During his visit, Katikithala took stock of the preparations being done for the commencement of the operations in the Delhi section of the RRTS corridor

Srinivas Katikithala, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), visited India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor connecting Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut today on 1 December 2024.

During his visit, Katikithala took stock of the preparations being done for the commencement of the operations in the Delhi section of the RRTS corridor. At present extensive trial runs are being carried out in this section for passenger operation.

He expressed a keen interest in understanding how NCRTC constructed the RRTS stations close to existing transport modes. MD, NCRTC informed him how Foot-Over Bridges (FOBs), lifts, and escalators are being utilized to integrate these different modes of transport so seamlessly that commuters can transition between them even without having to exit onto the roads. He commended NCRTC’s strategic and futuristic approach in creating a comprehensive transit hub, especially in the face of numerous construction challenges. Both the New Ashok Nagar and Anand Vihar RRTS stations exemplify this multi-modal integration, effectively connecting with the Delhi Metro and other transport options in their vicinity.

Katikithala also inaugurated a rooftop solar power plant at the Ghaziabad RRTS station, marking a significant milestone in NCRTC’s commitment to sustainability. With a peak capacity of approximately 1 MWp (965 kilowatts KWp), this is the largest solar power plant installed by NCRTC to date.

This initiative is part of NCRTC’s broader vision to transform its stations, depots, and substations into solar power generation hubs, significantly reducing its carbon footprint. With the current solar power generation capacity of 4-megawatt peak (MWp), NCRTC is achieving an estimated annual reduction of 4,100 tons of CO2 emissions.

Katikithala also took a trip on the Namo Bharat train in the operational section, where he experienced the commuter-centric features of the Namo Bharat trains. He was also introduced to the train operators and the station controllers, who are primarily female. This is line with the Honorable Prime Minister’s vision of women-led development. He was very interested in NCRTC’s detailed focus on the comfort and diverse needs of commuters, particularly praising the dedicated space for carrying stretchers to meet medical transit needs and other amenities to ease their travel.

The Secretary was also given a detailed presentation on the RRTS and briefed on the cutting-edge technologies being used in the project, including ETCS-2 signalling and Building Information Modelling (BIM). He was appreciative of NCRTC’s use of advanced technologies for project execution, operational efficiency, and training, noting that many of these technologies are being employed for the first time in India, with some even being implemented globally.

Presently, a 42 km section between Sahibabad and Meerut South of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor, which includes nine stations, namely Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, Duhai Depot, Murad Nagar, Modi Nagar South, Modi Nagar North & Meerut-South stations are operational for commuters.