Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS)

A Rapid Rail Transit System between Delhi and Meerut in the works will speed up the journey to the national capital and make it hassle-free. A K TIWARY reports A Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) in the works is likely to speed up the journey from Delhi (Anand Vihar) to Meerut (Begumpul). Once completed, connectivity to the national capital and Ghaziabad will be enhanced and become hassle-free, to boot. Also, after this project comes through, property prices will inevitably skyrocket. Officers of nodal departments have already surveyed the entire route, right from Delhi to Meerut, where an elevated railway track will be aligned on this route. The length of this proposed track is 67km, with an estimated cost of Rs 1,040 crore. The tender of this project has been given to Delhi Integrated Multimodal Transport System (DIMTS) by the NCR Planning Board. Under this project, there would be stations at intervals of 4-5km. Anand Vihar, Vaishali, Mohan Nagar, Meerut Road (Airtel Cut), Morta, Duhai, Murad Nagar, Gang Nahar, Modi Nagar, Mohiddinpur, Meerut Bypass Cut and Pallavpuram are the proposed halts of this RRTS. An underground track has also been planned between Anand Vihar and Dabur, to avoid the Metro project. A consensus has already been reached between the DMRC and the RRTS to work in coordination so as not to hamper either work on either project. According to M C Gaur, town planner of Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA), "No Metro station will be made on routes where stoppages of this high-speed train are being proposed. By following this norm, both systems earn enough revenue through adequate passenger traffic." Ghaziabad, a planned industrial city in Uttar Pradesh, is 19km east of Delhi and 46km southwest of Meerut. Both Ghaziabad and Meerut are important industrial cities and mop up huge revenue for UP. Well-connected by roads and railways, they have various industries like maintenance depots for electric locomotive and EMU trains, factories manufacturing railway wagon, bicycles, tapestries, glassware, pottery, paint and varnish, heavy chains, etc. Rakesh Yadav, chairman of Antriksh Group, says: "According to the Master Plan 2021, the total population of Ghaziabad is expected to be nearly 23 lakh. As per the plan, about 6,975 hectares would be utilized for residential purpose, 491 hectares for

commercial purpose, 1,933 hectares for industries, 501 hectares for office use, 1,201 hectares for public utility services, 2,484 hectares for parks and entertainment and approximately 1,392 hectares for roads, bus depots and railways. In order to facilitate technology-oriented growth, the plan proposes that 2,185 hectares of land be earmarked for hi-tech cities in Ghaziabad." R K Arora, MD of Supertech Group, says: "In the NCR, the RRTS will add a new dimension to the transport system, as it is going to connect Delhi to Meerut. And it will affect property scenario. If all goes well, according to the plan, people will get an ultramodern township along with this a rapid rail system." The project has been designed in a manner which will do away with the necessity of acquiring or demolishing any existing property, according to sources. The RRTS would run underground from Anand Vihar to Dabur and then traverse the journey to Meerut upon elevated track. The maximum speed of the RRTS trains is likely to touch 150km per hour and the distance between Delhi and Meerut would be covered in about 45 minutes. According to the plan, two passenger trains and an express train will ply to and fro between either junctions. In addition, the NCR Planning Board has planned three townships along the RRTS route, from Delhi to Meerut - one between Muradnagar to Modi Nagar; second, from Modi Nagar to Mohiuddinpur, and the third in Meerut Development Authority (MDA) zone. Each township is likely to be developed on around 1,000 acres. The land acquisition would be conducted by MDA and GDA, working in close cooperation. The DIMTS recently gave a presentation to the district magistrate of Ghaziabad on all the aspects of the RRTS. The project, which is likely to be completed by 2017, has an alignment almost along the existing road. According to Tejandra Pal Tyagi, chairman of the Federation of RWA, Ghaziabad: "It was clarified that feeder-bus service, parking areas, exchange station at Mohan Nagar from the Metro to the RRTS will be included in the detailed project report (DPR). Also, RRTS is not at the cost of the Metro rail." RRTS: FACT FILE Time taken from Delhi (Anand Vihar) to Meerut (Begumpul): 45 minutes Average speed: 100km/hr Maximum speed: 150km/hr Expected cost: Rs 150-175 crore/km

PROPOSED STATIONS: Anand Vihar (underground) Sahibabad (elevated) Mohan Nagar (elevated) Ghaziabad (elevated) Guldhar (elevated) Duhai (elevated) Murad Nagar (elevated) Modi Nagar (elevated) Meerut South (elevated) Shatabadi Nagar (underground) Meerut Central (underground) Begumpul (underground) Meerut North Pallavpuram (elevated) QUICK BITES THE PROJECT HAS BEEN DESIGNED IN A MANNER WHICH WILL DO AWAY WITH THE NECESSITY OF ACQUIRING OR DEMOLISHING ANY EXISTING PROPERTY, ACCORDING TO SOURCES. THE RRTS WOULD RUN UNDERGROUND FROM ANAND VIHAR TO DABUR AND THEN TRAVERSE THE JOURNEY TO MEERUT UPON ELEVATED TRACK IN ADDITION, THE NCR PLANNING BOARD HAS PLANNED THREE TOWNSHIPS ALONG THE RRTS ROUTE, FROM DELHI TO MEERUT ONE BETWEEN MURADNAGAR TO MODI NAGAR; SECOND, FROM MODI NAGAR TO MOHIUDDINPUR, AND THE THIRD IN MEERUT DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (MDA) ZONE Hassle-free ride in the city roads of Delhi will soon become a new mantra. The commuters from satellite towns from now on will be freed from heavy traffic jams with the implementation ofRegional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). This system is expected to free traffic from areas in new Delhi like; Panipat, Meerut and Alwar also at the check migrations. National Capital Region (NCR) Planning Board has been given initiative of planning this system in concern with the monetization of land and PPP model. NCR is experiencing the flow of nearly 3.5 lakh passenger cars commuting everyday. Also government has initiated NCR Planning Board to plan and develop greenfield townshipsin all the traffic oriented areas in the city. on these transport corridors in partnership with the state governments concerned.The transport interconnectivity in the NCR is taken initiative by the NCR Transport Corporation (NCRTC). The roads connecting Delhi to Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi to Gurgaon-Alwar and Delhi to Panipat is said to be taken care of initially and later as the work progresses, the NCR board will implement the same through out Delhi. The commuters in Delhi are sure to reap positive benefits with this plan.