Delhi-Meerut Rapid Rail ready for 180kmph trial run

Preet Kiran

New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) The trial of the first phase of Rapid Rail from Delhi to Meerut is going to take place in the coming days.

A 17-km high speed track from Sahibabad to Duhai (Uttar Pradesh) will be prepared. This train will run at a speed of 180 kmph, which will also be the first in the country to have a business or 'premium' coach on a regional corridor.

For a long time, the passengers travelling from Delhi to Meerut have been waiting for this rapid train.

For the trial, the first railway coach has reached Duhai. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is all set to run the train on time.

The trial from Sahibabad to Duhai will start soon, while passengers will be able to travel through this train from 2023.

The work of laying a one-km long trial track and 12 running tracks at Duhai depot is almost complete.

This train is being manufactured in Gujarat's Savli, and has been made by the multinational company Alstom.

According to the Indian Railways, this train can travel from Delhi to Meerut within 50 to 55 minutes. This is the first system in the country's rail network under which a 180 kmph train will cover a distance of 100 km in one hour during the first phase.

The journey of 82-km from Delhi to Meerut through Ghaziabad will be completed in 55 minutes. During the journey, 25 stations are being prepared from Delhi to Meerut. The train will stop for 30 seconds at every station and will be available every 5-10 minutes.

The unique feature of this train is that a stretcher has been arranged in the last compartment of the train coach. If a patient is referred from Meerut to Delhi, a separate train coach has been arranged so that he/she can reach at a cheaper cost.

A separate train coach has also been arranged for women as well as for the differently-abled persons and can be easily folded if they are unused during the train journey. The general seats have been made extremely comfortable.

There is an adjustable chair in the train along with special arrangements made for the passengers who are standing during the trip. The train has all the facilities such as WiFi, mobile-USB charger, large windows, integrated AC system, automatic door control system, luggage storage, system for interaction with the train driver, dynamic route map, infotainment system, etc.