At 160 kmph, Namo Bharat on Delhi-Meerut corridor is India's fastest train

New Delhi, Sep 11 (PTI) The Namo Bharat train, operating at its highest speed of 160 kmph on the 55-km section of Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System, has become the fastest running train in the country.

Earlier, Gatiman Express, launched in 2016, was the country’s first semi-high speed train, which used to run at 160 kmph between Hazarat Nizamuddin and Agra on the specially-laid tracks. Later, when semi-high speed train series Vande Bharat was introduced, it also operated at the same maximum speed but only on this route.

However, the Railway Ministry, on June 24, 2024, decided to reduce their speed from 160 to 130 kmph without specifying any reasons. At present, all trains across the Indian railway network operate with the upper speed limit of 130 kmph.

Thirty trainsets of Namo Bharat each having 6 cars -- serving between New Ashok Nagar in East Delhi and Meerut South in Uttar Pradesh -- runs with 15 minutes frequency from each station and touches its maximum 160 kmph for a few seconds between some of the 11 stations on the route.

“The entire 82.15 km long corridor with 16 stations, starting from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram in Uttar Pradesh, is likely to be commissioned soon," officials from the National Capital Regional Transport Corporation Limited (NCRTCL), said.

NCRTC, a joint venture of the Government of India (50 per cent) and the state governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan (12.5 per cent each) is implementing the country’s first Regional Rapid Transit System.

“Designed in Hyderabad and manufactured at an Alstom factory located in Gujarat's Savli, the aerodynamic rolling stock, with their sleek and modern design, are compatible with Automatic Train Protection (ATP), Automatic Train Control (ATC), and Automatic Train Operations (ATO),” officials added.

“The distance between two stations varies from five to eight kms and the train touches its highest speed between stations with longer distances,” they added.

An NCRTC press note said once the entire corridor is commissioned, it will connect Delhi to the heart of the historic city of Meerut with Namo Bharat trains covering the distance in less than one hour, while stopping at all the enroute stations.

“Since the beginning of operations on the 17 km long Priority Section on October 21, 2023, services have been commissioned on a 55-km stretch of the corridor in a phased manner,” it said.

“As the operational section has expanded, it has solidified its position as an essential transportation solution for the region and has successfully served more than 1.5 crore riders to date,” the press note added.

Officials said that this system is different from conventional Railway as it does not operate on a fixed timetable or require a seat reservation.

“It is also different from the metro transit service as it is catering to passengers looking to travel relatively longer distances with fewer stops and at a higher speed,” officials added.

The NCRTCL is also conducting a trial to run a local urban transit service (i.e. Meerut Metro Services) on the same infrastructure as Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat Trains.

“It is a unique initiative. Meerut metro will have 13 stations in the span of 23 km and run on the Namo Bharat network in Meerut. This will provide the commuter swift change from one to the other without causing any discomfort and make the travel experience comfortable,” NCRTCL press note said. PTI JP NB