In a step which is expected to make travel in the National Capital Region faster and easier, the Delhi government on Wednesday approved the alignments of the three Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors. These corridors will connect the capital with Panipat, Meerut and Alwar.
These three alignments were recommended by the National Capital Regional Planning Board (NCRPB). A similar approval is required from other state governments before work can start on the project.
The Delhi-Meerut corridor will go through Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan and would be supported by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). The Delhi-Panipat corridor would go till Kashmere Gate. While both these corridors would be implemented in accordance with NCRPB recommendations, some changes have been suggested in the Delhi-Alwar corridor by the DMRC (which were not agreed to) as Metro service is available from Delhi to Gurgaon. For the time being, the corridor from Alwar will terminate at the Delhi-Gurgaon border.
?The alignments for the 111 km Delhi-Panipat corridor, 180 km Delhi-Alwar and 90 km Delhi-Meerut RRTS has been finalised. The total length of the three corridors is 349 km, as the Delhi-Alwar corridor will terminate at Delhi-Gurgaon border. Moreover, the Airport Line is under scrutiny of the CVC and arbitration proceedings are on in the case,?? a government official said.
Delhi will have a total of 11 stations, which will include Anand Vihar, Sarai Kale Khan, ISBT Kashmere Gate, Mukarba Chowk, Narela, ISBT Kashmere Gate, New Delhi railway station, INA, Dhaula Kuan and Mahipalpur. The total number of stations on the three corridors is 48. The total length of the corridor in Delhi is 70.7 km. According to NCRPB, to begin with, the three corridors will be constructed in six years after awarding of contract. The cost of this project is approximately Rs 72,170 crore.
The Sheila Dikshit government had raised objections to the RRTS entering the city and had wanted that the system limited to the city outskirts to avoid ?congestion problems??.
In July 2013, the Union cabinet approved the constitution of National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited (NCRTC) which will function as the implementing agency for Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) projects in the NCR.
The corporation is responsible for designing, developing, implementing, financing, operating and maintaining RRTS on a pattern similar to the Delhi Metro.
?The RRTS project is expected to benefit Delhi and NCR as a whole. It will provide impetus to the development of satellite towns around Delhi. The land prices around these corridors is also expected to go up,?? the official said.
A total of eight such corridors are expected to be developed in the NCR. The Centre and the state governments would contribute equally to the initial seed capital of Rs 100 crore. While the Urban Development and Railway ministries would contribute 22.5 per cent of the amount, the NCRPB would contribute 5 per cent. The rest of the amount would be contributed by the state governments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and UP.
