India’s National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has named its first semi-high-speed regional rail services as ‘RAPIDX’. The trains will operate on the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors, which are being implemented to connect key urban nodes across the National Capital Region (NCR). The brand name ‘RAPIDX’ has been chosen because it is easy to read and pronounce in various languages.
NCRTC officials stated that the ‘X’ in the name represents next-generation technology and new-age mobility solutions, signifying speed, progress, youth, optimism, and energy. The brand’s aim is to contribute to decarbonisation by decongesting NCR, reducing the number of vehicles on the road, and using green energy. The brand’s logo has a green leaf symbol highlighting the brand’s commitment to decarbonisation.
NCRTC is a joint venture between the Union government and the states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The company plans to tap into green energy by installing solar panels on stations and depots and progressively increasing the use of blended power in traction.
The RAPIDX services will connect people who live in their hometowns in NCR with the national capital through modern, sustainable, convenient, fast, safe, and comfortable means of travel. The RAPIDX services on the first Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor will reduce travel time between Delhi and Meerut significantly.
The NCRTC plans to commission the entire Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor for the public by 2025. Before that, it will operationalise a 17-km long priority section between Sahibabad and Duhai in 2023, ahead of its scheduled time. The RAPIDX services are expected to provide easier and faster access to a world of opportunities for the youth in NCR, leading them towards their aspirations.
(With agency inputs)