RRTS Inauguration:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 17-km priority section of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor on Friday. This corridor aims to redefine travel in the region.

‘Namo Bharat’ Launch: Modi flagged off the ‘Namo Bharat’ train, marking the launch of India’s Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). The train, connecting Sahibabad and Duhai Depot stations, can reach speeds of 180 km per hour.

PM Interacts: The Prime Minister was seen interacting with the passengers and crew of the train.

Ceremony Details: The inauguration ceremony took place at Sahibabad station of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor. Once fully completed, this corridor will reduce travel time between Delhi and Meerut to less than an hour.

Dignitaries Present: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri attended the ceremony.

What is RRTS? The Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) is a new, dedicated, high-speed, high-capacity commuter service connecting regional nodes in NCR. It differs from the metro as it caters to passengers looking to travel relatively longer distances with fewer stops and at higher speeds.

RRTS Corridors: Eight RRTS corridors have been identified for development in NCR, out of which three corridors have been prioritised for implementation in Phase-I: Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Corridor; Delhi-Alwar Corridor; and Delhi-Panipat Corridor.

Special Features: The RRTS has several special features: design speed of 180 Kmph; high-speed trains for intercity commuting every 15 minutes; all train sets used in RRTS are made in India; contactless entry/exit with automatic fare collection using Rupay NCMC card/QR based ticketing; state-of-the-art signalling system on Long-Term Evolution (LTE) backbone enabling Automatic Train Operation (ATO) and Platform screen door (PSD) integration.

Benefits of RRTS: The RRTS offers multiple long-term benefits such as boosting economic activity, improved access to employment, education & healthcare opportunities and reduction of air pollution.

Semi-High-Speed Rail: India’s first semi-high-speed regional rail service will open for passengers on October 21. The services will start at 6 a.m. and run until 11 p.m., as stated by officials from the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC). For more details on the route, check here.

Priority Section: The priority section between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot includes five stations: Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, and Duhai Depot. The segment from Duhai to Duhai Depot is a spur from the main corridor.

Construction Details: The under-construction RRTS Corridor is being built by NCRTC for the semi-high-speed regional rail service. NCRTC is a joint venture company of the Centre with the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

NCRTC’s Task: NCRTC has been assigned to oversee the construction of India’s first RRTS between Delhi and Meerut. The entire 82.15 km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS is targeted to be operational by June 2025.

RRTS Renaming Sparks Controversy: Controversy erupted over the change in the name of the RRTS to “NaMo Bharat” as Congress claimed that there is “simply no limit to (the prime minister’s) self-obsession.” The move comes recently after the new cricket stadium in Ahmedabad was named the Narendra Modi Stadium. Read more about the controversy here.

First Published:Oct 20, 2023 1:06 PM IST