New Delhi: The high-speed, high-frequency trains that will run under the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) will now be known as ‘Namo Bharat’ and the first service of 17 km between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot (both in Ghaziabad, UP) will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.
‘NaMo’ is a popular acronym used for the prime minister, leading opposition leaders to label the move as “megalomania”.
Inauguration of the country’s first Regional Rapid Train #NamoBharat between Sahibabad & Duhai Depot by PM Sh @narendramodi Ji on 20 October 2023 will mark the beginning of a new era of state-of-the-art ultra modern urban commute in the country.@PMOIndia @myogiadityanath pic.twitter.com/bYJijE7R4b
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) October 19, 2023
The 17 km stretch is part of the 82 km corridor that will connect Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut. It will connect cities, towns and urban nodes across the National Capital Region (NCR). The foundation stone for the corridor was laid by Prime Minister Modi in March 2019.
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Trains on the RRTS network, christened RapidX, have a design speed of 180 km per hour and an operational speed of 160 km per hour. Travel time from Delhi to Meerut will take around two hours.
The section between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot has five stations, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai and Duhai Depot.
According to reports, the train set was manufactured by Alstom (earlier Bombardier) and will be able to seat 407 passengers, while 1061 can commute standing. The trains will have a 2 by 2 seating capacity with overhead luggage racks, on-board Wi-Fi and charging facilities. The NCR Transport Corporation, which will operate the network, has ordered 210 coaches for the Delhi to Meerut corridor.
Once operational, this corridor is expected to take one lakh private vehicles off of the road. Wherever possible, RRTS stations will be connected with the existing modes of public transport like bus stands, airports, metro and railway stations.
The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS being developed at a cost of more than Rs 30,000 crore,
Opposition politicians slammed the move to rename the trains as ‘Namo Bharat’.
The Trinmool Congress’s Saket Gokhale said on X (formerly Twitter), “Modi’s fear of losing the 2024 elections & his desperation to try ANYTHING is now getting amusing. The new rapid rail system he’s inaugurating tomorrow has been named ‘Namo Bharat’. Insecure megalomaniac clutching at straws ahead of his impending election defeat by INDIA.”
Modi’s fear of losing the 2024 elections & his desperation to try ANYTHING is now getting amusing.
The new rapid rail system he’s inaugurating tomorrow has been named “Namo Bharat”.
Insecure megalomaniac clutching at straws ahead of his impending election defeat by INDIA. pic.twitter.com/dlAnZ0UOI9
— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) October 19, 2023
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera commented, “Why even put Bharat? Just change the name of the country to Namo and be done with it.”
Why even put Bharat?
Just change the name of the country to Namo and be done with it. https://t.co/vcRaK4tJXM— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) October 19, 2023
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