The RapidX trains on the 17 km priority section in Ghaziabad will be available to passengers at an initial frequency of 15 minutes once the section opens in the coming weeks, officials said on Saturday.
The officials said that the system has also been designed to operate trains at a frequency of three minutes, as and when required. Ten trainsets are fully prepared at the Duhai Depot for passenger operations, according to officials.
The 17 km section, comprising five stations in Ghaziabad, will be the country’s first section of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project, which is proposed to run RapidX trains. The section is scheduled for inauguration in the coming weeks, while the entire 82 km RRTS stretch linking the cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut is expected to be operational by March 2025.
NCRTC officials said that they have ten trainsets stationed at the Duhai Depot in Ghaziabad, which will be deployed for passenger operations. The NCRTC is developing the RRTS project, estimated at ₹30,274 crore, with 25 stations, 22 of which fall under the jurisdiction of the state of Uttar Pradesh.
The NCRTC expects a daily ridership of 800,000 passengers once the 82 km stretch becomes fully operational.
“The trains have been tested and are ready for passenger operations on the 17 km priority section. Once the section opens up, the trains will be available at an initial frequency of 15 minutes, which can also be reduced to three minutes when required. The waiting time at the station for picking up and dropping off passengers will be about 30 seconds, which can also be increased based on ridership,” said Puneet Vats, chief Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NCRTC.
The train doors at the stations will be synchronized with the platform screen doors for added passenger safety.
On the priority section, the RapidX trains will pass through five stations: Sahibabad, Ghaziabad City, Guldhar, Duhai, and Duhai Depot, which is the last station and also serves as a maintenance depot.
The entire priority section in Ghaziabad is an elevated corridor.
The officials said that RapidX train services will be available to passengers from 6 am to 11 pm every day, and the 17 km distance will be covered in approximately 12-15 minutes.
The RapidX trains on the priority section will operate between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot. The trains will switch tracks at the two last stations and reverse for passengers waiting on the platforms.
“The priority section of RapidX is a completely new urban transport system in the area. It will cater to intra-city commuting, and it is likely that passengers from other urban transport modes will also use the new system. The system will be further evolved and fine-tuned once passenger operations begin,” said an officer from NCRTC.
During operations on the priority section in Ghaziabad, the RapidX trains will traverse various stretches, including Sahibabad, Link Road, Vasundhara locality, River Hindon, GT Road, and Delhi Meerut Road.
