Delhi-Meerut RRTS update: Viaduct on Delhi section likely to be completed by April-end

The construction of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) viaduct in the Delhi section is expected to be finished by the end of April 2024, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) announced on Friday. 

As part of construction, track-laying activities, electric traction, and signaling work, are presently underway on the New Ashok Nagar-Sahibabad section, PTI reported. The Delhi section is anticipated to be completed by the end of this year, paving the way for trial runs between Delhi and Sahibabad, they further said.

“Less than 500 metres of the viaduct in the Delhi section is now left for construction, which is scheduled for completion by the end of this month. The Delhi section is about 14 kilometres long which consists of about nine kilometres of elevated section and five km of underground section,” an official said.

In Delhi, the RRTS network includes a five-kilometer-long underground section. Further, to link the Anand Vihar underground station with the New Ashok Nagar RRTS station in Delhi and the Sahibabad RRTS station in Ghaziabad, four tunnels have been constructed.

The RRTS tunnels have a diameter of 6.5 meters, which is highly optimized compared to global benchmarks for tunnels designed for a similar speed of 180 kmph, accommodating wider and higher rolling stock,  stated an official.

RRTS to be operational in Delhi section soon

Construction of more than eight kilometres of viaduct has already been completed in addition to the entire underground section of about five kilometres. The three mainline RRTS stations of Sarai Kale Khan, New Ashok Nagar and Anand Vihar (underground) have already taken shape and finishing works are currently in progress, the officials said.

Notably, once the Delhi section is completed, movement of passengers can be established from Sarai Kale Khan to the currently operational Sahibabad-Modi Nagar North section and beyond, officials mentioned.

The Delhi-Meerut RRTS is an 82.15 km long semi-high-speed rail and regional rail corridor that will connect the National Capital Region (NCR) cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut.