The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has submitted a comprehensive report for four new Namo Bharat corridors to strengthen rail connectivity across Delhi-NCR, the Rajya Sabha confirmed on Monday. On this, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu said that reports have been prepared for the Delhi-Karnal, Delhi-Bawal, Bawal-Behrod, and Ghaziabad-Noida International Airport Corridors, respectively.
Union Minister Sahu claimed that the NCR Planning Board has identified eight Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors between major cities of the NCR in its Functional Plan on Transport for NCR-2032. The eight proposed corridors include Delhi-Gurugram-Rewari-Alwar, Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat, Delhi-Faridabad-Ballabhgarh-Palwal, Delhi-Bahadurgarh-Rohtak, Delhi-Shahdara-Baraut, Ghaziabad-Khurja, and Ghaziabad-Hapur.
The project was sanctioned by the Central Government in March 2019. The eight corridors are currently under consideration by the Centre, as Namo Bharat projects involve substantial investments and undergo detailed technical and financial appraisal before any decision on funding is taken, the minister added.
Project To Enhance Connectivity
“After such examination, the Centre considers financial assistance to RRTS (Regional Rapid Transit System) projects based on the feasibility of the proposal and availability of resources,” he said. According to Sahu, the NCR Planning Board (NCRPB) claimed that the eight RRTS corridors are being developed to enhance high-speed rail-based commuter connectivity among major towns in Delhi-NCR.
The Minister of housing and State Affairs, stated that NITI Aayog had prioritised three corridors for implementation. These include Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Gurugram-Alwar, and Delhi-Panipat. The 82.15-km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor, sanctioned by the Centre in March 2019, has become fully operational, Sahu said.