Government of India (GoI) has allocated Rs 3,596 crore to India's first regional rapid transit system (RRTS) project. This was announced in the Union Budget presented on 1st February, 2023.
The 82 km-long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor will cover 24 stations comprising both elevated (70.5 km) and underground (11.5 km) stretches, and is to be completed in 2025. The corridor will begin in Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi and travel via Anand Vihar, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Duhai, Muradnagar, Modi Nagar, and Meerut before culminating at Modipuram in Meerut.
Delhi-Meerut RRTS is India's first RRTS corridor and aims to reduce the commuting time between Delhi and Meerut to 50 minutes. The project entails an outlay of Rs 30,270 crore.
Once operational, the RRTS train will have a designated speed of 180 kmph and an operational speed of 160 kmph. The aerodynamic coaches will be self-propelled on electric traction with a 25 kV AC system.
The project is being implemented by NCRTC (National Capital Region Transport Corporation), a joint venture of the central (50 percent) and state governments of Haryana (12.5 percent), NCT Delhi (12.5 percent), UP (12.5 percent) and Rajasthan (12.5 percent).
Currently, the construction work for the 17 km-long priority section between Duhai and Sahibabad comprising five stations is underway. Trial runs are in progress to meet the completion timelines.
NCRTC further plans to construct two additional corridors under the RRTS model.