When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Meerut in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, February 22, the headlines focussed on the launch of the total 82-km Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Regional Speedy Transit System (RRTS) hall. What many reviews didn’t spotlight was that he additionally inaugurated the Meerut Metro companies, billed as India’s quickest city rail system (metro railway).
PM Modi formally flagged off each methods throughout the identical go to. He inaugurated the Namo Bharat RRTS first and the Meerut Metro later. It was like hitting two targets with one launch as a result of each share the identical rail line in Meerut.
Each the companies, which use widespread rail tracks, however function totally different coaches. The RRTS connects cities at excessive velocity, on this case Delhi and Meerut, whereas the Metro handles intra-city journey inside Meerut. Technically, the RRTS rail observe inside Meerut is identical observe utilized by the Meerut Metro. Nonetheless, whereas the RRTS has 4 stations alongside the Meerut stretch, the Meerut Metro serves 13 stations on that very same stretch.
That is how, with one launch, the federal government activated two rail networks, which is a twin enhance to regional and concrete mobility within the Nationwide Capital Area (NCR). With this, Meerut turns into the primary in India to have RRTS and Metro share the identical tracks.
WHAT IS NAMO BHARAT RRTS AND WHY IT MATTERS?
Namo Bharat is India’s first RRTS. It hyperlinks Sarai Kale Khan in New Delhi to Modipuram in northern Meerut. The hall spans 82 km. It has been constructed by the Nationwide Capital Area Transport Company (NCRTC).
Trains are designed for semi-high-speed regional journey.
They will run at speeds of as much as 180 km per hour. The total journey between Delhi and Meerut now takes round 55-58 minutes. Earlier, highway journey might take over two hours relying on site visitors.
On Sunday, Modi inaugurated the remaining sections of the RRTS, the 5-km stretch between Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar in Delhi and the 21-km stretch between Meerut South and Modipuram in Uttar Pradesh.
The New Ashok Nagar to Meerut South part had been inaugurated earlier in 2025 in two phases. With Sunday’s launch, all the 82-km Delhi Meerut hall is now absolutely operational and open to the general public.
The Delhi-Meerut RRTS goals to scale back congestion within the Nationwide Capital Area. It additionally seeks to advertise public transport over non-public automobiles.
The RRTS is a semi-high velocity regional rail system linking cities inside the NCR. Trains on the hall can clock as much as 180 kmph, which is quicker than the metro. It has fewer stops and devoted tracks. Whereas the Delhi Meerut hall is now operational, eight new corridors connecting Delhi have been recognized and are in several levels of approval and pre-construction work.
Union Housing and City Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar mentioned on Sunday that the proposal for 2 new speedy rail corridors ranging from Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan is predicted to be authorized quickly, reported information company PTI.
“One hall is deliberate from Sarai Kale Khan to Karnal in Haryana, protecting a distance of round 125-130 km, which might be accomplished in about one-and-a-half hours,” Khattar was quoted by information company PTI, as saying. One other route is proposed to attach Sarai Kale Khan with Babarpur in Haryana and Neemrana in Rajasthan, he added.
HOW LAUNCH OF MEERUT RRTS HITS TWO TARGETS WITH ONE MOVE
The February 22 launch, operationalised the total RRTS hall, and the Meerut Metro. That is the important thing.
In Meerut metropolis, the RRTS and the Metro share the identical tracks over a typical stretch. The infrastructure is built-in. However the rolling inventory (coaches) are totally different.
The Meerut Metro at present has one operational hall working from Meerut South to Modipuram, protecting about 23 km with 13 stations. Sooner or later, take into account extra corridors. Relying on ridership progress and concrete enlargement, new traces could be added.
The top-to-end metropolis trip on the Meerut Metro, plying on the most velocity of 120 kmph, takes roughly half-hour.
Whereas Meerut is the primary in India to have RRTS and Metro share the identical tracks, comparable multi-system observe sharing preparations exist globally. In Germany’s Karlsruhe, the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn runs tram trains that function on each metropolis tram tracks and mainline railway tracks. In Paris, elements of the RER community share infrastructure with suburban and nationwide rail companies. Tokyo additionally has via working the place metro traces interoperate with suburban railways.
To elucidate this in Indian Railways phrases, take the Delhi to Patna route. The Rajdhani Specific would cease solely at main stations equivalent to Kanpur, Prayagraj and Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction. In distinction, a slower prepare just like the Magadh Specific would have many extra halts, together with Aligarh, Tundla, Etawah, Mirzapur, Dildarnagar, Buxar, Ara and Danapur, serving smaller stations alongside the best way.
The 2-in-one association is a first-of-its-kind mannequin in India. The hall has been engineered to deal with each methods — RRTS and Metro — safely. In such circumstances, superior signalling ensures easy operations. Platforms are designed to accommodate each forms of trains. It reduces duplication of infrastructure. It improves effectivity. It additionally saves time and value in comparison with constructing two utterly separate methods.
RRTS trains are constructed for longer distances and better speeds. Metro trains are designed for shorter, frequent city stops. That is how, with widespread infrastructure, each regional and metropolis mobility methods went reside in Meerut on Sunday. Which means commuters from Meerut can journey inside the metropolis utilizing the Metro. And, they will immediately board Namo Bharat trains reaching New Delhi very quickly.
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