Noida International Airport To Get Rs 2,400 Crore Railway Line To Link Major Cities Across India

In a significant development for regional connectivity, a new 60 km railway line has been proposed to link Chola in Bulandshahr with Rundhi in Palwal. This line aims to connect Noida International Airport with major routes to Howrah, Chennai, and Mumbai.

Officials from North Central Railway have recommended integrating the proposed tracks with the airport’s ground transportation centre through an underground channel. The new line will feature junctions at Chola, merging with the Delhi-Howrah line, and Rundhi, extending to the Delhi-Chennai/Mumbai route, facilitating multi-directional train travel from the airport.

Railways seek report on Rapid Rail and train line

The detailed project report (DPR) from the railways is pending the completion of designs for other connectivity modes by the airport concessionaire, Yamuna International Airport (YIAPL).

Arun Vir Singh, CEO of Noida International Airport, stated, "The railways sought details about the coordinates of the proposed rapid rail line connecting the airport with Ghaziabad station. They also wanted to know about the tracks being planned inside the airport GTC, a hub of various transportation modes under one roof. Once YIAPL submits its report, the railways will file its DPR. Once that is done, the process to construct the railway tracks will be initiated."

Construction cost and deadline

The project is estimated to cost around Rs 2,400 crore and will take approximately three years to complete. While the main track between Chola and Rundhi stations will be 61 km long, the total route will span almost 99 km, including additional connectivity tracks.

The planned route will initially serve over 1.2 lakh people. It will include stations at Rundhi, Chandhat, Jewar Khadar, Airport, Jahangirpur, Bighapur, and Chola, according to a report by the Economic Times.

Infrastructure and connectivity

The project includes the construction of five railway flyovers — two on the Chennai-Delhi line and three on the Howrah route — to integrate seamlessly with the existing network passing through Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. It will also feature 45 minor road crossings and a significant bridge on Yamuna River.

Officials noted that the alignment is designed to minimise disruption to existing structures and human settlements. It will also avoid interfering with the Eastern Peripheral Expressway and aim to reduce land acquisition challenges.

The airport station will be integrated with the terminal building, allowing easy passenger transfer. The alignment will also improve connectivity to key locations, including the multimodal transport hub near Dadri. Fast trains like Vande Bharat are expected to run on this route, connecting stations such as New Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, and Lucknow.

The proposal to connect the Noida airport with existing lines at Palwal and Chola stations was approved by the railways last year. The eastern freight corridor, which stretches from Kolkata to Amritsar, passes close to the airport, with Chola station being the nearest point along this corridor. On the western side, Palwal serves as the closest point on the Delhi-Mumbai line.

Noida International Airport

The construction of the runway for Noida International Airport is on track, with trial flights anticipated to commence as early as June or July.

The airport — billed to be India's largest upon completion — is being developed by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, a fully-owned subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, in partnership with the state government.