Namo Bharat: Third Section of Delhi-Meerut RRTS Cleared For Operations, Marking Halfway Completion Of The 82-Km Corridor

The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) has approved the third section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat (RRTS) train for commercial operations.

This 8 km segment, running from Modinagar North to Meerut South, will extend the train's operational route to 42 km, adding to the Sahibabad-Duhai and Duhai-Modinagar North section of the corridor.  

This development also marks the halfway point of the 82 km Delhi-Meerut corridor, which is set for completion by mid-2025.

The safety inspections were conducted in the last week of May, followed by a final inspection by the CMRS. Officials mentioned that the opening date has yet to be finalised.

"The section will reduce the travel time from Sahibabad to Meerut South to nearly 30 minutes. Both state and central governments have been informed that work on the 8 km section is complete, and a decision on its inauguration is expected soon," said an NCRTC official.

Meerut South will be the district's first station on the rapid rail corridor, which will also feature metro services.

Of the 13 stations in the Namo Bharat corridor in Meerut, four are designated for rapid rail, while the remaining nine are part of the local metro network.

The NCRTC has also developed the state's largest parking facility at the station, covering 13,000 sqm and accommodating 1,200 vehicles.

The Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat (rapid rail) project, designed to connect Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut, is currently under construction at a cost of Rs 30,274 crore.

Currently, a 34 km section in Ghaziabad is operational, passing through Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, Duhai Depot, Muradnagar, Modinagar (South), and Modinagar (North).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a 17 km stretch of the service in Ghaziabad on 20 October 2023. Another 17 km section opened on 6 March 2024.

Upon completion of the entire corridor, expected by June 2025, passengers will be able to travel from Meerut (South) to Delhi in about 35 minutes, which currently takes more than 2 hours.