PM Modi flags off India's fastest metro in Meerut, Namo Bharat Corridor
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the remaining stretches of the 82-km Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) and the 23-km Meerut Metro, in a mjor boost to regional connectivity across Delhi-NCR. Services will commence at 6 pm after the inauguration.
This includes the 5-km stretch between Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar in Delhi, and the 21-km section from Meerut South to Modipuram. One operation, the entire journey from Delhi to Meerut will take only an hour.
Ahead of the inauguration, PM Modi was received by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at Hindon Airport in Ghaziabad. After the inauguration, he took a train ride from Shatabdi Nagar to Meerut South and interacted with passengers.
Designed for a top speed of 180 kmph and an operational speed of up to 160 kmph, the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) will significantly reduce travel time between Delhi and major urban centres such as Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Modinagar and Meerut.
The Meerut Metro, which operates alongside the RRTS on several stretches, is India’s fastest metro system, with a maximum operational speed of around 120 kmph. It will complete the full route in about 30 minutes.
Notably, this marks the first time in India that the Namo Bharat train and a metro service will run on the same tracks developed for the RRTS.
Sarai Kale Khan, the originating station of the corridor, is among the four Namo Bharat stations which were commissioned. Developed as a major multi-modal hub, it connects Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station, the Delhi Metro’s Pink Line, Veer Haqeeqat Rai ISBT and the Ring Road. The other three stations opened — Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul and Modipuram — are located in Meerut.
- With inputs from agencies
