In a move that would significantly improve the connectivity within the National Capital Region (NCR), the Uttar Pradesh government in December 2023, approved a 72-kilometre Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor between Ghaziabad and the upcoming Noida International Airport in Jewar via Greater Noida. While doing so, the state government asked the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) to prepare a feasibility report for the project.
Ghaziabad-Noida airport link: Key facts
Proposed plan: Work is on to develop an 82.15-km rapid rail corridor named as the Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (Delhi–Meerut RRTS) that will connect Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut. A 17-km priority section of the RRTS with five stations started running in October 2023. According to the plan approved for the Ghaziabad-Jewar section, a 72-km route will branch out from Ghaziabad station and end at Noida airport in Jewar. This route will pass through Greater Noida West, Surajpur, and Ecotech Pari Chowk before ending in Jewar.
The proposed corridor could also be connected with the Delhi Metro Blue Line and the Noida Metro Aqua Line.
Proposed stations:Â The route will have a 37.15-km RRTS/metro system between the Ghaziabad RRTS station and Kasna with 22 stations. A 35.11-km second stretch from Kasna to Noida airport will have four RRTS stations at Dankaur, Yeida North (Sector-18), Yeida Central (Sector-21, 35) and the Noida airport.
Jewar Airport RRTS route: List of stops
The newly approved RRTS route may have the following stops:
- Siddharth Vihar
- Sector-16C Greater Noida
- Ecotech-12
- Sector-2 Greater Noida
- Sector-3 Greater Noida
- Sector-10 Greater Noida
- Sector-12 Greater Noida
- Surajpur
- Malakpur
- Ecotech-2
- Knowledge Park 3
- Gamma 1
- Omega 2
- Phi 3
- Ecotech IE
- Dankaur
- Yeida North (Sector-18)
- Yeida Central (Sector-21, 35)
- Noida airport
Cost and funding:Â The project is estimated to cost about Rs 16,000 Cr. While the Uttar Pradesh government will bear 50% of the project cost, 20% of the expense will come from the central government. The remaining 30% will be borne by Yeida and the Greater Noida Authority.
Start of operations:Â This project is expected to become operational by 2030, if all goes according to the plan.
Connectivity
The corridor will help commuters cover the distance between Noida Airport and Ghaziabad in 50 minutes. The distance between Noida Airport and Meerut will be covered in 85 minutes.
The planned RRTS/metro system is designed to fulfil a dual role, offering rapid connectivity to the Noida Airport while providing easily accessible metro services to commuters in Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, and Yeida regions.
Impact on real estate
The RRTS network will have extensive multi-modal-integration with railway stations, metro stations, bus services, etc. Such transformative regional mobility solutions will boost economic activity in the region, provide improved access to employment, education, and healthcare services, and help in significant reduction of vehicular congestion and air pollution.
By providing good connectivity to the areas in NCR, the project will offer a fresh impetus to real estate business in Noida, Ghaziabad, Delhi, and Meerut. Property along the proposed RRTS routes have already witnessed value appreciation between 30% and 40% in the past two years, experts say.
FAQs
When will the Noida airport become operational?
The Noida airport is likely to start operations by December 2024. It is expected to handle about 71 Mn passengers per day by 2042-43.
What is RRTS?
RRTS is a new rail-based, semi-high-speed, high-frequency commuter transit system. With a design speed of 180 kmph, RRTS is a transformational, regional development initiative. It is designed to provide high-speed trains for intercity commuting every 15 minutes, which can go up to a frequency of every five minutes as per requirement.
How many RRTS corridors are there in the NCR?
A total of eight RRTS corridors have been identified to be developed in the NCR. Of these, three corridors have been prioritised to be implemented in Phase-I, including the Delhi–Ghaziabad–Meerut Corridor; the Delhi–Gurugram–SNB–Alwar Corridor; and the Delhi–Panipat Corridor.
What is the route of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS?
The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS will connect Delhi with Meerut in less than an hour going through the urban centres of Ghaziabad, Muradnagar, and Modinagar.
Key features of RRTS corridor:
(1) Train coaches will have transverse 2x2 seats
(2) Optimized aisle width with grab handles
(3) Rails for a comfortable journey for standing passengers
(4) Overhead luggage rack
(5) Mobile/laptop charging sockets
(6) On-board Wi-Fi
(7) Double glazed, tempered large safety glass windows
(8) Public announcement and display system
(9) Dynamic route map display
(10) Emergency communication facilities
(11) Automatic plug-in types of wide doors reducing air-friction and noise
(12) CCTV
(13) Fire and smoke detector
(14) Fire extinguisher
(15) Door indicator
(16) Universally accessible, dedicated wheelchair space
(17) Light weight and compact propulsion system
(18) Platform Screen Doors (PSDs)
(19) Innovative Train Control Monitoring System (TCMS) technology
(20) Maximum operational speed of 160 kmph
(21) Trains to run under Automatic Train Operation (ATO) to provide smooth rides
(22) Push buttons for selective opening of doors on need basis
(23) One business class coach, accessible through a special lounge at the platform-level
(24) Food automatic vending machine in business coach
(25) One coach reserved for women passengers
| Got any questions or point of view on our article? We would love to hear from you. Write to our Editor-in-Chief Jhumur Ghosh at jhumur.ghosh1@housing.com |
