Namo Bharat fast services will reduce the travel time between Anand Vihar and Ghaziabad to eight minutes when the National Capital Region Transport Corporation introduces eight additional limited-stop trains on the Delhi-Meerut corridor from November 16, officials said.
The additional services will operate during the morning and evening peak periods and will run alongside regular Namo Bharat trains. The existing regular service frequency of one train every 10 minutes will remain unchanged, NCRTC said.
The fast trains will stop at only five stations: Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, Ghaziabad, Begumpul and Modipuram. NCRTC said the limited-stop operation would take commuters from Anand Vihar to Begumpul in 36 minutes, while the journey between Ghaziabad and Begumpul would take 28 minutes. The entire corridor will be covered in less than 50 minutes, according to the transport corporation.
During the morning peak, two fast trains in each direction will depart from Sarai Kale Khan and Modipuram at 8 am and 8.30 am. In the evening, additional services will leave both terminal stations at 6 pm and 6.30 pm. The schedule is intended to serve office-goers and students travelling during the busiest periods.
The corridor currently carries around 1.1 lakh passengers a day and has recorded more than five crore passenger journeys, NCRTC said. Over the past three months, average monthly ridership has exceeded 32 lakh. The additional services are being introduced as the regional rapid transit system seeks to accommodate peak-hour demand on the corridor.
NCRTC also said the enhanced service was intended to encourage a shift towards public transport amid rising air pollution and help reduce road congestion across the region. The move places greater emphasis on faster inter-city rail connections between Delhi and neighbouring urban centres, while retaining the existing regular service for passengers travelling to intermediate stations.
Passengers have been advised to check station display boards and listen to platform announcements before boarding. The advisories will help commuters distinguish between the limited-stop fast trains and regular Namo Bharat services, which will continue operating at their existing frequency from November 16.
