Namo Bharat trains will run 20 additional trips between Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan and Meerut’s Modipuram from Wednesday, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation said, as Delhi’s air quality deteriorated and Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan came into force.
The additional services will operate across the full Delhi–Meerut Namo Bharat corridor. NCRTC said the move is intended to encourage commuters to choose public transport instead of private vehicles during a period of heightened pollution in the National Capital Region.
According to the report, Delhi recorded an air quality index of 350 at 4 pm, based on data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s Sameer app. An AQI at that level falls in the ‘very poor’ category. The report did not specify the duration for which the additional Namo Bharat services would operate.
The corridor connects Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi with Modipuram in Meerut and is linked with several other public transport systems. These include Delhi Metro services, Indian Railways, inter-state bus facilities and bus connections at major transport points such as Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, New Ashok Nagar and Ghaziabad.
The announcement came a day after the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said it would operate 20 additional trips on working days across its network. With the Namo Bharat and Delhi Metro additions, the report said the total number of extra trips would rise to 40.
The extra services are being introduced while restrictions under GRAP Stage II are in effect in the capital. The measures include a ban on the use of coal- and wood-fired tandoors in hotels, restaurants and roadside eateries. The use of diesel generator sets without emission-control equipment has also been restricted, except for emergency services.
The additional Namo Bharat trips are expected to provide more public transport capacity across a corridor that connects Delhi with key urban centres in Uttar Pradesh. NCRTC’s announcement did not provide details of the revised timetable, frequency of individual services or the expected passenger capacity associated with the 20 additional trips.
