First RRTS train set handed over for Delhi-Meerut corridor

Alstom began manufacturing the train in July 2021.

The first train set under the semi-high speed Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) for the New Delhi-Meerut corridor was handed over to the authorities on May 7.

The train has been designed and developed in India by the local arm of global mobility services provider Alstom.

The company has handed over a six-car train set to the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), the implementing agency of the RRTS. The train will be used for the 17-km section between Sahibabad and Duhai, which is expected to be opened for commuters next year.

Designed and built to move passengers at 180 kmph, these trains are expected to reduce the travel time between Delhi and Meerut by 40 percent, a press release noted.

The handing over ceremony was held at Alstom’s manufacturing unit at Savli in Gujarat, in the virtual presence of Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri and NCRTC Chairman Manoj Joshi.

"It is a proud moment for all of us to witness the rollout of the RRTS trainset, which is a true manifestation of the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of an ‘Aatmanirbhar India’. Designed in India, Made in India, Made for India – it is the perfect demonstration of the PM’s Make in India initiative," Puri said.

Alstom was given the contract in 2020 to design, build, and deliver 210 regional commuter and transit train cars along with comprehensive maintenance services for 15 years.

The first look of the train for the Delhi-Meerut corridor, inspired by the national capital’s iconic Lotus Temple, was unveiled in September 2020. With the manufacturing process beginning in July 2021, the first train has been delivered within a year.

"Delivering the first train within a year of commencing production reinstates Alstom’s commitment to revolutionise India’s rail networks," Alstom India Managing Director Alain Spohr said, adding that the RRTS project is "one of the most ambitious ventures in India’s mobility sector and will prove to be a game-changer in India’s regional rail segment."