New Delhi, Jul 16 (PTI) The newly constructed three Namo Bharat stations between Meerut South and Modipuram are ready for operations along with Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi, marking a major step towards the full commissioning of the 82-km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor.
These three stations are Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul and Modipuram in Meerut.
An NCRTC official said Jungpura is being developed as the stabling yard cum station where Namo Bharat trains will be parked. It will be beneficial when all three priority corridors of Phase 1, i.e. Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Panipat-Karnal and Delhi-Gurugram-SNB will be operational.
The Shatabdi Nagar station, which comes after operational Meerut South station, is an elevated station -- 215 metres long and 17 metres high. It is ready for operations and will cater to both Namo Bharat and Meerut Metro trains.
"We are focusing on ensuring seamless services on the shared infrastructure," the official added.
Begumpul, the next station, is underground and situated in the heart of Meerut's market area. With a length of 246 metres, a width of 24.5 metres and a depth of around 22 metres, it is among the largest stations in the corridor. "Finishing work is currently in the final stages here," said the official.
The final station at Modipuram, located along the National Highway, has completed civil construction. Finishing work is underway at full speed. "To ensure safe pedestrian movement across the highway, a foot over bridge has also been built. Its civil structure is complete and we are now finishing the detailing," said the official.
The originating station at Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi is ready for operations. It will serve as a major multi-modal transport hub connecting the Delhi Metro's Pink Line, Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, Veer Haqeeqat Rai ISBT and the Ring Road. "The finishing work on entry-exit points is progressing rapidly," the official said. Around 215 metres in length, 50 metres in width and 15 metres in height, the Sarai Kale Khan station is equipped with five entry-exit gates, 14 lifts and 18 escalators to manage high passenger volumes.
"All vertical movement infrastructure is in place and ready to be operationalised," said the official.
To strengthen connectivity, a 280-metre-long Foot Over Bridge (FOB) is being built to connect Sarai Kale Khan with the Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station. "Six travelators have already been installed and finishing work is currently underway," the official informed.
A network of FOBs is being constructed to help commuters move safely between different transport modes. "This will streamline movement to and from ISBT, the Metro and the Namo Bharat station," the official said.
Multi-modal integration has been a central pillar of the Namo Bharat project. "We are aligning with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan to encourage people to shift to public transport. Our stations are designed to connect seamlessly with existing infrastructure," the official explained.
Currently, Namo Bharat trains are operational along a 55-km stretch between New Ashok Nagar and Meerut South. "Beyond this, three more stations---Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul and Modipuram are in the final phase," added the official.
Recently, a successful full-length trial run was conducted between Sarai Kale Khan and Modipuram, with Namo Bharat trains running at a top speed of 160 kmph.
The trains stopped at every station and completed the 82-km journey in under an hour, the official said, adding that the advanced European Train Control System Level 3 Hybrid signalling system performed smoothly.
During these trial runs, Meerut Metro trains also ran on the same stretch simultaneously. It is for the first time in the country that regional and metro services will share infrastructure.
The 23-km Meerut Metro section, with 13 stations, includes both elevated and underground tracks. Trial runs have been successful, the official added.