How Delhi-Meerut RRTS will enable a two-faced transit, RRTS and Metro

On Friday, October 20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the initial phase of India's first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), marking the dawn of a new era in the country's urban public transportation.

The 17 km inaugural section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS, which is set to open to the public soon, will comprise five stations, namely Sahibabad, Ghaziabad Guldhar, Duhai, and Duhai depot.

In the coming years, as the remaining section becomes operational, the entire 82 km route will extend from Sarai Kale Khan in East Delhi to Modipuram, in the northern reaches of Meerut, a significant industrial hub. A report suggests that the entire stretch is anticipated to be operational by June 2025.

RRTS vs Metro

• Metro systems are primarily tailored to meet commuting needs within a single city or megacity, whereas Rapid Rail Transit Systems (RRTS) are specifically engineered to link multiple cities nearby.
• These advanced transportation networks provide opportunities for increased development and improved economic integration.
• Rail routes, in general, are influenced by economic factors, resulting in fewer stops in sparsely populated semi-urban, and rural areas.
• In contrast, densely populated areas see more frequent stops, sometimes as close as 2 kilometres apart, like Rajeev Chowk and Barakhanba Road stations in Central Delhi.

Hence, according to the NCRTC, the implementing authority, as the route will enter the city of Meerut, it will have more frequent stops, compared to the section between Ghaziabad and Meerut South stations, where it would pass through the wheat and sugarcane fields of Western UP.

Let us have a detailed look at the map and understand how is this designed to accommodate an RRTS and a metro.

After its completion, the transit system will not consist of two parallel lines (red and blue, as shown in the picture above), but will have two types of stations along the same rail:

• Eight stations will be exclusively dedicated to local transit, namely Partapur, Rithani, Brahmapuri, Meerut Central, Bhaisali, MES Colony, Daurli and Meerut North.
• Additionally, four stations will serve both the RRTS (Regional Rapid Transit System) and local transit services in Meerut, which are Meerut South, Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul, and Modipuram.

For example, between Delhi and Patna on the Indian Railways, a Rajdhani Express would only make stops at Kanpur, Prayagraj, and Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay stations. However, a 'crawler' like the Mahananda Express would have more frequent stops, including additional halts at Aligarh, Tundla, Etawah, Mirzapur, Dildarnagar, Ara, Buxar and Danapur.

• Separate sets of rolling stock (coaches) will be employed for each service.

For example, the RRTS coaches could feature cushioned seating and designated luggage storage areas, while the metro coaches might lack these amenities and instead provide ample standing room for shorter journeys.

The stations will blue dots will be dedicated to local transit, whereas the ones in blue, encircled by yellow will be used by both.

Hence the local transit service, planned for Meerut in the future, will be plying on the same route, with more stops to help people move from one part of the city to another.

Meerut, an emerging city of more than 18 lakhs, is expected to see an exponential growth of population and its expanse in the coming years. The project will ensure a fast and comprehensive transportation system for years to come.