NEW DELHI: The first train of the regional rapid transit system (RRTS) project was finally unveiled on Wednesday at the Duhai depot in Ghaziabad, following which the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) will commence trial run on the priority section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor later this year.
The modern RRTS trains have ergonomically designed 2x2 transverse seating, wide standing space, luggage racks, CCTV cameras, laptop/mobile charging facility, dynamic route maps, auto control ambient lighting system, heating ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) and other amenities.
The air-conditioned RRTS trains will have standard as well as one coach each of premium class reserved for women commuters.
NCRTC MD Vinay Kumar Singh said, "We have always prioritised commuter convenience since the inception of the country’s first RRTS project. Our teams have studied the commuter needs for regional travel and worked on providing several customised amenities which will go a long way in providing a reliable mode of travel for the passenger."
The delivery of these semi high-speed aerodynamic train sets, with distributed power, will start soon in the coming months. The Alstom (earlier Bombardier) manufacturing facility at Savli in Gujarat will be delivering a total of 210 cars for the first RRTS corridor.
The NCRTC officials said that the work on the entire 82-km long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor is in full swing, which will have 25 stations in total, including 2 depots at Duhai and Modipuram and one stabling yard at Jangpura.
NCRTC has completed about 80 per cent of the foundation work of the elevated section. More than 1,400 piers on a 40 km stretch and 18 km of viaduct have been constructed so far, most of which is in the priority section. Meanwhile, the 17-km priority section, between Sahibabad to Duhai, is targeted to be commissioned by 2023 and the full corridor by 2025.
The civil work on the priority section, having a total of 5 stations, is nearing completion. Track laying activities along with overhead electrical equipments (OHE) installation are going on the elevated viaduct.
All five RRTS stations in the priority section - Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, and Duhai depot - have started taking shape.