Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged off the Meerut Metro and the Namo Bharat train from Shatabdi Nagar station in Meerut, marking a step forward in high-speed intercity travel and intra-city movement.
The Meerut Metro will be India’s fastest metro system with a maximum operational speed of around 120 kmph and will cover the entire stretch in just 30 minutes, with all scheduled stoppages en route.
Modi inaugurated development projects worth around Rs 12,930 crore in Meerut and said the BJP's work culture ensures timely completion of projects once their foundation is laid.
Addressing a gathering here, the prime minister said improved law and order and safer travel have transformed the region, boosting confidence among residents and investors. The PM was accompanied by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Modi said metro services have been expanded to more than 25 cities across the country while under the previous Congress governments, metro services were only in five places in the country, he said.
The PM said he shares a special connection with Meerut as he had started his election campaigns for the 2014, 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha polls from the city.
The prime minister dedicated to the nation the entire 82 km Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor and inaugurated the remaining sections of India’s first Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS).
These include the 5 km stretch between Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar in Delhi and the 21 km stretch between Meerut South and Modipuram in Uttar Pradesh.
With a design speed of 180 km per hour, Namo Bharat will connect major urban centres such as Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Modinagar, and Meerut with Delhi.
Sarai Kale Khan station, the originating point of the corridor, is one of four Namo Bharat stations commissioned during the inauguration.
“It is strategically located as a major multi-modal hub, seamlessly connecting Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station, Delhi Metro's pink line, Veer Haqeeqat Rai ISBT, and the ring road,” the PMO statement noted.
The other three Namo Bharat stations, Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul, and Modipuram, are located in Meerut. The prime minister also inaugurated Meerut Metro services between Meerut South and Modipuram, operating on the same infrastructure as Namo Bharat.
The integration of Namo Bharat and Meerut Metro on the same infrastructure will ensure fast intercity travel and smooth intra-city movement. The projects aim to reduce road traffic and vehicle emissions.
“These projects will provide further impetus to the prime minister's vision of transforming urban mobility and ensuring seamless, efficient, modern and sustainable public transport systems that improve ease of living for citizens,” the statement said.