Delhi-Meerut RRTS: Commuters hail PM Modi as Namo Bharat trains expand connectivity, cut travel time

New Delhi [India], January 5 (ANI): Commuters travelling on the Namo Bharat train on Sunday expressed their gratitude and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inaugurating the 13-km section of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor.

The new stretch, part of the ‘Namo Bharat’ corridor, connects Uttar Pradesh’s Sahibabad with Delhi’s Ashok Nagar, reducing travel time and improving connectivity for daily commuters.

Speaking to ANI, a commuter Shristi Tripathi said, “We were given a very warm welcome. The connectivity it is providing to Meerut and other places is very good. It will save a lot of time. I am very happy.”

“I travel daily to Noida from Meerut for my job. It will save a lot of time for me and others like me. I will reach Noida in 40 minutes. I live with my family in Meerut, I don’t want to move here, it will save me 1 and a half hours. The comfort level is accessible because the infrastructure is very good, almost seems as if you’re travelling in an airplane. The facilities are very good. I thank PM Modi, he is doing a lot for the country,” said another commuter.

Anil Marwah, who was the first commuter in the Delhi Metro services passenger, said that he wished to become the first commuter in the Namo Bharat metro services.

“This is my fourth first ride. The metro is far better than the metros in Japan and New York. The four rides were Cyberabad-Duhai then to Modinagar, and then Meerut North-Meerut South. I have a background in the airline industry, I lived in Japan 38 years before and I used to think back then whether Delhi would ever have such metro services. There has been a lot of progress in India regarding the metro services. The metro services here are far better than the metros in Japan and New York,” said Marwah.

The Namo Bharat trains have now reached Delhi, marking the beginning of a new era of high-speed mobility options for the National Capital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday interacted with schoolchildren while riding the Namo Bharat train from the Sahibabad RRTS station to the New Ashok Nagar RRTS station during its inauguration.

Currently, a 42-km stretch of the corridor between Sahibabad and Meerut South, featuring nine stations, is operational. With this inauguration, the operational stretch of the Namo Bharat Corridor has expanded to 55 km, with a total of 11 stations.

Starting today at 5 PM, Namo Bharat trains will be available to the public at a frequency of 15 minutes. The fare from New Ashok Nagar Station, the first operational station connecting Delhi to Meerut, to Meerut South is Rs 150 for the standard coach and Rs 225 for the premium coach.

With the commencement of operations on this section, Meerut City is now directly connected to the national capital, Delhi, through Namo Bharat. This reduces travel time by one-third, enabling commuters to travel from New Ashok Nagar to Meerut South in just under 40 minutes.

To date, Namo Bharat trains have served over 50 lakh commuters, underscoring their popularity and impact. Further construction in other sections–New Ashok Nagar-Sarai Kale Khan and Meerut South-Modipuram–is progressing rapidly.

Of the newly inaugurated 13-km section, 6 km is underground and includes a prominent station on the corridor, Anand Vihar. This marks the first time Namo Bharat trains will operate in an underground section. The other station on this stretch is an elevated station at New Ashok Nagar, both located in Delhi.

Multi-modal integration has been a core principle of the Namo Bharat project. Aligned with the PM Gati Shakti-National Master Plan, it aims to make travel seamless and convenient for passengers, encouraging a shift towards public transport.