NEW DELHI: In a big step towards hassle-free commute in the Delhi NCR region, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has begun the civil construction for the high-speed rapid rail project in Delhi.
The NCRTC on Monday kicked off the construction of a viaduct connecting the Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar stations as part of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System.
The whole construction package for the corridor includes building a viaduct from Sarai Kale Khan to New Ashok Nagar’s Down-Ramp, a bridge over the Yamuna River, an entry ramp leading to the Jangpura Stabling Yard and two elevated stations at Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar.
The 4.3 km section will be elevated. The two stations will be developed as a milestone hub with a major transit interchanging facility with all modes of transport.
The Sarai Kale Khan RRTS station will be a mega transit hub as all three prioritised RRTS corridors Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Gurgram-SNB, Delhi-Panipat will converge here and it will be seamlessly integrated with Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway station, Hazrat Nizamuddin Metro station and the Sarai Kale Khan Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT).
“Currently, people have to exit the metro station and walk for 10 minutes to reach the railway station and bus terminal. Under the NCRTC planned station, people need not exit the station as direct connectivity will be provided to railway, metro, ISBT,” said a senior NCRTC official.
The travel time between Noida and Ghaziabad will also be reduced as the New Ashok Nagar RRTS station will provide a short direct route to Noida-Dwarka and Vaishali.
Currently, people have to change from the Yamuna Bank Metro Station to change for trains heading to Noida or Vaishali.
However, once constructed, the New Ashok Nagar RRTS station will provide direct access to Ghaziabad and Noida routes.
“Through such efficient multimodal integration, public transport modes will complement each other. RRTS will create a network of networks thus resulting in a modal shift in favour of public transport. This green and sustainable transport will not only offer mass transit benefits but will also help in effectively curbing pollution, congestion, and road accidents,” said the official.
Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor has 24 stations and two depots at Duhai and Modipuram.
This RRTS corridor originates from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi and ends at Modipuram (Meerut).
Once constructed, this system is expected to bring down the travel time between Delhi to Meerut to less than 60 minutes.
