Opinion

Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor: A significant enhancement to India's transportation infrastructure

In line with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, the RRTS network will have extensive multi-modal integration with railway stations, metro stations, bus services, etc.

Anil Agrawal Last Updated:October 21, 2023 11:33:47 IST

Trains halt at the Sahibabad RAPIDX station ahead of the inauguration of a priority section of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) in Ghaziabad. The priority section of RRTS was inaugurated on 20 October by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI

The recent success of Chandrayaan 3, followed by the successful organisation of the G20, has made India a centre of attraction for the entire world. The record-breaking performance of bagging more than a hundred medals at the Asian Games, the launch and expansion of 5G in India, and the record number of digital transactions taking place confirm India’s growth story. Made in India vaccines turned out to be a lifesaver for crores of people in the world. Referring to India’s rise in the manufacturing sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the eagerness of multinational companies to set up manufacturing units in India for mobile phones, TVs, laptops, and computers. Bharat also touched upon defence manufacturing, including fighter jets and the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. The Namo Bharat train has also been made in India. It is worth noting that the Namo Bharat train produces less noise than helicopters and aeroplanes.

On Friday, PM Modi inaugurated the priority section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor at Sahibabad RapidX Station in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. He also flagged off the Namo Bharat RapidX train connecting Sahibabad to Duhai Depot, marking the launch of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) in India.

This was a historic moment for the nation as India’s first rapid rail service, the Namo Bharat Train, was dedicated to the people. It is a testament to the government’s commitment to inaugurate the mega-infrastructure projects. Namo Bharat is a symbol of strengthening women’s power in the country because women make up the entire support staff and the locomotive pilots of the newly inaugurated train. It has modernity and speed.

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Indeed, the Namo Bharat Train is defining the new journey of New India and its new resolutions. India’s development lies in the development of the states. The Namo Bharat is a glimpse of India of the future and exemplifies the transformation of the nation with growing economic muscle. This 80-kilometre Delhi-Meerut stretch is just the beginning, as the first phase will see many areas of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan connected with the Namo Bharat train. In the coming days, a similar system will be created in other parts of the country to improve connectivity and create new avenues of employment.

The third decade of the present century is the decade of transformation for Indian railways. Bharat is now not in the habit of having small dreams and walking slowly. We need to be sure that by the end of this decade, we will not find Indian trains second to none in the world. Indian Railways will achieve a new pedestal in the world in safety, cleanliness, facilities, coordination, sensitivity, and capability. Indian railways are not very far from the goal of 100 per cent electrification. The Trinity of Amrit Bharat, Vande Bharat, and Namo Bharat will become a symbol of modern railways by the end of this decade.

Underlying the thinking of multi-modal connectivity, Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, Ghaziabad, and Meerut bus stations, metro stations, and railway stations are being connected by the Namo Bharat system.

The government is improving the standard of living and quality of life of all citizens, providing better air quality, getting rid of garbage dump yards, providing better educational facilities, and improving public transport services. It is spending more than ever to improve the public transport system in the country and mentioned the all-round development efforts on land, air, and sea. We should not forget that more than a hundred waterways are being developed in the rivers of India, where the largest waterway is being developed along the Ganges from Varanasi to Haldia. Farmers can now send their produce outside the region with the help of inland waterways. The recently concluded Gangavilas river cruise completed a journey of more than 3200 km and created a world record for the longest river cruise in the world. Referring to the land network, more than Rs 4 lakh crores are being spent on expanding the web of modern motorways, while Rs 3 lakh crores are being spent on modern trains such as Namo Bharat or metro trains.

Drawing parallels from the expansion of the metro network in Delhi, cities like Noida, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Meerut, Agra, and Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh are following a similar path. Even in Karnataka, the metro is being expanded in Bengaluru and Mysuru. The number of airports has doubled in the last nine years, and India’s airlines have placed orders for more than 1,000 new aircraft. The government has prepared a roadmap till 2040, which includes the Gaganyaan for manned space journeys and setting up India’s space station. These developments are carried out for the youth of the country and create a bright future for them.

To reduce urban pollution, the central government has started a scheme to provide 10,000 electric buses to the states. The government is preparing to run more than 1300 electric buses in Delhi at an expense of Rs 600 crore. Out of these, more than 850 electric buses have already started plying in Delhi. Similarly, in Bangalore, the Government of India is providing assistance of Rs 500 crore to run more than 1200 electric buses. The central government is trying to promote modern and green public transport in every city, be it Delhi, UP, or Karnataka.

Civic ease is being given the foremost priority in the infrastructure that is being developed in the country. Trains like Metro or Namo Bharat will improve the lives of commuters, and quality infrastructure will bring new opportunities for the youth, businessmen, and working women of the country.

Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor

The 17 km priority section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor will connect Sahibabad to ‘Duhai Depot’ with stations at Ghaziabad, Guldhar, and Duhai on the way. The foundation stone for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor was laid by PM Modi on 8 March 2019.

In line with the prime minister’s vision to transform regional connectivity in the country through the construction of new world-class transport infrastructure, the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project is being developed. RRTS is a new rail-based, semi-high-speed, high-frequency commuter transit system. With a design speed of 180 kmph, RRTS is a transformational regional development initiative that is designed to provide high-speed trains for intercity commuting every 15 minutes, which can go up to a frequency of every 5 minutes as per requirement.

A total of eight RRTS corridors have been identified to be developed in the NCR, out of which three have been prioritised to be implemented in Phase-I, including Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Corridor, Delhi-Gujrat-SNB-Alwar Corridor, and Delhi-Panipat Corridor. The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS is being developed at a cost of more than Rs 30,000 crore and will connect Delhi to Meerut in less than an hour of travel time, going through the urban centres of Ghaziabad, Muradnagar, and Modinagar.

RRTS, being developed in the country, is a state-of-the-art regional mobility solution and is comparable to the best in the world. It will provide safe, reliable, and modern intercity commuting solutions in the country. In line with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, the RRTS network will have extensive multi-modal integration with railway stations, metro stations, bus services, etc. Such transformative regional mobility solutions will boost economic activity in the region, provide improved access to employment, education, and healthcare opportunities, and help in the significant reduction of vehicular congestion and air pollution.

The author is a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha).  Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.

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