New Delhi, Feb 24 (PTI) The 17-km Duhai-Sahibabad priority stretch of the country's first Delhi-Meerut RRTS train corridor is expected to get operationalised by late March this year, a facility that will change the travelling experience of commuters in the National Capital Region, officials said on Friday.

An official said the project cost of the entire 82-km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) is around Rs 32,274 crore and it will be fully operational by 2025.

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In December last year, the government told Parliament that a total of Rs 11,440 crore had been spent on the ambitious Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor project till November 30.

According to the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), which is executing the ambitious project, RRTS trains will have a design speed of 180 kmph and operational speed of 160 kmph.

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Asked about the fare, an NCRTC official on Friday said it is yet to be decided.

At present, the test run of RRTS trains is being conducted on the priority section from Duhai depot to Sahibabad in Ghaziabad. The priority stretch has four stations — Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar and Duhai.

The modern RRTS trains have ergonomically designed 2x2 transverse cushioned seating, wide standing space, luggage racks, CCTV cameras, laptop/mobile charging facility, dynamic route maps, auto control ambient lighting system, WiFi facility, heating ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC), among other amenities.

The trains that will run on the RRTS corridor will primarily consist of six coaches, comprising five standard and one premium class coach. One coach will also be reserved for women passengers.

Meanwhile, the installation of Platform Screen Doors (PSDs) at RRTS stations is being carried out. Most of the RRTS stations have three to four floors. The trains will have dynamic route map display and emergency communications facilities.

"Operations of the Duhai-Sahibabad stretch were slated to begin from June earlier, but are expected to begin by the last week of March now, " an official source told PTI.

He claimed that the trains on the RRTS corridor will run at three times the speed of metro trains.

Another official said the RRTS stations are being integrated with other modes of public transport like bus stands, airports, metro stations and railway stations wherever possible on the 82-km-long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor.

This will enable a convenient and seamless journey for commuters in the National Capital Region (NCR).

He said lakhs of passengers are expected to commute daily from RRTS stations. To facilitate their travel and ensure easy access to the station, the NCRTC is going to create a dedicated pick-up and drop-off zone at the stations away from the main carriageway.

In addition, there will be pedestrian-friendly paths, lifts, escalators, seating areas and other commuter-centric amenities that will facilitate universal access at the stations.

The official said in a bid to enhance accessibility for commuters and help passengers safely cross over busy roads such as the Link Road and the Delhi-Meerut Road, the NCRTC is constructing the entry and exit points of the elevated stations on the RRTS corridor on both sides of the roads.

The entry and exit points will be accessible not just to RRTS passengers, but also to pedestrians who can use them to cross major roads without entering the paid area of the RRTS stations.

This feature will help in the safe movement of pedestrians and also in crowd management at the stations.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)