Delhi-Meerut RapidX: NCRTC Seeks Partners For Real Estate Development At RRTS Stations Under TOD Policy

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) — currently developing the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) — is now seeking partners to build multilevel commercial areas above its Sarai Kale Khan and Anand Vihar stations.

The NCRTC has obtained rights under the transit-oriented development (TOD) policy and has recently released an expression of interest (EOI) to explore the possibility of constructing hotels, offices, or residential areas above the RRTS stations.

The EOI for Sarai Kale Khan station, which was floated last week, states that the NCRTC aims to qualify and select a suitable partner for the proposed transit oriented development on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis, as per Hindustan Times report.

This process will be conducted through an open competitive bidding process. The purpose of the EOI is to gather industry perspective on the successful commercial development of retail spaces, offices, hotels, and to establish a common understanding of the proposed terms and conditions of the contract agreement based on feedback from the industry.

Additionally, a separate EOI has been released for Anand Vihar. The Anand Vihar station is part of the upcoming Delhi-Meerut line — set to begin operations in 2025.

Further, three RRTS corridors — Delhi-Meerut, Delhi-Panipat, and Delhi-Alwar — will converge at Sarai Kale Khan station, which is being developed as a transit hub with multimodal integration.

The commuters can easily switch between the RRTS, the existing metro station, bus stand and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station.

Transit Oriented Development To Integrate Real Estate Around RRTS Stations

TOD is a widely embraced approach that promotes development along public transit corridors, leading to more efficient land utilisation.

In May 2017, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) introduced the National Transit Oriented Development policy, serving as a guiding framework for states and cities adopting TOD as a strategy for urban growth.

This policy defines TOD as a means of integrating land use and transport planning to establish well-designed, sustainable urban centres interconnected with high-quality transit systems.

The concept has also been extensively discussed with a focus on integrating real estate development around RRTS stations.

Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, one of the key officials involved in getting the TOD policy approved in 2017, said while the framework is in place, it is important for agencies to efficiently implement the projects.

Mishra emphasised the need for urgent action in implementing residential and commercial development projects, citing the example of a hotel at the Gandhinagar station in Gujarat, as per the report.

The rail-based system coming up in National Capital Region (NCR) is country's first RRTS. The Rs 30,274 crore RRTS corridor from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh is targeted for opening by March 2025.

Primarily elevated for 70-km, the corridor also includes a 12-km underground section. The route includes 25 stations, with three in Delhi, eight in Ghaziabad, and the remaining in Meerut.

Before the complete opening, the NCRTC will operationalise the priority section of 17 km in Ghaziabad, extending from Sahibabad to Duhai Depot.