The first multimodal integration between the 17km priority section of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project and the Delhi Metro line is set to take place within the next three months, as per officials from the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC). They announced that a foot-over-bridge will connect the RRTS Ghaziabad station and the Metro’s Red Line station at New Bus Adda.
The NCRTC is responsible for the construction of the 82km long RRTS project, connecting the cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut. The 17km priority section, recently inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and rebranded as the Namo Bharat trains, is now open to the public. It features five stations at Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, and Duhai Depot.
Since its opening, this priority section has seen a daily ridership of approximately 8,000-10,000 passengers. Notably, Sahibabad and Ghaziabad stations will eventually integrate with other transportation systems like the Metro and UP Roadways buses.
“The linking of the RRTS Ghaziabad station with the Red Line Metro station is likely to happen in the next three months, enabling passengers to move easily between the two stations,” stated Puneet Vats, the Chief Public Relations Officer at NCRTC. Sahibabad station is already designed for integration with the Metro, with plans to implement this integration once the Metro arrives.
However, plans to connect Noida’s Sector 62 to Sahibabad via Metro, as proposed by the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA), are still in the pipeline and await realization.
NCRTC aims to promote the newly opened RRTS line among the public, encouraging more people to use it. They have introduced several electric AC feeder buses from ISBT Anand Vihar to Sahibabad and electric feeder autos to ferry passengers between the four stations of Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, and Duhai for a minimal fare of ₹10.
Last-mile connectivity will likely remain in place until the 17km priority section is extended by another 25 kilometres towards Meerut. The extension will include stations at Muradnagar, Modinagar (North), Modinagar (South) in Ghaziabad, and Meerut (South) in Meerut. NCRTC officials anticipate that this 25km section will be completed in the first quarter of 2024, boosting ridership and making commuting more convenient for passengers.
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