Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the country’s first rapid rail (Namo Bharat) on Friday. PM Modi inaugurated the first phase of Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor. Common people will be able to travel in it from 21st October i.e. Saturday. However, at present a distance of 17 km can be traveled from Sahibabad to Duhai depot on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor. This journey will be completed in 12 minutes. The train will run at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour.
After the completion of Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor, the journey of 82 kilometers from Delhi to Meerut can be covered in less than 1 hour. After the inauguration of Namo Bharat, PM Modi also addressed the public meeting.
PM Modi said that this section is being inaugurated today. On this occasion, I want to say again that the scheme of which we lay the foundation stone, we also inaugurate it. We have laid the foundation stone of Delhi to Meerut corridor, we will also inaugurate it.
PM Modi said, I congratulate the people of Delhi-NCR and Western UP for this gift received on Navratri. Namo Bharat train has modernity, speed and amazing speed. This Namo Bharat train is defining the new journey and new resolutions of the new India. My family members, I have always believed that India’s development is possible only through the development of the states. Currently, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah is also associated with us. Today the metro lines in Bengaluru have also been dedicated to the country. This has also improved the connectivity of the IT hub of Bengaluru. Now about 8 lakh people are traveling by metro every day in Bengaluru.
PM Modi said, our 21st century India is writing a new story of progress in every sector and every field. Today’s India has become famous in the world by landing Chandrayaan on the Moon. By organizing such a grand event of G-20, today’s India has become a new opportunity for the world to attract, arouse curiosity and connect with India. Today’s India shows this by winning more than 100 medals in the Asian Games. My Uttar Pradesh is also included in it.
PM Modi said, today’s India launches 5G on its own and takes it to every corner of the country. Today’s India conducts the highest number of digital transactions in the world. When the Corona crisis came, the vaccine made in India saved the lives of crores of people in the world. Today big companies are coming to India to make mobiles, TVs, laptops and computers. Today India is also making fighter aircraft.
PM Modi said, the Namo Bharat that has been prepared today is also made in India. This is India’s own train. Let me tell you one more thing, we travel in a helicopter, it makes so much noise as if it is a tractor. There is even more noise than that. Today I saw that the noise in NaMo train is less than that of an aeroplane. How pleasant this journey will be. Namo Bharat is a glimpse of future India. There is also evidence that as the economic strength of the country increases, the picture of the country changes.
PM said, this is just the beginning. In the coming time, a system like Namo Bharat will be created in other parts of the country also. This will also lead to industrial development. And there will be employment opportunities for the young sons and daughters of the country. This third decade of this century is the decade of rejuvenation of Indian Railways. You see friends, you will see the entire railway changing in these 10 years. I am not in the habit of dreaming small. Nor do I have the habit of walking around dying. I want to guarantee the young generation that you will find Indian trains second to none in the world.
Modi said, Indian Railways will achieve new heights in the world. Today Namo Bharat has started, before this modern trains were introduced in the form of Vande Bharat. Under the Amrit Bharat Railway Scheme, the work of modernizing railway stations is going on at a rapid pace. By the end of this decade, it will become a symbol of modernization of Indian Railways. Work on multi-modal transport system is also going on at a fast pace. That means different modes of transport are being connected. This has also been taken care of in Namo India. It connects rail, metro and bus stations at Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Bihar, Ghaziabad and Meerut stations. Now people will not have to worry that after getting off the train, they will have to find another means of transportation to their home or office. In changing India, it is very important that everyone’s life improves. People should breathe good air. Remove heaps of garbage. Have good resources for studies. There should be good facilities for treatment. The government is paying special attention to this.
The PM said, we have never spent as much on public transport as we are spending. Today more than 100 water ways are being built across the country. The largest waterway is being built in the Ganga river. Recently, the world’s longest river cruise has set a record by covering a distance of 3200 kilometers.
He said, if we talk about land, the Indian government is spending a lot to lay a network of modern expressways. Be it Namo Bharat or Metro, lakhs of crores of rupees are being spent on these also.
PM said, be it Bengaluru, Mysore, metro cities are expanding in Karnataka. India has spread equal wings in the sky also. We are making air travel accessible to those who wear slippers. The number of airports has doubled in the last 9 years. In the recent past, our airlines have placed orders for more than 1 thousand aircraft in India. We are also rapidly increasing our steps in space. Recently Chandrayaan hoisted the tricolor on the Moon. We have made a road map till 2040. Within some time, our Gaganyaan will go to space carrying Indians. Then we will set up our space centre. The day is not far when we will land our spacecraft on the moon.
PM Modi said, a network of electric buses is being laid to deal with pollution. There is a plan to run more than 1300 electronic buses in Delhi. Similarly, the Government of India is giving Rs 500 crore to run more than 1200 electronic buses in Bengaluru. Be it Delhi, UP or Karnataka, public and green transport should be promoted in every city. Whatever construction is being done in India today, citizen convenience is being given top priority. Structures like Metro or Namo Bharat are very important for office goers.
Rapid rail will have these features
Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project has been brought to strengthen regional connectivity in the country. The RRTS is a new rail-based, semi-high speed, high frequency commuter transit system. This will facilitate the people of Delhi NCR to travel seamlessly in the region.
A total of eight RRTS corridors have been identified in the National Capital Region (NCR), out of which three corridors are to be developed in Phase-I. Which includes Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Corridor, Delhi-Gurugram-SNB-Alwar Corridor, and Delhi-Panipat Corridor.
– RapidX will be completely air-conditioned like the metro. To make it safe and comfortable, it will have many features like ergonomically designed 2×2 transverse seats, ample space to travel while standing, luggage rack, CCTV cameras, laptop/mobile charging facility, dynamic route map, etc.
How much will the train fare be?
Currently the fare in RapidX train will range from Rs 20 to Rs 100. Fare in standard class of RapidX will start from Rs 20. Whereas, the minimum fare in premium class will be Rs 40. In standard class, the fare from Sahibabad to Duhai depot will be Rs 50, while in premium class, the fare for the same distance from Sahibabad to Duhai depot will be Rs 100. NCRTC said that children below 90 cm height will be able to travel for free and passengers will be able to carry luggage up to 25 kg
