Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System. The Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (Delhi–Meerut RRTS) is a partially operational -long semi-high-speed rail and regional transit system that will connect the National Capital Region (NCR) cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut. It is the first of the four rapid rail corridors envisioned under the first phase of the RapidX project managed by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC). Designed to allow a maximum speed of , the distance between Delhi and Meerut will be traversed in less than 60 minutes. The project is being developed at a cost of . Originating from Jangpura, the corridor runs through Sarai Kale Khan, the terminal for the three planned corridors, both in Delhi, and concludes at Modipuram in Meerut. It will comprise 16 stations and two depots at Duhai and Modipuram.

The foundation stone for the project was laid in March 2019, and construction began in June 2019. The project's first phase, or the -long priority corridor from Sahibabad to Duhai Depot, was expected to become operational by March 2023. However, due to pending works in some stations, especially in Ghaziabad, it got delayed. It was inaugurated on 20 October 2023, and the rest of the entire -long corridor will be unveiled by June 2025. 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 34 km (21 miles). The extension reached Meerut South on 18 August 2024, bringing the operational length to around 42 km (26 miles). Eventually, the corridor was extended to New Ashok Nagar on 5 January 2025, increasing the total operational length to approximately 55 km (34 miles). The owner of the corridor and its trains is the National Capital Region Transport Corporation, under whose aegis the construction is also underway; DB RRTS Operations India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn (DB), is the corridor's operator. Upon inauguration, the RRTS became the first regional transit system of India, comprising the fastest rapid transit train in the nation at an operational speed of .

Background 

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. Initially, eight corridors traversing the NCR of at least  were planned to be implemented, which subsequently swelled to nine, of which four corridors are slated for implementation in the coming years, including 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 began studies and approved its 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 to be implemented, and also approved the funding of . Therefore, On 8 March 2019, the foundation stone of the corridor and the Meerut Metro project were laid by Prime Minister Modi: 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 some pending work at the stations, particularly in Ghaziabad, the project was delayed. As a result, it was inaugurated and opened on 20 October 2023. In July 2022, the NCRTC selected Deutsche Bahn, the national railway company of Germany, to operate and maintain the corridor for twelve years with a further five years' option, as part of the contract. Hence, after the inauguration of the corridor, the company formed a subsidiary named DB RRTS Operations India Pvt. Ltd., and began to look after the operations from the same day. The NCRTC christened the provider of the services and trains RapidX and Namo Bharat respectively.

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 . Thereafter, the section was opened till Modinagar North on 6 March 2024, till Meerut South on 18 August 2024, and till New Ashok Nagar on 5 January 2025, thus increasing the operational length to about ,  and presently to . The final -long section from Sarai Kale Khan to New Ashok Nagar, which traverses the Yamuna river, is scheduled for completion by June 2025. 

In November 2021, the NCRTC decided to build a station in Jangpura, Delhi, to serve as the terminating station of the corridor. Originally, the plan was to have the stabling yard and operations control center at Sarai Kale Khan to manage the three corridors originating there. However, the Jangpura station was added to provide connectivity to the RRTS for residents of Jangpura and nearby areas, especially given the congestion along Mathura Road. With this addition, the total number of stations on the corridor increased to 16. The station will be at grade and is expected to be completed and opened after the rest of the corridor. The rest of the corridor till Modipuram is expected be operational by June 2025.

Following the Galwan Valley skirmish on 15 June 2020, there were calls by the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch for the government to cancel the bid of a Chinese firm involved in constructing and manufacturing the trains of the RRTS. 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,  will be elevated,  will be underground and  will be at-grade for connections to two depots, located at Duhai and Modipuram. In the densely populated suburbs of Delhi and Meerut, the route will run underground. The entire route is designed for a maximum speed of , with an operating speed of . The average speed is approximately .

The corridor will begin at Jangpura and follow its main route from Sarai Kale Khan station, which will serve as the terminal station for all the planned corridors, located in Sarai Kale Khan, Delhi. The corridor will pass through various suburbs of Delhi and Ghaziabad before terminating at Modipuram in Meerut. The Sarai Kale Khan station will be the largest of all the stations, boasting of three levels, six platforms, and six tracks for serving the three corridors to Meerut, Panipat and Alwar. Due to its terminal status and location, it will serve as a multi-modal transport hub by facilitating direct connectivity with the adjoining transport systems and facilities in its vicinity—like the Sarai Kale Khan - Nizamuddin metro station of the Delhi Metro, the Sarai Kale Khan Inter-State Bus Terminus, and the Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station—to oversee a smooth and hassle-free movement of commuters. The Anand Vihar station of the corridor will also boast of a similar strategic value owing to its adjacency to the Anand Vihar Terminal railway station, whereas the Ghaziabad station will serve as another hub for interconnectivity with three more proposed corridors–Ghaziabad–Jewar, Ghaziabad–Bulandshahr–Khurja and Ghaziabad–Hapur.

Since January 2025, the -long New Ashok Nagar–Meerut South section is operational. The section spanning from Sarai Kale Khan to New Ashok Nagar will become operational by June 2025.

Construction 
The National Capital Region Transport Corporation has 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.

Facilities 

All stations and trains of the RRTS have similar facilities like that of an airport. They have several facilities to fulfill the requirements of travellers and on-board passengers to ensure smooth and hassle-free experience, like booking counters, ticket and food vending machines, on-board catering and washrooms, check-in kiosks, baggage checking counters, CCTVs, platform screen doors (PSDs), washrooms, retiring rooms, restaurants, retail stores, free WiFi, child care facilities, emergency and medical facilities, facilities for physically challenged passengers like wheelchairs, escalators, elevators and connecting facilities to other existing transport modes like Delhi Metro stations in the Delhi section, inter-state bus terminals (ISBTs) of the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) at Anand Vihar, Sahibabad and Shaheed Sthal at Ghaziabad, Indian railway stations, Meerut Metro stations in the Meerut section, cabs, auto-rickshaw stands, parking spaces, etc. All services are provided to passengers on-board the trains and travellers in the stations by RapidX.

In November 2023, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) introduced online booking facilities through which passengers can book tickets online, with a mobile app named 'RRTS Connect'. For the very first time in India, the NCRTC has introduced a "one-tap ticketing" feature to commute in the Namo Bharat trains through the 'RRTS Connect' app. This feature allows commuters to generate a QR code swiftly on this app from anywhere within 300 metres of the RRTS station premise, with just one tap and without bothering about destination, thus saving them time and effort to book tickets in advance. This is also the first time in the world that such a ticketing feature is being provided in any public transport system. In line with the NCRTC’s efforts to ensure a seamless and hassle-free travel experience, this initiative lets commuters travel with spontaneity and allows flexibility in changing destinations during the journey.

In May 2024, the NCRTC announced to install electric vehicle charging points at all stations of the entire corridor, and launched the first charging points in Sahibabad station.

Features 
All stations of the RRTS have similar features like that of an airport. They have several technologically advanced features to enhance and give  passengers a smooth and streamlined experience, as follows:

 Multi-Modal Transport Integration: All stations will be integrated with various modes of transport like metro stations, railway stations, inter-state bus terminals, cabs and parking spaces to seamlessly facilitate the movement of commuters between the modes through skywalks, elevated walkways and entry/exit points. The RRTS will be the first regional transit system and rapid transit in India to merge and operate parallelly along another rapid transit in Meerut.

 Safety: All stations are fully surveillanced with CCTVs and security staff. They also have platform screen doors (PSDs) on platforms for enhanced commuter safety.

 Sustainability: All stations use eco-friendly measures to generate electricity, dispose waste and conserve water without affecting the environment, like solar panels on the roofs, adequate dustbins, water and sewage treatment systems, green spaces and electric vehicle charging points in the stations' premises and proper cleanliness in the entire premises. The implementation of the RRTS will shift the modal share from the present 37% to 63% in favour of public transport in the region, which will result in drastic reductions in traffic on roads, by reducing an estimated more than 100,000 daily vehicle circulations and 300 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per day, thereby ensuring sustainability.

Ridership 

The RRTS, after starting operations on the -long stretch from Sahibabad to Duhai Depot from October 2023, the initial ridership varied between 2,500 and 3,000 passengers per day. In May 2024, following the extension of the corridor by another  from Duhai Depot to Modinagar North in March 2024, which brought the total operational length to about , the ridership rose to around 12,000 passengers per day, an increase of about five times than before. The corridor also crossed the record of 1 million passengers since its opening in October 2023 in the same month. In December 2024, since the opening till Meerut South in August 2024, this record surpassed 5 million, with a daily ridership of over 20,000 passengers. It is expected to go up to 800,000 per day after the entire -long corridor from Sarai Kale Khan to Modipuram becomes operational by June 2025.

Source: RRTS official website

Source: RRTS official website

Stations 

The RRTS corridor will commence from Jangpura and take its course from Sarai Kale Khan, both of which are located in Delhi. Thereafter, it will run 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 terminate at Meerut. The corridor will include 16 stations, with 9 additional stations serving as intermediate stops for the Meerut Metro, where the RapidX services will not stop. However, there will be four stations—Meerut South, Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul, and Modipuram—where both the RRTS and Meerut Metro will be integrated, allowing stops for both services. The corridor currently has 11 stations and one depot functional, with 5 more along the Meerut Metro and another depot 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 
 
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 released the design of the RRTS train, 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 is be able to carry 1,750 passengers. It is compatible with a host of train protection systems like automatic train protection and automatic train control systems, and also has features like regenerative braking.

The trains are the first-ever rapid transit trains in India to have an aerodynamic and sleek design and ergonomically designed seats. They have several facilities and amenities to cater the needs of the passengers, such as on-board catering, ticket scanners, food vending machines, information display systems, hand rests on the sides of the seats, adequate walking space, window blinders, charging points, fire alarms, washrooms, CCTVs, separate seats for and wheelchairs for physically challenged passengers. The trains were named as Namo Bharat after the inauguration of the corridor.

The entire rolling stock is being manufactured in India at Alstom's plant in Savli, Gujarat, 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 

The RRTS, after originating from Jangpura, will be 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. From here, it will have three stations in the Meerut section, with interchanges with the Meerut Metro at Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul and Modipuram, after which it will share its trains with the trains of the Meerut Metro at Modipuram depot. In the metro's first phase, the first line will run parallelly along the RRTS tracks on both sides, and the four of its 13 stations will be integrated with the RRTS, at Modipuram, Begumpul, Shatabdi Nagar and Meerut South, so that commuters can seamlessly connect with the metro and the Namo Bharat trains of the RRTS, providing them the ease of travel within Meerut and for connectivity to Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and adjoining parts of the National Capital Region (NCR). 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 National Capital Region Transport Corporation has decided to equip the corridor along with the Meerut Metro with ETCS L2 signalling, one of the most advanced signalling systems used in Europe. Tenders for its procurement were invited on 17 April 2020, and Alstom was awarded the contract worth approximately  in January 2021. All operations and trains are controlled by RapidX in 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 time in the world that an LTE network is being used along with ETCS L2 signalling. In July 2024, the ETCS L3 signalling as its hybrid form was commissioned along the corridor, making it the world's first such deployment and the transit system one of the most advanced to have such high-tech signalling worldwide.

Future plans 
On 26 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.

Environmental protection and sustainability measures 

During construction, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation has managed the pace of the work on the RRTS, which has become among the fastest infrastructure projects being executed in India, while simultaneously taking extensive pollution control measures in and around the construction sites. A dedicated team of experts appointed by the NCRTC are regularly monitoring the effectiveness of these measures and step-up the activities wherever necessary. Construction is being done within barricaded zones of adequate height and thorough cleanliness is being maintained on these sites. Anti-smog guns and water sprinklers are deployed to settle the dust generated from the works. All the raw materials and debris are kept covered with loose, thin sheets properly at their marked sites. The NCRTC is also repairing and revamping the roads beneath the viaduct sections after completing works to ensure enhanced flow of traffic without interruptions.

Other measures include the installation of 25,000 solar panels on the roofs of all stations and depots to generate 11 MW of electricity through solar power. These installations are expected to generate approximately 666,000 units of solar energy per year over its estimated lifespan of 25 years. The panels will together reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 615 tonnes per year, contributing to a remarkable reduction of 15,375 tonnes over its lifetime. Out of the 25,000 solar panels, it is estimated that 16 of the project’s 26 stations with the Meerut Metro can get approximately 1,100 panels on their rooftops, while the remaining nine smaller stations can get approximately 400 panels. The solar panels will together account for 70% of the total energy requirement. Being a rail-based transit system and reduced friction owing to steel-to-steel rolling contact, the corridor will have one-fifth fossil fuel consumption compared to road vehicles. To sustain water consumption and promote conservation, water recycling systems, rainwater harvesting facilities and sewage treatment systems are all being set up in and near the stations' and depots' premises. These sustainability measures will lead to drastic reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, by an estimated 250,000 tonnes per year, and also save water.

In popular culture 

 The RRTS project, experts and officials of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) were featured in the "Engineering Marvels: RRTS" of the History TV18 on 27 November 2023.

 In January 2024, the NCRTC announced that it has allowed to rent out the RRTS' stations and trains to be featured in shooting films, creating TV documentaries and commercials on a short-term basis, owing to the growing number of over-the-top (OTT) media services in India, or online platforms of entertainment streaming, in recent years, like Netflix, Hotstar, etc. and their increased use of public transport as backdrops in films. The RRTS stations offer well-lit and abundant spaces with vibrant colors and designs, while the Namo Bharat trains of the corridor boast sleek designs and passenger-centric amenities. For featuring the project, the NCRTC has fixed the charge as ₹ 2-3 lakh per hour, depending on the area selected for shooting. Other than shooting, the stations and the trains can also be booked for other purposes, like hosting events even at night hours.

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.
 Oct 2020: Civil construction work on about  between Sahibabad and Shatabdi Nagar was in progress.
 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 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 October 2023.
 Dec 2023: The trial run on the 25-km stretch from Duhai to Meerut South was conducted.
 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 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi 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 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 January 2025, thus connecting the national capital with the corridor.

See also 
 National Capital Region Transport Corporation
 Meerut Metro
 Commuter rail
 Delhi–Alwar Regional Rapid Transit System
 Delhi–Panipat Regional Rapid Transit System
 Ghaziabad–Jewar Regional Rapid Transit System
 RapidX
 Namo Bharat
 Alstom
 Transport in India
 List of metro cities in India 
 Transport in National Capital Region
 Transport in Meerut
 History TV18
 Over-the-top media service

Notes

References

External links 
 Official website
 'Engineering Marvels: RRTS' - A documentary by History TV18

Transport in Delhi
Transport in Meerut
National Capital Region (India)