Namo Bharat fast trains will begin operating on the Delhi–Meerut corridor from 16 November 2026, giving peak-hour commuters additional limited-stop services that will reduce travel times between key stations. The new trains will run alongside the existing regular services and are being introduced by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) amid rising ridership on the corridor.
The fast services will cover the full corridor in less than 50 minutes. Passengers travelling from Anand Vihar to Ghaziabad will be able to complete the journey in eight minutes, while the trip from Ghaziabad to Begumpul will take 28 minutes. Anand Vihar to Begumpul will be covered in 36 minutes.
The services will stop at only five stations: Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, Ghaziabad, Begumpul and Modipuram. By limiting the number of stops, NCRTC aims to provide quicker journeys during the busiest commuting periods without withdrawing the regular services, which will continue to operate at 10-minute intervals.
During the morning peak period, two fast trains will depart from each terminal in both directions. Services from Sarai Kale Khan to Modipuram and from Modipuram to Sarai Kale Khan will leave at 8.00 am and 8.30 am. In the evening, trains in both directions will run at 6.00 pm and 6.30 pm.
NCRTC said the additional services are intended to make daily travel faster and more convenient, particularly for office workers and students who need reliable connections to workplaces and educational institutions. The operator has asked passengers to check station display boards and listen to platform announcements before boarding so they can distinguish between fast and regular services.
The launch comes as the Namo Bharat corridor records growing use. According to the report, around 1.1 lakh passengers travel on the corridor every day, and the system has recently crossed five crore passenger journeys. More than 32 lakh passenger journeys were recorded on average each month during the past three months.
The ridership figures indicate that the corridor is moving beyond an initial infrastructure milestone and becoming part of the daily transport network linking Delhi with Ghaziabad and Meerut. The addition of fast services during peak hours also creates a differentiated operating pattern: regular trains will continue to provide frequent access across the corridor, while the limited-stop trains will prioritise faster movement between major interchange and destination points.
NCRTC has linked the faster services to the need to encourage public transport use and reduce pressure on roads amid severe air pollution in the region. However, the immediate operational change is limited to the specified peak-hour departures and five-station stopping pattern. Passengers will need to select the appropriate service based on their origin and destination.
The additional Namo Bharat fast trains will commence on 16 November, with the existing regular timetable continuing alongside them. Station displays and public announcements will provide passengers with service information before boarding.
