RRTS named ‘Namo Bharat’; PM to unveil Delhi-Meerut line today
New Delhi, October 19
Trains of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), to be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on Friday, will be known as ‘Namo Bharat’, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced on Thursday. The 17-km priority section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor is slated to be opened for passengers on October 21, a day after its opening.
In April, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), which is implementing India’s first semi-high-speed regional rail service project, had named RRTS trains as ‘RAPIDX’. In a post, the minister announced the RRTS trains would be known as ‘Namo Bharat’. “The priority corridor of RRTS project related to the aspirations of crores of people is ready to get on track. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate it to the nation on October 20. The Regional Rapid Transit System of the country will be known as ‘Namo Bharat’,” he said.
The Indian Railways is already running semi-high-speed trains — Vande Bharat — in different parts of the country. In another post, Puri said: “Indigenously manufactured with a designed speed potential of 180 kmph and operational speed potential of 160 kmph, the fully air-conditioned, safe and comfortable train will take less than an hour to cover 82 kms between Delhi and Modipuram in Meerut.”
“Inauguration of the country’s first Regional Rapid Train #NamoBharat between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 20 will mark the beginning of a new era of state-of-the-art ultra-modern urban commute in the country,” the minister said.
The priority section of the RRTS Corridor between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot has five stations — Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai and Duhai Depot.
The foundation stone for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor was laid by Prime Minister Modi on March 8, 2019.
In line with his vision to transform regional connectivity in the country through construction of new world-class transport infrastructure, the RRTS project is being developed, the PMO said in a statement on Wednesday. — PTI
8 corridors identified
Eight RRTS corridors identified in NCR, of which 3 — Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Gurugram-SNB-Alwar and Delhi-Panipat — to be implemented in Phase-I
