Good news for passengers! Delhi to Meerut in less than an hour soon as RRTS completes...; check details here

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has achieved a major milestone by completing a full-length trial of the Namo Bharat train on the entire 82-kilometre Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor. This marks significant progress in India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). During the trial, the high-speed train ran from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram in Meerut, stopping at all stations and completing the journey in under an hour. Officials said the train reached its operational speed limit of 160 kmph while sticking to the timetable perfectly.

According to NCRTC, the trial was important for testing all major systems and technologies working together. The RRTS corridor features advanced signalling technology — the European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 3 Hybrid — running on an LTE-based communication system. This is the first time such technology has been used in India. The route also includes platform screen doors at every station, which improve safety and efficiency.

“This trial proves the system is ready and well-prepared,” an NCRTC spokesperson said. “We are now one step closer to full commissioning.”

An important part of the trial was the involvement of the Meerut Metro, which is being built on the same tracks as the RRTS. For the first time in India, a local metro and regional rapid rail operated on shared infrastructure. The Meerut Metro section is 23 km long with 13 stations, including 18 km of elevated track and 5 km underground.

At present, 55 km of the Namo Bharat corridor with 11 stations is open to passengers. Final tests and system checks are underway on the remaining stretches — a 4.5-km portion in Delhi (Sarai Kale Khan to New Ashok Nagar) and 23 km in Meerut (Meerut South to Modipuram).

The Namo Bharat project, built at a cost of over Rs 30,000 crore, is the first of several planned RRTS lines to connect areas across the National Capital Region. Once fully operational, it is expected to cut travel time and reduce traffic congestion between Delhi and nearby cities.