PM opens 17km RRTS stretch to Modinagar (north) virtually from Kolkata

The Ghaziabad district achieved a unique distinction of being the only district in the country to have full scale Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) connectivity after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated, via video conferencing from Kolkata, the 17 km stretch from Duhai to Modinagar (north) on Wednesday.

Officials of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), the agency executing the project, said passenger operations on the stretch will start on March 8.

The RRTS project is aimed at linking the three cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut through a 82km long RRTS network that will have four stations in Delhi, eight in Ghaziabad and 13 in Meerut, said NCRTC.

The RRTS trains have six coaches with 72 seats and one coach of each train is reserved for women. Sixteen of these trains, called Namo Bharat trains, are stationed at Duhai Depot and have a design speed of 180km/hour and an operational speed of 160km/hour.

A 17km priority section in Ghaziabad, having stations at Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai and Duhai Depot, was inaugurated by Modi on October 20, 2023. With the inauguration of the 17km stretch to Modinagar (north), three more stations -- Muradnagar, Modinagar (south) and Modinagar (north) -- have been added to the network.

Modi was in Kolkata on Wednesday from where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple connectivity projects across the country worth ₹15,400 crore.

“The launching of the RRTS section from Muradnagar to Modinagar (north) marks a momentous occasion. Namo Bharat is new India’s vehicle of progress and empowerment. This semi high-speed rail is seamlessly connecting the urban nodes across NCR with the mainstream of development. It is a game-changer and a step towards a smarter, more connected region,” Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said while attending a small inauguration event at Muradnagar RRTS station in Ghaziabad, to coincide with the virtual event in Kolkata.

“Passenger operations, in both directions, will start from March 8 on the 34km length of RRTS.Initially, the service will be from 6am to 8pm between Sahibabad and Modinagar (north). This distance will be covered in an estimated 22-25 minutes,” said a spokesperson from NCRTC said.

“Passengers who are travelling to Duhai Depot will have to deboard at Duhai RRTS station and take a connecting train to Duhai Depot which will be available at a frequency of 15 minutes,” the spokesperson added.

Ahead of the inauguration, the NCRTC also rolled out the fare chart for the entire 34km RRTS section.

Passengers will be required to pay ₹90 to travel the full 34km distance from Sahibabad to Modinagar (north) in the standard coach, and ₹180 in the premium coach, said NCRTC.

For the convenience of commuters, NCRTC officials said various ticketing options have been made available such as QR code-based tickets through mobile app “RRTS Connect”, or paper QR code-based tickets available through ticket vending machines (TVMs) or UPI-enabled ticket vending machines.

They added that the TVMs also recharge the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) which can be used to travel on the RRTS, while commuters can also buy the RRTS card.

“The focus is now on the 14km RRTS stretch in Delhi. The viaduct and underground section is complete for about 13.5km and the work on track laying, installation of signals etc is progressing fast. It is expected that the stretch in Delhi will be ready by end of 2024,” a spokesperson from NCRTC, said.

The Delhi stretch has four stations at Sarai Kale Khan, New Ashok Nagar, Anand Vihar, and a stabling yard in Jangpura, said NCRTC officials.