As per the proposal, the first phase will be 106 km long, with 11 elevated stations and five underground stations. (Image for representational purpose)The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) board approved the project proposal for a part of the Delhi – Alwar rapid rail transit corridor on Thursday.
The meeting was chaired by Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. In the first phase, construction on the corridor will start between Delhi and Shahjahanpur-Neemrana-Behror Urban Complex, via Gurgaon.
As per the proposal, the first phase will be 106 km long, with 11 elevated stations and five underground stations. The underground stations will be in Delhi and Gurgaon. The RRTS project will also integrate into the Delhi Metro at four existing stations —Sarai Kale Khan, Jor Bagh, Munirka and Aerocity.
The previous proposal of linking Delhi and Meerut through the rapid rail system, however, is still stuck with the Delhi government over whether the transit hub at Sarai Kale Khan will be elevated or will be built underground. The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister and the Secretary have both written to the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, asking that their proposal to build a hub be passed as it is a more cost-effective option.
The Delhi government, however, has maintained it will agree only to an underground station.
“The Delhi government is studying the proposal and has put forth its concerns to the ministry. The proposal is still under consideration,” said a government official.
If approval for the proposal is granted, Sarai Kale Khan will become a multi-modal transit hub, with Nizamuddin Railway Station, Sarai Kale Khan Inter-State Bus Transit station, Delhi Metro’s Nizammudin station on the Pink Line and the RRTS link being connected at the same spot.
As per a statement issued by NCRTC, RRTS trains will have the capability to run at an average speed of 100 kilometres per hour, and will have a frequency of 5-10 minutes. The plan is to also have a business class coach in every train, so more people can use the line and leave their cars behind.
“Once constructed, the corridor is expected to bring down the travel time between Delhi and Shahjahanpur-Neemrana-Behror Urban Complex to less than 70 minutes… The corridor is planned to be constructed in about five years’ time excluding one year of pre-construction activities at a base construction cost of INR 24,975 crore, funded by Government of India (20%), concerned State Governments (20%) and bilateral/multilateral funding agencies (60%),” the statement said.
