The Delhi–Meerut RRTS, spanning 82 kilometers, is being developed at a cost of over Rs 30,000 crore.
The Asian Development Bank has approved a loan of around Rs 2,600 crore for the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), according to an official statement on Wednesday. The fourth and the final tranche of loan brings the total ADB financing under the multi-tranche facility, which is being built by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) and was approved in 2020, to around Rs 9,200 crore.
The ADB’s financing for the project is complemented by a joint co-financing from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific.
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The Delhi–Meerut RRTS, spanning 82 km, is being developed at a cost of over Rs 30,000 crore. Currently, a 55-km stretch of the corridor is already operational, with 11 stations connecting New Ashok Nagar in Delhi to the Meerut South station.
Trial runs and final civil and systems works are progressing on the remaining 4.5 km stretch in Delhi (between Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar), and the final 23 km in Meerut (between Meerut South and Modipuram).
NCRTC has completed a successful timetable trial run of Namo Bharat trains across the entire 82-kilometre Delhi-Meerut corridor. The trains reduce the travel time between Delhi and Meerut from over three hours to just one.
“The project marks a transformative step in India’s urban transport landscape,” said Mio Oka, ADB Country Director for India on Wednesday. “It not only enhances mobility but also promotes inclusive growth, environmental sustainability, and is expected to serve as a model for future regional rapid transit systems across India and the Asia-Pacific region.”
Delhi-Meerut is the first of several RRTS lines planned to connect parts of the National Capital Region (NCR). The Delhi-Alwar Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor that stretches from Sarai Kale Khan to Shahjahanpur–Neemrana–Behror, via Gurgaon and extends for 106 km, is set to get the green light from the Cabinet soon, Union Power and Housing Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said last month.
Devansh Mittal is a trainee correspondent with The Indian Express. He studied political science at Ashoka University. He can be reached at devansh.mittal@expressindia.com. ... Read More