DELHI (Metro Rail News): The 82-kilometre Rapid Rail Transit Corridor (RRTS) connecting Delhi and Meerut is now under construction, with the 17-kilometre priority section from Ghaziabad to Duhai expected to be completed by 2023. Officials predict that it will reduce CO2 emissions once fully operating by taking about 1.5 lakh private automobiles off the road.
A senior official added that It is anticipated that the corridor will lower total yearly greenhouse gas emissions by 2.5 lakh CO2e, making the city cleaner and a far more excellent place to live. It is also expected to raise the percentage of people who use public transit along the route from 37% to 63%. It will also remove around 1 lakh private automobiles from the road, helping to decongest the NCR, which lacks a public transportation system.
The corridor will run from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram in Meerut, passing through Ghaziabad. The RRTS, which will be the first of its type in the country, will travel at a speed of 100 km per hour and take commuters to Meerut in 50-60 minutes. Separate business and general coaches will be available on the trains.
The RRTS runs through Delhi for about 14 kilometres, passing through Sarai Kale Khan, Jangpura, Anand Vihar, and New Ashok Nagar. These stations will serve as hubs for Metro stations, ISBTs, and other RRTS corridors.
Of the 14 km stretch, 9.2 km line would be elevated, while the Anand Vihar portion would be underground. “Between New Ashok Nagar and Kondli, foundation work, including piling and pile caps for the elevated section, is in full swing. “A 3-kilometre section is being worked on, with piers being put on portions where foundation work has been finished,” stated a senior NCRTC official.
Work on laying the foundation and pier construction for the Sarai Kale Khan station in Delhi has begun following significant utility shifting/modification. All three RRTS Phase-I corridors – Delhi-Meerut, Delhi-Alwar, and Delhi-SNB – will merge at this station, which will function as an interchange facility for the rapid rail, railway station, metro station, and ISBT.
To get to the railway station or bus stop, people must depart and walk almost a kilometre or take a rickshaw. They will be able to use the interchange facility without having to exit the premises once the RRTS is completed. A four-lane underpass has been built from Mathura Road to the RRTS station in Jangpura to make public access to the station more accessible. Work on the other Delhi stations is also moving very quickly.
The elevated New Ashok Nagar station will provide interchange services with the neighbouring Metro station. According to the official, preparations are underway at Anand Vihar to launch a tunnel boring machine to construct underground portions of the corridor.
In addition, the NCRTC is building a 1.35-kilometre bridge across the Yamuna in Delhi, which will run roughly parallel to the present DND flyway. This will link the RRTS stations of Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar. The river bridge will be roughly 626 metres long, with the rest of it being over the khadar area on both sides. It will feature 32 piers with a 44-metre gap between them. The foundation for the bridge is now being laid.
The priority section starting from Sahibabad to Duhai Depot in Ghaziabad will have five stations and are nearing completion. An official exclaimed, “NCRTC has completed about 80% of the foundation work of the elevated section. More than 1,200 piers have been constructed on a 30-km stretch out of 82 km. In addition, about 16-km of the viaduct has been constructed, most of which is located on the priority section.”
