Naming Stations After Popular Brands Among Key Initiatives By NCRTC To Monetise RRTS Operations

National Capital Regional Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is tapping opportunities to monetise Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) operations and make them commercially viable.

Branding of stations with naming rights to stakeholders as a source of advertising besides commercial use of its premises are being actively considered for additional earnings from RRTS operations.

In order to make the RRTS venture commercially viable, additional revenue sources are being explored by NCRTC, said a senior official involved with the exercise.

"RRTS stations can be named after popular products like soft drinks or an eatery chain is on the offer besides construction of a shopping complex, cinema halls at its premises as part of the commercial use of the land."

Retailing activities are to be allowed as land monetisation initiatives of the NCRTC to generate about Rs 150 crore per year as additional revenue, said the official.

NCRTC will also conduct freight operation during the night time to utilise the tracks during the late hours.

However, for the cargo operation, there would be separate coaches to be designed for the purpose. 

The transportation of essential goods on rapid rail is expected to decongest traffic and ease out loads on the capital road network. This would also reduce the pollution with decreased flow of hazardous emissions from commercial trucks entering Delhi.

Besides, the NCRTC is also planning to construct warehouses at every depot to facilitate smooth and hassle-free movement of cargo on the RRTS network.

Currently three warehouses are being planned to be constructed at Jangpura in Delhi, Modipuram and Duhai in Uttar Pradesh.

The construction of the 17-km-long priority corridor between Sahibabad and Duhai is in the final stages of completion.

NCRTC Managing Director Vinay Kumar Singh, along with other senior officials inspected the implementation progress in the priority section as the whole team is gearing up for trial runs of the country’s first RRTS train.

NCRTC is all set to start operations on the priority section, Sahibabad to Duhai, of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor, early next year.