The first phase of the Delhi–Ghaziabad–Meerut Corridor is likely to be opened in early 2023.
India's first regional rapid transit system (RRTS) corridor coming up between Delhi and Meerut, will adopt the new-age automatic fare collection (AFC) system - which will be developed and executed by Paytm Payments Bank Ltd, along with a tech firm.
The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), implementing body of the RRTS project, will partner with Paytm to develop the first-of-its-kind AFC system in the country for passengers. The AFC system is in line with the government's vision to achieve the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) standard for all public transport modes.
Also Read: Alstom to deliver India's first semi high speed Regional Rapid Transit System train set this week
Role of Paytm in developing AFC for Delhi-Meerut RRTS
The procurement of this AFC system is being done based on the hybrid annuity model (HAM) first time in India. Paytm will work with technology firm Datamatics – AEP Consortium for the task, according to NCRTC.
''Paytm will handle the payment gateway part of the system, while Datamatics – AEP Consortium will look at the technology of the AFC system,'' Puneet Kumar Vats, Chief Public Relation Officer (CPRO), NCRTC told Moneycontrol.
Datamatics – AEP Consortium is responsible for the installation and maintenance of the open loop AFC system for the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor. Paytm will come with modern banking solutions and will work in association with the tech company.
Datamatics will also come with a range of intelligent technology and automation solutions for passengers while implementing the same.
How will AFC work for RRTS passengers?
Under the AFC system, the new-age digital mobility requirements will be integrated with mobile apps, dynamic websites, closed and open-loop payments solutions, and public information kiosks cum transaction terminals.
Passengers can use either tickets or mobility cards for travelling in RRTS as NCRTC will implement QR Code-based ticketing (digital QR and paper QR) as well as open loop contactless cards based on NCMC standards for the same.
Open loop contactless cards: Passengers will be able to use an NCMC card issued by any metro or transport authority - including Delhi Metro, or financial institution in India for travelling in RRTS. The system will be fully open loop from the first day of operations as NCMC cards would be an interoperable contactless payment product.
The NCMC cards can also be used for other payment applications including, all transit systems for intercity and intracity travel in the country and for shopping and retail transactions.
QR code tickets: Passengers will have the option to use QR code tickets, which can be generated digitally with the help of the NCRTC mobile app, while paper QR tickets can be purchased from the RRTS stations for a single journey between two stations.
''The NCRTC mobile app is targeted to be launched in the first quarter of the next fiscal (FY23) when Delhi-Meerut RRTS' prioritized section Sahibabad-Duhai is likely to open for operations,'' Vats of NCRTC exclusively told Moneycontrol.
The 82-km long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor is the first semi-high speed rapid rail transit system which will reduce the travel time between Delhi and Meerut to just 55 minutes. The priority segment of Sahibabad to Duhai has been targeted for completion by the March 2023.
The RRTS trains will run with an operational speed of 160 kmph and will be three times more efficient than the Delhi Metro trains. Apart from the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, the other two RRTS corridors in Phase-1 are Delhi-Gurugram-Alwar and Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat, according to NCRTC.
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