Get ready to travel from Delhi to Meerut in 45 minutes with Namo Bharat

Credit: @officialncrtc / X

The rapid rail revolution between Delhi and Meerut is nearing a major milestone, with the majority of the 82-km-long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor slated to become operational by June 2025. Dubbed ‘Namo Bharat’, the semi-high-speed corridor is expected to significantly cut travel time between the two cities to just 45 minutes.

According to officials from the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), nearly the entire corridor is set to open next month, with construction entering its final leg. The corridor is part of a larger plan to modernise urban transport and improve regional connectivity in the National Capital Region (NCR), PTI reported.

The RRTS is India’s first of its kind and has already seen over one crore passengers since the partial launch in October 2023, when the 17-km stretch between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot became operational. This was followed by successive extensions reaching New Ashok Nagar in January 2025.

Trial runs are already underway on two key remaining stretches - a 4.5-km elevated segment between Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar in Delhi and a 23-km section between Meerut South and Modipuram in Meerut, an NCRTC official told PTI.

With the remaining sections nearing readiness, the complete stretch from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram in Meerut is set to dramatically reshape inter-city travel in NCR.

A key highlight of the RRTS is its top operational speed of 160 kmph, though services typically run at average speeds of 100 kmph. Each train set, manufactured domestically under the Make in India initiative, includes premium and standard coaches, with features such as Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, onboard infotainment and separate women's coaches.

As per PTI, ticket prices for Namo Bharat train journey from New Ashok Nagar (Delhi) to Meerut South is Rs 150 for standard class and Rs 180 for premium class. From Anand Vihar to Meerut South, the standard fare is Rs 130 and the premium is Rs 156. The corridor also boasts seamless integration with other transport networks, including the Delhi Metro’s Blue and Pink lines at Anand Vihar and New Ashok Nagar, enhancing last-mile connectivity.

The corridor, developed at a cost of over Rs 30,000 crore, is India’s first high-speed, rail-based regional connectivity project and the fastest rapid transit train in the country, India Today reported. The system is operated by DB RRTS Operations India, a subsidiary of Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, underlining the project’s international standards of operation and maintenance.