Meerut (UP), Feb 22 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged off the Meerut Metro and Namo Bharat train from the Shatabdi Nagar station here, giving a fillip to high-speed intercity travel and swift intra-city movement.
From there, the prime minister also undertook a metro ride till Meerut South station.
He is also going to inaugurate and dedicate to the nation various development projects worth around Rs 12,930 crore in Meerut.
Modi will also address the gathering on the occasion, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The prime minister dedicated to the nation the entire 82 Km Delhi Meerut Namo Bharat corridor and inaugurated the remaining sections of India’s first Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), which include the 5 km section between Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar in Delhi and the 21 km section between Meerut South and Modipuram in Uttar Pradesh.
With a design speed of 180 km per hour, Namo Bharat is India’s first regional rapid transit system. It will connect major urban centres such as Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Modinagar and Meerut with Delhi at a faster pace.
Sarai Kale Khan station, the originating station of the corridor, is one of the four Namo Bharat stations commissioned with this inauguration.
It is strategically located as a major multi-modal hub, seamlessly connecting Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station, Delhi Metro’s pink line, Veer Haqeeqat Rai ISBT, and the ring road.
The other three Namo Bharat stations — Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul and Modipuram — being commissioned are in Meerut.
The prime minister also inaugurated the Meerut Metro services between Meerut South and Modipuram, operating on the same infrastructure as Namo Bharat, in a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country.
The Meerut Metro will be India’s fastest metro system with a maximum operational speed of around 120 kmph. The metro will cover the entire stretch in just 30 minutes, with all scheduled stoppages en route.
This seamless integration of Namo Bharat and Meerut Metro on the same infrastructure will ensure high-speed intercity travel and swift intra-city movement, setting a benchmark for integrated urban and regional transit in India.
It will decongest road traffic and consequently lead to a significant reduction in vehicular carbon dioxide emissions.
These projects will provide further impetus to the prime minister’s vision of transforming urban mobility and ensuring seamless, efficient, modern and sustainable public transport systems that improve ease of living for citizens, the statement said. (PTI)
