First RRTS train set on way to Ghaziabad from Gujarat

Savli: The first train set of Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), equipped with modern mobility features, was handed over to NCRTC by Alstom India as it rolled out of its manufacturing plant in Gujarat’s Savli on Saturday.

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is establishing India’s first RRTS which is a rail-based, high-speed, high-frequency regional commuter transit system. This first train will be run on Sarai Kale Khan-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor.

The train set handover ceremony was conducted in the presence of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Manoj Joshi.

In the event, Alstom India gave keys of the train sets to NCRTC at its manufacturing plant on Saturday. Now, these train sets will be brought to the Duhai depot, which is being developed near Ghaziabad, via containers.

At the event, a video message of Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri was also played where he congratulated the staff for the timely rollout of the first train set.

“It is a proud moment for all of us. This RRTS train was designed in Hyderabad and manufactured in Savli in Gujarat. With a design speed of 180kmph, this new age transit system will also help in managing rapid urbanization,” Puri said in his video message.

He added that with the rollout of first RRTS train set he is confident that the project will meet the target timeline to commission the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor.

Puri later on Twitter said, “In a manifestation of PM Modi Ji’s vision of #AtmanirbharBharat the first designed in India, made in India & modern technologically advanced trainset of India’s first #RRTS handed over to @officialncrtc at @AlstomIndia manufacturing unit in Savli, Gujarat”.

“The high-speed regional rail project is on schedule. Once completed it will enable poly-centric development across the region & help in reducing vehicular congestion & air pollution,” he said in a series of tweets.

Joshi said it was commendable that instead of importing, manufacturing of all metro and RRTS trains is being done in India. “India’s population will grow exponentially in coming years and Delhi will also expand in the times to come. Then mass rapid transit system will have more importance. This RRTS will become a more fruitful and meaningful mode of transport,” Joshi said.

When asked about fare of the Meerut-bound RRTS, Joshi said, “It is yet to be decided. The fare will be such as that ensures optimum level of passengers as well as revenue.” According to NCRTC officials, these will be the fastest trains in India with a design speed of 180kmph and operational speed of 160kmph with an average speed of 100kmph.

The modern RRTS trains have ergonomically designed 2×2 transverse cushioned seating, wide standing space, luggage racks, CCTV cameras, laptop/mobile charging facility, dynamic route maps, auto control ambient lighting system, and Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning System (HVAC), and other amenities.

The RRTS trains also have a ‘standard’ as well as ‘premium class’ (one coach per train), along with one coach reserved for women commuters.

Officials said that RRTS train sets are 100 percent manufactured in India at Alstom’s (earlier Bombardier) factory at Savli in Gujarat under the Make in India initiative.

Alstom is a French multinational firm that acquired Bombardier Transportation early last year. The latter, a Canadian-German firm, manufactured metro cars for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Powered by electric traction, RRTS will serve as a green mode of transport in NCR, the statement claimed.

The manufacturing facility at Savli will deliver a total of 210 cars for the first RRTS corridor. These will include train sets for operating regional transit services on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor, and for local transit services in Meerut.

After the arrival of the trains, initial trial runs are expected to commence on the priority section (Sahibabad-Duhai) by the end of this year. The 17-km priority section is targeted to be commissioned by 2023 and the full corridor by 2025. Vinay Kumar Singh, Managing Director, NCRTC, said that these train sets are the highest quality product.

“This will make the commissioning of the corridor in time or little earlier. These train sets have been manufactured in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. As soon as the rolling stock reaches our Duhai Depot we will start its trials,” Singh said.