Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System

Owing to burgeoning population, traffic, congestion, pollution, and risk of accidents and mishaps in the National Capital Region, the Planning Commission constituted a task force in 2005 under the chairmanship of the secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development to develop a multi-modal regional transit system for the NCR. This was included in the Integrated Transport Plan for NCR 2032, with special emphasis on a Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) connecting regional centres. In 2013, the Government of India and the Government of Delhi decided to create a comprehensive plan for developing a regional railway that would connect Delhi directly with the adjoining cities and regions of the NCR and beyond. Consequently, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation was established in July 2013 as a joint venture between the Government of India and the governments of the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The objective of this organisation is to reduce the reliance of commuters on road-based transportation and enhance regional connectivity within the NCR and beyond, and construct, own and operate the Regional Rapid Transit Systems (RRTS). Within Delhi, the RRTS systems will largely run underground, connect to the Delhi Metro and provide commuters with a faster alternative option as a last-mile connectivity avenue to reach their respective destinations. These systems will be similar to other regional transit systems in the world, like London's Crossrail, Paris' RER, and Munich's S-Bahn. Eight corridors traversing the NCR of at least were initially planned to be implemented, which subsequently swelled to nine. Of the nine, four corridors are slated for implementation in the coming years, namely the Delhi–Meerut, Delhi–Alwar, Delhi–Panipat and Ghaziabad–Jewar corridors. The Delhi–Meerut corridor was chosen to be developed first on account of high frequency of travellers and traffic between Delhi and Meerut: the Government of India, the respective state governments, and the NCRTC commissioned feasibility studies and subsequently approved the corridor's construction. == History ==

The feasibility study and the detailed project report prepared by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation were approved by the Government of Uttar Pradesh in May 2017. In February 2019, the Government of India approved the project's implementation, and also approved the funding of . On 8 March 2019, the foundation stone for the corridor and the Meerut Metro project were laid: construction for both the projects commenced in June 2019. The metro has been tacked along the RRTS route in Meerut to provide local connectivity, covering . The NCRTC planned for the -long priority section between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot to begin regular operations by March 2023. However, due to pending work at certain stations, especially in Ghaziabad, the project faced delays. As a result, it was inaugurated and opened on 20 October 2023. In December 2023, after conducting trials runs on another -long section between Duhai Depot and Meerut South, the NCRTC announced that the section would likely be opened by March 2024, thereby taking the operational length to about . The section was later extended to Modinagar North on 6 March 2024, to Meerut South on 18 August 2024, and to New Ashok Nagar on 5 January 2025, gradually increasing the operational length to around , , and finally . The rest of the corridor till Modipuram is expected be operational by July 2025. Although the Chinese company did not abstain from constructing a tunnel segment of the RRTS, it was determined that the trains would be constructed by another firm. On this account, a fresh bid was conducted by the NCRTC: Bombardier Transportation, a Canadian-German rolling stock manufacturer, won the bid to make the trains for the RRTS and the Meerut Metro. The company will supply 210 coaches consisting of 30 trainsets with six coaches each, which could be extended to eight coaches based on demand. The trains are being manufactured at the company's plant in Savli, Gujarat. == Route ==

Of the entire length, is elevated, is underground and the remaining segment is at-grade for connections to two depots, located at Duhai and Modipuram. The average speed is approximately . == Construction ==

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation divided the civil construction work of the RRTS project into eight packages and 30 packages for all stations, ramps, tunnel sections and technical facilities, consisting of 16 stations and two depots. Of the eight packages, two packages in the Meerut section are also part of the Meerut Metro project. The list of all packages, their contractors, and statuses is as follows: Note: Package-1 and Package-2 are part of the priority section of the RRTS, and Package-7 and Package-8 are part of the Meerut Metro. The foundation stone for the project was laid in March 2019, and construction began in June 2019. The project's first phase—the priority corridor spanning from Sahibabad to Duhai Depot—was expected to become operational by March 2023. However, owing to more work arising at certain stations, particularly in Ghaziabad, it exceeded its planned timeline. It was eventually inaugurated on 20 October 2023. The entirety of the corridor running from Sarai Kale Khan to Meerut, which was previously claimed to be rendered operational by September 2025, only commenced functioning from February 2026. The operational span of the corridor was extended in stages. On 6 March 2024, it was extended to Modinagar North from Duhai Depot, increasing the total length to about ). The extension reached Meerut South on 18 August 2024, bringing the operational length to around . Eventually, the corridor was extended to New Ashok Nagar on 5 January 2025, increasing the total operational length to approximately . == Facilities ==

In November 2023, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation introduced a mobile app called RRTS Connect that allows passengers to book tickets. The NCRTC introduced a "one-tap ticketing" feature through the RRTS Connect app. This provision allows commuters to generate a QR code from anywhere within 300 meters of an RRTS station, without needing to select a destination. In May 2024, NCRTC announced plans to install electric vehicle charging points at all stations along the entire corridor, with the first charging points being launched at the Sahibabad station. == Ridership ==

After commencing operations in October 2023 on the 17 km (11 mi) stretch from Sahibabad to Duhai Depot, the initial ridership of the RRTS ranged between 2,500 and 3,000 passengers per day. In May 2024, after the extension of the corridor by 17 km (11 mi) from Duhai Depot to Modinagar North in March 2024, bringing the total operational length to about 34 km (21 mi), ridership increased to around 12,000 passengers per day, nearly five times the previous figure. The corridor also surpassed one million passengers since its opening in October 2023 in the same month. In December 2024, following the opening till Meerut South in August 2024, this record surpassed 5 million, with a daily ridership of almost 22,000 passengers. Source: RRTS official website Source: RRTS official website == Stations ==

The RRTS corridor will originate from Jangpura—where construction is currently underway—and take its course from Sarai Kale Khan: both stations are located in Delhi. Thereafter, it runs through Ghaziabad—whence three more corridors to Jewar, Hapur, and Khurja have been proposed to connect the nearby towns and cities lying in Uttar Pradesh with the National Capital Region—and terminates at Meerut. The corridor includes 16 stations, with 9 additional stations serving as intermediate stops for the Meerut Metro, where the RapidX services will not stop. However, there are stations—Meerut South, Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul, and Modipuram—where the RRTS and Meerut Metro are integrated, allowing stops for both services. The corridor currently has 15 stations and one depot functional, with the Jangpura station currently under construction. The stations' exterior designs are inspired by the hue of the plumage of the peacock, the national bird of India. The following list outlines the stations, their integration with existing transport modes and their statuses. == Rolling stock ==

trainsets parked in Duhai depot On 1 May 2020, Bombardier Transportation, a Canadian-German rolling stock firm, emerged as the lowest bidder amongst a group of three bidders to supply and maintain 210 coaches for a period of fifteen years, with a price bid of . The 210 coaches include 180 coaches, comprising 30 six-car trains for the RRTS, and 30 coaches consisting of 10 three-car trains for the Meerut Metro. In September 2020, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation unveiled the design of the RRTS trainset, which is inspired by the Lotus Temple. Designed in Hyderabad, the trains have a design speed of and an operational speed of , making them the fastest rapid transit trains in India. Each fully air-conditioned, six-car trainset, which could be extended to eight coaches based on demand, consists of one premium coach and one coach reserved for women, and has a capacity of 1,750 passengers. and the first trainset was delivered to the NCRTC in May 2022. As of January 2025, of the 30 trains of the RRTS, more than 15 trains have been received and are in operation. == Source of funding ==

• Multilateral Funding: About $1 billion from the Asian Development Bank, $500 million from the New Development Bank, and $500 million from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank were loaned to the National Capital Region Transport Corporation for the construction of the RRTS. • Contribution from Governments: Government of India: 20%; Government of Delhi: 3.22%; Government of Uttar Pradesh: 16.78%. == Integration with Delhi Metro and Meerut Metro ==

of the Delhi Metro The RRTS, after originating from Jangpura, is connected to the Delhi Metro's Pink Line at Sarai Kale Khan before taking its course towards Meerut. Thereafter, it has an interchange with the Blue Line at New Ashok Nagar, a second connection to the Pink Line and Blue Line at Anand Vihar, and a third interchange with the Red Line at Ghaziabad. Thereafter, the RRTS boasts of three stations in the Meerut section—with interchanges with the Meerut Metro at Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul and Modipuram—whereafter it shares its trains with that of the Meerut Metro at Modipuram depot. In the metro's first phase, the first line will run parallel to the RRTS tracks on both sides. Four of its 13 stations—Modipuram, Begumpul, Shatabdi Nagar, and Meerut South—will be integrated with the RRTS, allowing seamless connections between the metro and Namo Bharat trains. This will provide commuters with easy travel within Meerut and connections to Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and other parts of the National Capital Region. This makes the metro the first metro in India to run along and directly integrate with a regional transit system. == Signalling and train control system ==

The corridors of the RRTS and the Meerut Metro are equipped with ETCS L2 signalling, a signalling system ubiquitous in Europe. Tenders for its procurement were invited in April 2020: Alstom was awarded the contract worth approximately in January 2021. All operations and trains are controlled by RapidX from its operations control centre at Duhai Depot. After the completion of the second OCC at Jangpura, the corridor will have two OCCs to look after the operations. Nokia partnered with Alstom to implement the 4.9G/LTE private wireless network to support the ETCS L2 signalling. This is the first instance globally of an LTE network being integrated with ETCS L2 signalling. In July 2024, the ETCS L3 signalling as its hybrid form was commissioned along the corridor. == Future plans ==

In January 2024, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation drafted a plan to extend the RRTS corridor from its terminating point in Meerut to Haridwar via Muzaffarnagar. NCRTC officials stated that, if the plan is implemented, the travel time from Delhi to Haridwar would be reduced to just 2 hours, compared to the current 3-4 hours by road and 5-6 hours by rail. The officials decided to conduct a physical survey of the proposed section to assess the feasibility and execution of the project. A detailed project report will be prepared to further analyse the practicality of the corridor. == Sustainability measures ==

The project will install 25,000 solar panels on station and depot rooftops, generating 11 MW of electricity and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 615 tonnes annually, totalling 15,375 tonnes over 25 years. Of the 25,000 panels, 16 stations in the Meerut Metro section will each receive approximately 1,100 panels, while the remaining nine stations will receive around 400 panels. The solar panels are expected to meet 70% of the energy demand. With reduced friction and reliance on rail-based transit, the corridor will consume one-fifth the fossil fuel of road vehicles. Water recycling, rainwater harvesting, and sewage treatment systems are also being implemented to promote conservation. These measures will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 250,000 tonnes annually and conserve water. == In popular culture ==

• The RRTS project, officials of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation, and experts were featured in the Engineering Marvels: RRTS of the History TV18 on 27 November 2023. == Status updates ==

• Jun 2019: Pillar construction work started on both the RRTS and the Meerut Metro by Larsen & Toubro. • May 2020: Bombardier Transportation, now acquired by Alstom, won the contract for manufacturing 210 trains for the RRTS and the Meerut Metro. • Feb 2021: The construction of the Anand Vihar station of the RRTS just beside the Anand Vihar Terminal railway station began. • Apr 2021: Track laying started for the Ghaziabad section of the corridor. • Jun 2021: The first elevated section pier (namely for the Sarai Kale Khan section) was constructed. • Jun 2021: Construction work on the first part of the underground portion of began in Anand Vihar. • Jul 2021: The piers were completed for the elevated stretch. • Jul 2021: Alstom began manufacturing the 210 trains for the RRTS and the Meerut Metro. These are being manufactured in Alstom's plant in Savli, Gujarat. • Mar 2022: The tunneling work for the underground section of the RRTS in Meerut began. • Mar 2022: Paytm Payments Bank won the bid for becoming the financial institution responsible for the fare system, beating the State Bank of India (SBI). • Apr 2022: Roughly 25% of the corridor was completed. • May 2022: Alstom manufactured and delivered the first train to the NCRTC from Savli, Gujarat. • Aug 2022: First trial of the first trainset had been successfully completed. • Feb 2023: The trial runs for the trains, including high-speed tests, had been completed, and now there were a total of six trains. The 17-km priority corridor from Sahibabad to Duhai was at its final stages of work, and was confirmed to be opened by mid-June 2023. The second stretch from Duhai to Meerut South would be opened by the first quarter of 2024, and the entire corridor would become operational by March 2025. • Aug 2023: The entire tunneling work of the RRTS was fully completed. • Oct 2023: The priority corridor from Sahibabad to Duhai was inaugurated on 20 October 2023. • Feb 2024: The NCRTC announced that the 25-km stretch from Duhai to Meerut South will become operational by March 2024, thereby increasing the operational length to 42 km. The RRTS and the Meerut Metro projects are both on track to be completed by June 2025. • Mar 2024: Of the 25 km-long stretch from Duhai Depot to Meerut South, the 17-km stretch till Modinagar North was inaugurated on 6 March 2024, thus bringing the current operational length to 34 km. The Meerut South station will be completed by the first half of May 2024. • Aug 2024: Of the 25 km-long stretch from Duhai Depot to Meerut South, the 8-km section from Modinagar North to Meerut South was opened on 18 August 2024. Of the total 82 Km long corridor, more than 80 km has been completed, and the opening of the section from Sahibabad till Sarai Kale Khan is on track to be completed by December 2024. • Jan 2025: A 13-km long stretch between Sahibabad and New Ashok Nagar was inaugurated on 5 January 2025, thus connecting Delhi with the corridor. • May 2025: NCRTC has completed the installation of all 169 track km (TKM) of precast slab track. • February 2026: Entire strech of the RRTS from Sarai Kale Khan to Modipuram becomes operational on 22 February 2026. == See also ==