Namo Bharat fast trains will begin operating during peak morning and evening hours on the Delhi–Meerut corridor from Monday, offering limited-stop journeys between key stations while regular services continue at their existing frequency, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) said.
The additional services are being introduced to meet growing commuter demand and reduce travel time during rush hours. The fast trains will connect Anand Vihar and Ghaziabad in eight minutes, Ghaziabad and Begumpul in 28 minutes, and Anand Vihar and Begumpul in 36 minutes. The entire corridor can be covered in less than 50 minutes on these services, according to the report.
During the morning peak, two fast trains will depart from each terminal in opposite directions. Services from Sarai Kale Khan towards Modipuram and from Modipuram towards Sarai Kale Khan will leave at 8 am and 8.30 am. In the evening, trains will depart from both terminals at 6 pm and 6.30 pm in each direction.
The fast services will stop at only five stations: Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, Ghaziabad, Begumpul and Modipuram. The limited-stop pattern is intended to shorten journeys for passengers travelling between the corridor’s major interchange and destination points.
Regular Namo Bharat trains will continue to run every 10 minutes alongside the new peak-hour services. An NCRTC official advised passengers to check station display boards and listen to platform announcements before boarding to confirm whether an arriving train is a fast or regular service.
The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System is being implemented by NCRTC and is carrying about 1.1 lakh commuters every day. The operator has reported consistent growth in daily ridership, with the corridor recently crossing five crore passenger journeys.
The system recorded average monthly ridership of more than 32 lakh over the past three months, according to the report. The additional services are therefore being introduced as the corridor handles a rising number of daily trips by office-goers, students and other passengers travelling between Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut.
NCRTC said the enhanced peak-hour connectivity is intended to save critical minutes for daily commuters who depend on punctual, high-speed travel to reach workplaces and educational institutions. Passengers will need to rely on station announcements and display boards to identify the limited-stop trains before boarding.
