Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched the 17-km priority section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) at Sahibabad’s RapidX station.
Of the 82.15 km route, the priority section between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot was inaugurated and will be available for passenger operations from Saturday, i.e., October 21. The entire corridor is expected to be operational by June 2025.
Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced on the occasion that the trains of the RRTS would be known as ‘Namo Bharat’. The foundation of the larger Delhi-Meerut corridor was laid by Modi in March 2019.
The Prime Minister took a ride in a ‘Namo Bharat’ train and formally dedicated to the nation, two Bengaluru metro stretches connecting Baiyappanahalli to Krishnarajapuram and Kengeri to Challaghatta.
These two metro stretches were opened for the public from October 9 for the convenience of the people commuting on this corridor, without waiting for formal inauguration.
Speaking on the occasion, Modi said it was a historic moment for the nation as India’s first rapid rail service, the ‘Namo Bharat’ train was being dedicated to the people.
He recalled laying the foundation stone for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor four years ago and marked its operation today on the Sahibabad-Duhai Depot stretch.
Modi reiterated the government’s commitment to inaugurate the projects whose foundation stones had been laid and expressed confidence that he would be present to inaugurate the Meerut stretch of the RRTS after 18 months.
Modi shared his experience of traveling in the ‘Namo Bharat’ and expressed delight at the transformation of the Railways in the country.
“India of the 21st century is writing its own saga of progress and development in every sector”, the Prime Minister said.
He mentioned the recent success of Chandrayaan 3 and also touched upon the successful organisation of G20 which has made India a centre of attraction for the entire world.
Modi also mentioned the record-breaking performance of Indian sportspersons who bagged more than a hundred medals at the Asian Games, the launch and expansion of 5G in India, and the record number of digital transactions taking place.
He also mentioned the ‘Made in India’ vaccines which turned out to be lifesavers for crores of people in the world.
Referring to India’s rise in the manufacturing sector, the Prime Minister spoke about the eagerness of multinational companies to set up manufacturing units in the country for mobile phones, TVs, laptops and computers.
He also touched upon defence manufacturing including fighter jets and aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
“The ‘Namo Bharat’ train is also ‘Made in India’”, Modi underlined as he informed that the screen doors installed on the platforms were also made in the country.
Modi also informed that the noise levels in the ‘Namo Bharat’ trains are less than that of helicopters and airplanes and stressed that ‘Namo Bharat’ is a glimpse of India of the future and exemplifies the transformation of the nation with growing economic muscle.
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