The eight-kilometre third section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat (RRTS) is set to become operational today (18 August), extending the rapid rail service to Meerut.
The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), which is overseeing the project, announced that the Meerut (South) station will now be open to passengers.
This extension increases the train’s operational route to 42 km, adding to the previously opened 34 km long Sahibabad-Duhai and Duhai-Modinagar North sections.
It also marks the halfway point of the 82-kilometre corridor, slated for completion by mid-2025.
The opening of the Meerut (South) station was initially planned to coincide with the launch of the second 17-km section, but delays in completing the necessary works postponed its debut.
With safety approvals for this new stretch from Modinagar North to Meerut South granted in June, the station is now ready to begin service.
Meerut South will be the first station in the district on this rapid rail corridor, which will also offer metro services. The new section will reduce travel time from Sahibabad to Meerut South to about 30 minutes.
Previously, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a 17-kilometre stretch of the service in Ghaziabad on 20 October 2023, followed by another 17-kilometre section on 6 March 2024.
The Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat (rapid rail) project, designed to connect Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut, is currently under construction at a cost of Rs 30,274 crore.
Once the entire corridor is completed, passengers will be able to travel from Meerut (South) to Delhi in approximately 35 minutes, a significant reduction from the current travel time of over two hours.