Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a 17-kilometer extension of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) corridor on Wednesday. The inauguration was conducted remotely via video conference from Kolkata. During the event, PM Modi also flagged off the Namo Bharat train from the Muradnagar RRTS station, marking the commencement of operations on this section.
The newly opened 17 km stretch from Duhai to Modi Nagar North on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor includes three stations – Murad Nagar, Modi Nagar South, and Modi Nagar North. This extension adds to the operational priority section, making the corridor more extensive and accessible.
The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor, which spans 82 km in total, aims to reduce travel time between Delhi and Meerut to less than an hour. The corridor’s construction began in March 2019 when PM Modi laid its foundation stone. Since then, the project has made remarkable progress, and passenger operations commenced in October 2023.
The RRTS infrastructure is equipped with modern, energy-efficient, lightweight Make in India, Meerut Metro trainsets. These trains feature a regenerative braking system and are compatible with various automatic train control systems, including Automatic Train Protection (ATP), Automatic Train Control (ATC), and Automatic Train Operations (ATO). The trains have a maximum operational speed of 120 kmph, offering a safe and rapid transportation solution for the residents of Meerut.
An important aspect of this project is the implementation of the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 signalling with Hybrid Level 3 over Long Term Evolution (LTE). This marks a significant advancement in global rail transportation and enables the operation of both Namo Bharat trains and the Meerut metro on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS infrastructure.
During the inauguration event, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri praised the world-class quality of the RRTS project and highlighted the significant expansion of India’s metro network. He stated, “… Today we have an operational metro network of about 906 km. Around 940 km of lines are under implementation. You will feel proud to know that when the work of the remaining 940 km of lines is completed, we will be the second-largest metro system in the world.”
