The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) on Saturday started the trial runs of Namo Bharat trains between Sahibabad and New Ashok Nagar RRTS stations, a statement said.
This 12 kilometres stretch of the corridor is going to connect Sahibabad RRTS station in Uttar Pradesh to New Ashok Nagar RRTS station having two RRTS stations of Anand Vihar and New Ashok Nagar in Delhi, the statement said.
Once operational, it will offer the commuters a fast and efficient travel option between New Ashok Nagar and Meerut South RRTS station, reducing the travel time to less than 40 minutes, it said. The Namo Bharat train has been operated manually to check the civil structure compatibility in the trials. As testing advances, the NCRTC will carry out comprehensive evaluations to assess the train’s integrated performance and its coordination with various subsystems such as tracks, signalling, platform screen doors (PSDs) and overhead power supply systems.
Extensive trial runs, including high-speed tests, are planned over the next few months, the statement said. Anand Vihar RRTS station is expected to become one of the busiest commuter transit hubs, with significant daily footfall due to its proximity to a metro station serving two metro lines, a railway station and two ISBTs — one on the Delhi side and the other at Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh, it said.
The NCRTC is ensuring the seamless integration of these various transit modes to offer commuters effortless convenience and accessibility, making Anand Vihar RRTS station a model for multi-modal integration, the statement said. The New Ashok Nagar RRTS station is located less than 100 metres from the New Ashok Nagar Metro Station. To integrate these two transport modes, the NCRTC will provide a footbridge (FOB) connecting the concourse level of the metro station to the concourse of the RRTS station, it stated.
Additionally, two more FOBs will enhance accessibility at the New Ashok Nagar RRTS station’one connecting Chilla Village and Mayur Vihar Extension, and the other near the Ancient Shiv Temple for easy access to New Ashok Nagar residents. All these will provide easy access to the residents of New Ashok Nagar, the statement said. Currently, Namo Bharat train services operate over a 42 km stretch from Sahibabad to Meerut South, covering nine stations. With the operationalisation of Sahibabad to New Ashok Nagar section, the operational length will increase to 54 km with 11 RRTS stations, it stated. Delhi section has three stations of New Ashok Nagar, Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan RRTS station.
The work on the rest of the section from New Ashok Nagar to Sarai Kale Khan station is in the final stage of construction and track laying activities are in progress, the statement said. Once the entire 82 km corridor is completed by the targeted deadline of June 2025, the passengers will be able to travel between Delhi and Meerut in less than an hour, it added.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
