RRTS Project: Viaduct Work For Priority Corridor Complete As NCRTC Targets March 2023 Commissioning

In a giant step toward implementing the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project, the last span of viaduct construction was completed in the 17-km long priority section between Sahibabad to Duhai of RRTS.

Picking up the pace in system implementation works, it was installed near the Special Steel Span of RRTS constructed for crossing railway lines at Ghaziabad. The last segment of the girder was lifted by the launching gantry and fitted, and thus, the viaduct is completed from Sahibabad to Duhai on the priority section.

According to the NCRTC, after the project sanction, the civil work of the Priority Section was started in June 2019. Despite two waves of COVID 19, the civil construction work is nearing completion within just three years.

The 82-kilometre-long RRTS project is being constructed at the cost ₹30,274 crore and will provide high-speed train connectivity to link the three cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut, while reducing the overall travelling time to about 55 minutes. The entire stretch is to get commissioned in March, 2025.

The construction work in this 17-km stretch is being carried out in two packages – Package 1 between Sahibabad to Ghaziabad and Package 2 between Ghaziabad and Duhai. The construction of the entire span in package 1 is now complete. After this progress in civil construction work, the pace of installation of signalling and telecom systems in both these packages will be accelerated.

The 17-km long priority section will have a total of five stations, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai and Duhai Depot, and their construction work is in progress. The road ahead for the implementation of Overhead Electrical wires is now clear, and the track laying work is being carried out within its stipulated time frame.

The construction work of Stabilizing and Inspection Lines and Rolling Stock Maintenance Yard to maintain RRTS trains at Duhai Depot is also on track. The construction of the administrative building of RRTS equipped with various labs, simulation rooms and different types of classrooms being built for training is also going on.

At present 23 launching gantries have been installed on the 82 km long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor and the speed with which this project is being carried out is exemplary for the construction of any urban transport infrastructure project in the country.

NCRTC aims to commence the trial run on the priority section by the end of this year, and engineers, officers and staff associated with this project are working day and night to make it come true. Due to its tireless and continuous efforts, NCRTC is not only nearing the completion of this project within its stipulated time frame but ahead of time.

NCRTC, while maintaining the pace of construction, is also taking various measures to control pollution in and around construction sites. A dedicated team of experts is also regularly monitoring the effectiveness of these measures and intensifying the activities wherever necessary.

The construction work is being done in the barricading zones of sufficient height, and special attention is being paid to the cleanliness at these sites. Anti-smog guns and water sprinklers have been installed to dispose of construction dust. All the raw materials and debris are kept covered at their sites.

NCRTC is also conscious of the safety in and around construction sites and is ensuring the safety of the personnel at the construction site and the passengers passing by in its vicinity. It is an accident-prone area due to the machines, equipment, and works operating at the construction site, hence, NCRTC is taking every possible security measure.

NCRTC plans to commence the operation on the priority section by next year and commission the entire corridor by 2025.