Rapid Rail project in India, RRTS project details: The Centre on Thursday stated that no Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Delhi-Rohtak-Hisar and Delhi-Faridabad-Palwal RRTS (Regional Rapid Transit System) projects has been submitted by the state government. Currently, only 82.15-km-long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor is operational. It was sanctioned by the centre in March 2019.

In a statement in Lok Sabha on Thursday, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar said: “Presently, no Detailed Project Report (DPR) for RRTS connectivity between Delhi-Rohtak-Hisar and Delhi-Faridabad-Palwal has been submitted to Central Government by concerned State Government(s).”

The Union Minister was responding to queries raised by Lok Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda, who sought details on plans to develop RRTS corridors connecting Delhi-Rohtak-Hisar and Delhi-Faridabad-Palwal, in view of rising commuter demand, population growth and increasing economic activity in the region.

According to the ‘Functional Plan on Transport for NCR-2032,’ the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) identified eight RRTS corridors to connect various important towns of NCR with semi-high speed rail based commuter transit system in order to improve rail based connectivity in NCR. These are as follows:

However, the Task Force appointed by the erstwhile Planning Commission of India (now NITI Aayog) had prioritized following three RRTS corridors for implementation:

The Namo Bharat trains are designed for high speed of 180 kmph, with an operating speed of 160 kmph. “Extension of RRTS corridors benefits include improved regional connectivity, decongestion of roads, reduction in carbon emission, generation of skilled and unskilled jobs and reduced travel time,” the Union Minister said.