The long awaited Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Rapid Rail Transit Corridor (RRTC) has just been approved by the Board of National Capital Region Transport Corporation. The high speed train corridor, with an expected speed limit of 160 km per hour, will shorten travel time between Delhi and Meerut by almost 48 mins, bringing it down to just an hour.
The corridor is expected to be operational by 2024, Times of India reports.
The RRTC, which is part of a bigger project to connect the Indian National Capital Region, specifically Delhi, to other cities in India via high speed train-based corridors, is 92 kms long and will cost almost Rs 21, 902 crores.
About 60 kms of the road is elevated whereas a little more than 30 kms of it is underground. The corridor, with high speed trains running on it, will have 17 stations, of which 6 will be underground.
According to a report in Hindu, the project was first conceived a decade go in 2005 when the National Capital Region Planning Board proposed the idea of new connective corridors under ‘Functional Plan on Transport for NCR-2032’.
The corridor starts at Sarai Kale Khan, which is expected to become a transit hub, with Nizamuddin Railway Station nearby. It will terminate at Modipuram in Meerut.
To increase connectivity and ease of travel, the corridor will also enable multi-modal integration at Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, ISBT (Kashmere Gate) and Aero City in Delhi. Which means passengers can get down at these stations and avail other transport services such as buses, metros and even trains.
It also decided to take up with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways realignment of Delhi-Sonepat-Panipat and Delhi-Rewari-Alwar RRTC corridors to run them along NH-1 and NH-8 respectively.
(With inputs from PTI)
Feature Image Source: Reuters