DELHI (Metro Rail News): The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor recorded its highest-ever daily ridership of more than 1.6 lakh passengers on Thursday, ahead of Raksha Bandhan. The record highlights the sharp rise in demand following the expansion of services across the full 82-km corridor.
The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) already expected passenger numbers to remain high during the Raksha Bandhan travel period as more people used the regional rail service for festival journeys.
Extra train trips added for festival rush
NCRTC added 47 additional Namo Bharat train trips on August 27 and 28 to manage the expected increase in passenger demand. The additional services allowed passengers to get trains at an interval of around eight minutes on both days. The corridor currently records an average daily ridership of more than one lakh passengers. Thursday’s figure crossed the previous daily ridership record of 1,49,922 passengers, recorded on August 3. Before that, the corridor recorded around 1.25 lakh passengers on June 8, which was then its highest daily ridership.
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Namo Bharat Ridership has grown after full corridor opening
The 82-km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor was inaugurated on February 22. At the time of the inauguration, the corridor recorded an average ridership of over one lakh passengers per day. Before the full corridor became operational, a 55-km section covering 11 stations carried around 55,000 to 60,000 passengers daily. The expansion of services has significantly increased the number of commuters using the corridor. According to officials, the three busiest stations are:
- Begumpul
- Ghaziabad
- Anand Vihar
Namo Bharat trains have a design speed of 180 kmph and can operate at a maximum speed of 160 kmph. The trains take around:
- 54 minutes from Sarai Kale Khan to Begumpul
- 58 minutes from Sarai Kale Khan to Modipuram
The standard fare for the full journey from Sarai Kale Khan to Modipuram is ₹210. Passengers travelling in the premium coach pay an additional 20% over the standard fare.
Key ridership milestone
| Date | Daily Ridership |
| Before full corridor opening | 55,000-60,000 |
| 8 June | Around 1.25 lakh |
| 3 August | 1,49,922 |
| 28 August | Over 1.6 lakh |
The record ridership shows growing acceptance of Namo Bharat as a daily travel option between Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut
Also Read: Namo Bharat records highest ridership amidst Kanwar Yatra on Monday
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