Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off the country’s first-ever Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) aka NaMo Bharat. The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS section is now operational on a stretch of 17 kilometres with 5 stations in total. The RRTS route will open for commuters from October 21 onwards. Developed with keen focus to connect the National Capital Region with the capital city, the system will further connect Delhi with Meerut in the coming days, followed by extension of services to other major cities in NCR.
Rapidx is a high-speed and high-frequency transit system capable of going up to 180 kmph. However, it will have a permissible operational speed of around 160 kmph with an average speed of 100 kmph.
RRTS developed by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (RRTS) and will be focused on improving urban mobility in the region. The transit system will have a complete length of 82 km and will comprise 24 stations in total between Delhi and Meerut. As part of the priority section, five of these stations will become operational including Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, and the Duhai Depot.
The rapid train system will offer a variety of ticketing options, including digital tickets with QR codes, to help commuters. Additionally, the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) Card may be used, according to NCRTC. Other options include paper tickets with QR codes and ticket vending machines (TVMs). As per the rules, children under 90 cm in height are eligible for free travel on Rapidx trains.
Based on the recent announcement by NCRTC, the fares of Rapidx will vary depending on standard and premium class coaches that the commuters will use for their journeys. For Standard Class, the prices of the ticket will range between Rs 20 to Rs 50. The route between the end stations, Sahibabad and Duhai Depot will have a maximum charge of Rs 50. However, the fee for people travelling in Premium Class ranges from Rs 40 to Rs 100.
The entire capacity of each air-conditioned RAPIDX train set, including standing-room-only passengers, will be 1700. There will be 6 coaches with seats in a 2x2 layout. There will be one luxury coach and five regular coaches in total. One of the five regular coaches will be set aside for women.
The trains have been manufactured by Alstom. Commenting on this moment, Olivier Loison, Managing Director - Alstom India said, “RAPIDX will be a first-of-its-kind experience for Indian commuters for its speed, advanced technology and passenger experience. This project also marks the world premiere of several new Signaling technologies which will set new benchmarks in the rail space globally. All of this is set to make Sustainable Mobility at scale real in India. These Made in India trains reflect our robust capabilities, and we are truly humbled to be contributing to India’s rail-based infrastructure growth.”
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