The Uttar Pradesh government has cleared the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a new Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) route that will connect Delhi to the upcoming Noida International Airport in Jewar. The proposed high-speed corridor is expected to cut travel time between the capital and the airport to around 21 minutes. After receiving approval from the state cabinet, the report has been forwarded to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) for final approval from the Centre.

Currently, the Delhi–Meerut Namo Bharat line is the only RRTS corridor operating in India. Spanning 82.15 kilometres, the route runs from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram in Uttar Pradesh. The Namo Bharat trains are built to achieve speeds of up to 180 kmph, while their regular operational speed can go as high as 160 kmph.

Conencting via Bullet Train: Delhi-Jewar Airport RRTS

According to Uttar Pradesh Industrial Development Minister Nand Gupta, the state government has cleared the Detailed Project Report for the Regional Rapid Transit System linking Delhi to Jewar Airport and has sent it to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for final clearance. The DPR also outlines plans to connect this RRTS route with the upcoming Delhi-Varanasi high-speed rail line via a dedicated station at the airport terminal.

 If finalised, the integrated transport network is expected to enhance connectivity between Delhi and the upcoming airport hub significantly. As per a report by the Indian Express, the corridor is likely to operate on the lines of Namo Bharat rapid rail system currently functioning between RRTS routes and has trains designed for speeds up to 180 kmph. 

Flight operations from Noida International Airport are expected to commence on June 15. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the airport project earlier this year on March 28.

‘Accelerate infrastructure works’, says Minister

In a post on X, Gupta mentioned that the meeting on the “overall and planned development” of the YEIDA region, with special significance on speeding up infrastructure projects related to Jewar airport connectivity.

“Special prominence was placed on accelerating necessary infrastructural development works to further enhance and streamline the connectivity of the Jewar Airport,” Gupta stated in the post.

The minister also directed officials to remove “legal and administrative hurdles” impacting development projects and asked departments to bring more transparency to governance and simplify compensation and no-objection certificate (NOC) processes for farmers and residents.

Cargo hub plans, industrial growth push

The Yamuna Expressway region is expected to emerge as a major cargo and industrial hub after the airport becomes operational. Official informed the meeting that the expressway region is being linked with major corridors, including the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, Ganga Expressway, Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and Puravanchal Expressway. The meeting also reviewed several industrial and manufacturing projects planned in the region.