The Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) has achieved 67.3% physical progress and 60% financial progress until October 31 this year, as informed in the Rajya Sabha on Monday (4 December) by Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Kaushal Kishore.
The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS, sanctioned at a cost of Rs 30,274 crore, has incurred an expenditure of Rs 18,160.81 crore till date. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 17-km-long priority section on October 20.
The 82-km-long Delhi-Meerut corridor, from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, includes 25 stations. The entire corridor is set to be commissioned by June 2025, significantly reducing travel time from Delhi to Meerut to less than one hour.
The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), responsible for project implementation, initially named RRTS trains as ‘RapidX’ but later renamed them as ‘NaMo Bharat.’ The trains, designed for high-speed intercity commuting, boast a speed potential of 180 kmph and operational speed potential of 160 kmph.
The initiative aims to provide high-speed trains for intercity commuting every 15 minutes, with the capability to increase frequency to every five minutes as needed. With an average speed of 100 kmph, these indigenously manufactured trains surpass the speed of both the Delhi Metro and Indian Railways’ trains.