NEW DELHI: The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat Corridor crossed a major milestone of 3 crore passenger journeys, signalling its rapid emergence as a preferred mode of travel across the National Capital Region (NCR).
‘Achieved within months of the full corridor becoming operational, the feat reflects growing commuter confidence in the new-age regional transit system,’ said an NCRTC official on Tuesday.
The corridor was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 22, 2026, alongside the Meerut Metro. Since then, officials said, ridership has surged, with weekday daily footfall ranging between 90,000 and 1.14 lakh passengers, while Sundays record around 85,000 commuters.
Operations began on October 21, 2023, with a 17-km priority stretch between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot. Initial ridership of 72,000 in the first full month grew steadily as the corridor expanded to Modinagar North and later Meerut South, eventually reaching 42 km. By December 2024, monthly ridership had climbed to 7 lakh, nearly ten times higher than the previous year.
A turning point came in January 2025 with the launch of the Delhi section connecting New Ashok Nagar to Sahibabad. Key interchange points such as Anand Vihar has significantly improved accessibility, drawing commuters from across Delhi and neighbouring regions. By May 2025, the system had already recorded 1 crore journeys, doubling monthly ridership to nearly 15 lakh by July.
With the final 26-km stretch commissioned in February this year, the ridership has accelerated further. March alone recorder nearly 27 lakh passengers, and the system added another crore journeys in under five months.
