 "Delhi-Meerut RRTS: PM Modi to inaugurate first RapidX project on October 20")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a priority section of RapidX, India's first regional rapid transit system (RRTS), on October 20.
The priority section of RRTS or RapidX will open between Duhai and Sahibabad, covering 17 km. It will include five stations: Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, and Duhai Depot.
At Ghaziabad RapidX Station, commuters will be able to connect to the Delhi Metro red line's Shaheed Sthal (New Bus Adda) station via a footover bridge.
PM Modi is also expected to flag off the first RapidX RRTS train in Ghaziabad.
With plans of completion by 2025, the Delhi-Meerut RRTS, a first-of-its-kind regional connectivity project, will cover 82 km in an hour.
The Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project is being executed by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), according to a report in The Times of India (TOI).
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According to the NCRTC, the RapidX services will be the nation's "first railway system" with a maximum operational speed of 160 kmph. The average speed of RapidX trains on the RRTS will be 100 kmph, surpassing both metro trains and passenger trains of the Indian Railways. The country's first RapidX train sets have been made by manufacturing company Alstom in Gujarat.
The Ministry of Railways sanctioned the RRTS rolling stock train sets, which have been designed for a speed of 180 kmph but will operate at 160 kmph, marking a significant development.
The RapidX trains will include six coaches, including one premium coach with separate entry and exit points on platforms. The fares for RapidX are expected to be announced soon.
What is RapidX?
India's first semi-high-speed regional rail services have been named "RapidX" by the NCRTC. The trains will run on the RRTS corridors, and will connect key urban nodes across the NCR region.
A joint venture company of the Union government and states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, the NCRTC is tapping green energy by installation of solar panels on stations and depots.
According to the NCRTC, "RapidX" will connect people who choose to live in their hometowns in NCR, with the national capital through a modern, sustainable, convenient, fast, safe and comfortable means of travel.
Commuters travelling in the RapidX transport system will be able to use UPI payment system to purchase tickets. This would make RapidX the first transport network to leverage UPI technology. Commuters will be able to use UPI to buy tickets using RapidX ticket vending machines. RapidX will also have several other ticketing options such as commuter cards or national common mobility cards (NCMC). Commuters will have the option to generate a digital QR code from "RapidX connect", the all-in-one mobile application, and make ticket payments.
How will the RapidX mobile application work?
The app will feature a UPI-based payment system. To use it, commuters will have to tap on the "Buy Ticket" option and subsequently, they will select the destination they want to travel to and then choose the number of tickets they need. After that, four payment options will appear on the screen, including UPI.
If a commuter chooses to pay through UPI, a QR code will be generated on the point of sale (POS) terminal of the TVM. Commuters can scan that QR code using the UPI app of their choice and complete the payment. Lastly, the TVM will give the commuter a paper QR ticket to be used for the journey.
Other corridors of the RapidX
Delhi-Gurugram-SNB-Alwar and Delhi-Panipat are the two other corridors of the RapidX network. These two corridors will bring New Delhi closer to its neighbouring cities.