NCRTC unveils Meerut Metro at RRTS Depot, Duhai in UP's Ghaziabad

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) on Saturday unveiled 'Meerut Metro' at RRTS Depot, Duhai in Ghaziabad, officials said. It has three-car trainsets with ergonomically designed 2x2 transverse and longitudinal seating arrangements with comfortable cushioned seats. More than 700 passengers can travel in a train, with a seating capacity of 173, they stated.

Prioritising safety, platform screen doors (PSDs) will be installed at all stations synchronised with metro operations and also help in ensuring crowd management. Selective door opening via push buttons reduces energy consumption, the officials said.

Shalabh Goel, Managing Director of the NCRTC, said that the Meerut Metro will revolutionise the city's transportation, enhancing connectivity, productivity, and overall quality of life.

"By providing a modern, reliable, and fast transit system, it will reduce travel time, alleviate traffic congestion, and foster economic growth. The NCRTC has focused on understanding the commuter needs in detail and customised the features of this new-age transit mode, to ensure utmost comfort and efficient journeys for the people," Goel said.

Under the Make in India guidelines, 100 per cent of the trainsets for Meerut Metro are being manufactured in India. These world-class trainsets are being manufactured in Savli, Gujarat. To date, five Meerut Metro trainsets have been handed over to NCRTC, the officials said.

The Meerut Metro train will have a design speed of 135 kmph and a maximum operational speed of 120 kmph. The trainsets, with their sleek and state-of-the-art modern light weight design, built with stainless steel, are energy efficient and equipped with a regenerative braking system. They are also compatible with automatic train protection (ATP) and automatic train operations (ATO), they said.

Safety measures like passenger emergency communication system, fire extinguishers, alarms, and talk-back systems are integrated. There will be a specific reserved seating arrangement in each coach of the metro train for female passengers and senior citizens, the officials said.

Both stations and trains are universally accessible, with dedicated space for medical stretchers or wheelchairs in emergencies. The metro stations also have spacious lifts to accommodate medical stretchers and wheelchairs, they stated.

The Meerut Metro will operate on the same RRTS infrastructure from Meerut South to Modipuram.

At four of these stations, commuters will be able to switch to Namo Bharat train services and vice versa. These stations will be Meerut South, Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul, and Modipuram. This innovative approach has led to significant savings in terms of construction cost of infrastructure viz OHE, viaduct, track, signalling etc., the official said.

The Meerut Metro corridor spans 23 km with 13 stations, including 18 km of elevated and five km of underground sections. Nine stations are elevated, three are underground, and one station (depot station) will be at grade. This 23 km distance will be covered by these modern trainsets within 30 minutes, they said.

Speaking on the occasion, Goel said, "The RRTS and Meerut Metro project is progressing at a rapid pace, and we are confident of delivering the project for the people of the region as per schedule. We are thankful to the government of India and government of Uttar Pradesh for their continuous support for the project and also creating an encouraging development focused ecosystem.” 
Construction of the Meerut Metro corridor is progressing rapidly, and all the stations have started taking shape. Underground tunnel construction has been completed, and finishing works are being done at all the underground stations, they said.

Track laying activities are currently in progress on already completed tunnels and viaducts. Out of the 18 km long elevated section, viaduct construction is almost completed till Modipuram station, they added.