India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor — the 82-kilometre Delhi-Meerut line, known as the Namo Bharat corridor — is on track for full commissioning by June 2025, according to officials from the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), as reported by The Economic Times.
The corridor, developed as a high-speed regional connectivity project, will reduce travel time between Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan and Uttar Pradesh’s Modipuram in Meerut to just 45 minutes. NCRTC officials confirmed on Tuesday that the final phase of construction is nearing completion.
Of the total length, a 55-kilometre section with 11 stations is already operational. Work is rapidly progressing on the remaining 27 kilometres. This includes a 4.5-km elevated stretch between Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar in Delhi and a 23-km section from Meerut South to Modipuram.
A two-kilometre extension connecting Sarai Kale Khan to Jangpura is also under construction.
The phased launch began with a 17-km priority section that opened on Oct. 21, 2023. Since then, service has steadily expanded. The segment between Sahibabad and New Ashok Nagar in Delhi was inaugurated on Jan. 5.
More than one crore (10 million) passengers have traveled on Namo Bharat trains since the initial launch, according to NCRTC officials.
To improve last-mile connectivity, NCRTC has partnered with the Delhi Transport Corporation and other private mobility operators. Several service providers are offering discounted fares for RRTS users.
Fares vary by distance and travel class. A standard-class ticket from New Ashok Nagar to Meerut South costs ₹150, while a premium-class ticket is ₹225. From Anand Vihar to Meerut South, the fare is ₹130 for standard and ₹195 for premium.
Trial runs are underway on both pending segments. Trains are currently operating along the entire corridor for operational testing.
Sarai Kale Khan, the originating station in Delhi, is nearly ready. It features 12 escalators, four lifts, platform screen doors (PSDs), and five entry-exit points, along with supporting infrastructure.
The final segment in Meerut includes three new stations: Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul and Modipuram. Shatabdi Nagar is an elevated station with completed tracks and PSDs. Begumpul, located in a busy market area, is a major underground station that will serve both Namo Bharat and local metro services. Work at this station is nearly complete.
Modipuram, the corridor’s terminal station, lies along the national highway. It will include a foot overbridge to ensure safe pedestrian access.
The 23-km Meerut Metro, designed as a local transit system, will operate on the same infrastructure as the Namo Bharat RRTS. It includes 13 stations, three of which are underground. Trial operations for the Metro have already begun.
This will be the first instance in India where a metro and regional rail service share the same corridor, NCRTC officials said.