Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank president lauds commuter-centric design at Namo Bharat

New Delhi, Mar 2 (PTI) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) president Zou Jiayi on Monday visited the Delhi–Meerut Namo Bharat corridor and appreciated its strong focus on commuter comfort, inclusive design and seamless multimodal integration.

The visit began at the Sarai Kale Khan Namo Bharat station, where the delegation was briefed on India's first Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), its project scope, advanced technologies and operational features, according to the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).

It said in a statement that Sarai Kale Khan, the originating and one of the largest stations on the corridor, has been developed as a multimodal hub with connectivity to the Metro, Railways, ISBT and the city bus services.

The AIIB president was informed that all three priority Namo Bharat corridors under Phase-I will converge at Sarai Kale Khan and will be interoperable, it stated and added that the stations are being integrated with existing public transport systems under a multimodal integration framework.

Jiayi was also briefed on how the Namo Bharat project is addressing urban mobility challenges such as congestion and pollution, while supporting sustainable and long-term urban development, it mentioned.

The AIIB delegation said that the corridor's potential to spur polycentric growth and generate wide-ranging economic benefits across the region.

During the visit, the delegation undertook a round trip on a Namo Bharat train between Sarai Kale Khan and the Anand Vihar Namo Bharat station, experiencing commuter-oriented features of the trains and station amenities.

The statement said the AIIB president interacted with passengers and was informed about the reduction in travel time and improvement in daily commute.

The president also interacted with women train operators and station controllers and was briefed on NCRTC's gender-inclusive operational model, which aligns with the government's emphasis on women-led development, it added.

Recently, on February 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the entire Delhi–Ghaziabad–Meerut Namo Bharat corridor to the nation, marking a significant milestone in the country's urban mobility journey, officials said. PTI SHB SHB KSS KSS