Namo Bharat Set To Roll In Delhi: Trial Runs Begin This November

India's first regional rapid train, 'Namo Bharat', is set to make its debut in the national capital soon, with a trial run on the 6.5-km section from Sahibabad to Anand Vihar expected to start in November.

The construction of the Anand Vihar RRTS station is nearly complete, with final touches being applied, according to reports from ET.

An official from the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), which is executing the project, stated, "With the viaduct construction now complete, work is progressing rapidly on track laying, overhead electrification, and signaling. The trial run of the Namo Bharat train on the approximately 6.5-km stretch from Sahibabad to Anand Vihar is expected to begin by November."

The Delhi section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor features a 9-km elevated viaduct and a 5-km underground stretch, with four stations: Anand Vihar, New Ashok Nagar, Sarai Kale Khan and Jangpura.

Three of these stations — Sarai Kale Khan, New Ashok Nagar and Anand Vihar — are nearing completion. The fourth station, Jangpura, which will include a stabling yard, will be developed later. The Anand Vihar RRTS station will be unique as the only underground RRTS station, situated one level below ground.

Stretching over 82.15 km from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor is India's first regional rail service. Built by the NCRTC, the network will include 25 stations and two depots, connecting Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut, with completion anticipated by 2025.

The service, branded as Namo Bharat, is designed to carry around 800,000 passengers daily at full capacity — a number comparable to Hamburg's S-Bahn. With a travel speed of 160 kmph, it is the fastest regional rail system in India.

Currently, a 42-kilometre section between Sahibabad and Meerut South, covering nine stations — Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, Duhai Depot, Muradnagar, Modi Nagar South, Modi Nagar North, and Meerut South — is operational.

Once the entire 82-km corridor is completed by the target date of June 2025, passengers will be able to travel between Delhi and Meerut in less than an hour.