Last Updated: May 16, 2023, 15:20 IST
The entire corridor of RapidX rail will be 82 kilometres long with a total of 25 stations.
The country’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) will operate trains on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor. The 17-kilometre stretch from Sahibabad to Duhai will be complete by June this year.
After launching the Vande Bharat Express trains in multiple zones in the country, Indian Railways is now focusing on starting the RapidX rail trains. The country’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) will operate trains on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor. The 17-kilometre stretch from Sahibabad to Duhai will be complete by June this year and operations are likely to begin soon. However, three stations namely Sarai Kale Khan, New Ashok Nagar and Anand Vihar might be added to the route by 2025.
The problem with the completion of the track that the rapid rail will run on is the construction of the Jangpura station. This station is an important one, first because it is the operation control centre and second because the yard and warehouse will all be set up in Jangpura. Therefore, the corridor will only be partially operational until then.
The entire corridor of the RapidX rail will be 82 kilometres long. A total of 25 stations will be a part of the plan and it is estimated that the rail will be open for the use of the general public by 2025. The trains will have six air-conditioned coaches with a total capacity of 450 passengers. While the operations will start with each train having six coaches, the platforms are designed to accommodate nine if necessary. In this six-coach train, one coach will be a premium coach and another will be for women travellers.
The premium coach will have a dedicated train attendant to assist commuters by helping them with the onboard facilities and ensuring the safety of each passenger. This coach will also have modern amenities such as cushioned recliner seats, mobile and laptop charging ports, luggage racks and magazine holders.
While the full corridor is scheduled to operate two years from now, the completion of the priority section will help commuters travel 17 kilometres within just 12 minutes. Moreover, the 82-kilometre-long corridor will be covered within 50 minutes as opposed to the current travel time of 180 minutes between Delhi and Meerut. The corridor is expected to have 8 lakh commuters daily and reduce carbon emissions per year by 2.5 lakh tonnes.