NEW DELHI: The installation of the last span of package 1 of the 17-km long priority section of the Delhi-Meerut Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) was completed on Tuesday. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) construction work in this 17-km stretch is being carried out in two packages – first between Sahibabad to Ghaziabad and second between Ghaziabad and Duhai.
The last span was installed near the Special Steel Span of the RRTS constructed for crossing railway lines at Ghaziabad. The last segment of the girder was lifted by the launching gantry (tarini) and fitted. Thus the viaduct from Sahibabad to Duhai on the priority section is completed. This is a giant step in the direction of the implementation of the RRTS – slated to be operational by 2023.
After the project sanction, the civil work of the priority section was started in June 2019 and despite two waves of COVID the civil construction work is nearing its final stage within just three years. The construction of the entire span in package 1 is now complete. After the progress in civil construction work, the pace of installation of signalling and telecom systems in both these packages will be accelerated.
This 17-km long priority section will have a total of 5 stations, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai and Duhai depot, and their construction work is in progress. The work on stabilising, inspection lines and rolling stock maintenance yard for maintenance of RRTS trains at the Duhai Depot is on track.
The construction of the administrative building of RRTS equipped with various labs, simulation rooms and different types of classrooms being built for training is also going on. At present, the track laying work near the depot is also being carried out at good pace. This depot is taking shape rapidly, where the first RRTS train set is expected to arrive from Gujarat by next month.