]
Feb 2023: The trial runs for the trains, including high-speed tests, had been completed, and now there were a total of six trains. The 17-km priority corridor from Sahibabad to Duhai was at its final stages of work, and was confirmed to be opened by mid-June 2023. The second stretch from Duhai to Meerut South would be opened by the first quarter of 2024, and the entire corridor would become operational by March 2025.[95][96][97]
Aug 2023: The entire tunneling work of the RRTS was fully completed.[98]
Oct 2023: The priority corridor from Sahibabad to Duhai was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 October 2023.[4]
Dec 2023: The trial run on the 25-km stretch from Duhai to Meerut South was conducted.[99]
Feb 2024: The NCRTC announced that the 25-km stretch from Duhai to Meerut South will become operational by March 2024, thereby increasing the operational length to 42 km. The RRTS and the Meerut Metro projects are both on track to be completed by June 2025.[100]
Mar 2024: Of the 25 km-long stretch from Duhai Depot to Meerut South, the 17-km stretch till Modinagar North was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6 March 2024, thus bringing the current operational length to 34 km. The Meerut South station will be completed by the first half of May 2024.[101][102]
Aug 2024: Of the 25 km-long stretch from Duhai Depot to Meerut South, the 8-km section from Modinagar North to Meerut South was opened on 18 August 2024. Of the total 82-km long corridor, more than 80 km has been completed, and the opening of the section from Sahibabad till Sarai Kale Khan is on track to be completed by December 2024.[7][103]
