'NaMo Bharat': PM Modi flags off India's 1st Regional Rapid Transit System, fare announced

NaMo Bharat, the country's first semi-high-speed regional rail service will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister from Sahibabad station on Friday. The train will be available for passenger operations from October 21. The inauguration event will also witness the Prime Minister taking a ride on a RAPIDX train, India's pioneering semi-high-speed regional rail service.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off India's first semi-high-speed train from Sahibabad station of Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RAPIDX corridor on Friday. The train will open its doors to passengers on October 21, a day following its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here. The inauguration event will also witness PM Modi taking a ride on a RAPIDX train.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, PM Modi inaugurated the priority section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) Corridor at Sahibabad RAPIDX Station, Uttar Pradesh at around 11.15 am.

Marking the launch of the RRTS in India, Modi flagged off the RAPIDX train connecting Sahibabad and Duhai. The priority section between Sahibabad and Duhai has five stations Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, and Duhai Depot.

Earlier on Thursday, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced that the trains of the RRTS will be known as 'NaMo Bharat'. Taking to X, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister said, "The Priority Corridor RRTS project related to the aspirations of crores of people is ready to get on track. PM Narendra Modi will dedicate it to the nation tomorrow i.e. on 20th October. This Regional Rapid Transit System of the country will be known as NaMo Bharat."

In another post on X, Hardeep Singh Puri said, "Hours of travel now in minutes! PM Narendra Modi will today inaugurate the priority section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor i.e. Namo Bharat and will flag off the Namo Bharat train connecting Sahibabad to Duhai depot. I will also be present on this occasion."

According to the officials of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), each RRTS train will include a general coach designed to accommodate a medical stretcher and a wheelchair, a feature aimed at making the journey easier for those in need of medical attention. According to NCRTC, the fares of NaMo Bharat will vary depending on standard and premium class coaches that the commuters will travel in. The prices of the ticket will range between Rs 20 to Rs 50 for the standard class while the fee for people travelling in the premium class ranges from Rs 40 to Rs 100. Children below 90 cm in height will be allowed to travel for free.

Commuters can book tickets using a digital QR code through a mobile application- RAPIDX Connect. National Common Mobility Card can also be used to travel in the NaMo Bharat which commuters can recharge or purchase from ticket counters at the stations. Commuters can also generate paper QR code-based tickets via Ticket Vending Machines or can directly buy tickets from the ticket counters at the stations.

The Delhi-Meerut-Ghaziabad corridor, the foundation stone for which was laid by PM Modi on 8th March 2019, will connect Delhi to Meerut with a travel time of less than an hour. According to the NCRTC website, the design speed of RAPIDX is 180 kilometres per hour with an operation speed of 160 kmph.