The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has received the first RRTS high-speed regional train which will operate the 82.5 km long Delhi – Ghaziabad – Meerut railway line.
The rollout ceremony was held at Alstom’s manufacturing site in Savli, in the presence of Manoj Joshi, the Chairman of NCRTC, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Government of India, Vinay Kumar Singh, Managing Director of NCRTC, and Alain Spohr, the Managing Director of Alstom India.
“Designed in India, made in India, made for India – it is the perfect demonstration of the PM’s Make in India initiative. It is imperative that we plan efficient public transport to fully harness the potential of our metropolitan cities, so that we truly make them the engines of growth for tomorrow’s economy,” the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs said.
Designed at Alstom’s Hyderabad engineering centre and manufactured at Savli (Gujarat), these semi high-speed trains are 100% indigenous, in line with the government’s Make in India programme and Aatmanirbhar Bharat’s ambition. The propulsion systems and electricals are manufactured at the company’s factory in Maneja (Gujarat). The Savli site produces bogies, car bodies and undertakes train testing.
The trains are fully air conditioned and include ergonomically built 2×2 transverse seating, wide gangways for comfortable standing space, overhead luggage racks, CCTV cameras, fire and smoke detector, intercom, fire extinguisher, exterior camera, door status indicators, grab handles, Wi-Fi, laptop/mobile/USB charging stations, dynamic route display maps, auto controlled ambient lighting system, large windows for panoramic view and ergonomically designed areas to support disabled people and for medical emergencies.
The semi high-speed train is able to run at a speed of 180 km/h reducing the travel time between Delhi and Meerut by 40%. Currently, the travel time between the two cities takes 90-100 minutes and when the new trains will operate the line, the travel time will be reduced to 60 minutes.
These semi high-speed aerodynamic trains are energy efficient, designed to offer top-notch comfort and safety features for premium passenger experience for commuters, including those who are disabled.
The design of the first RRTS high-speed regional train which was inspired by Delhi’s iconic monument, the Lotus Temple, was unveiled in September 2020. With the manufacturing process beginning in July 2021, the first train has been delivered within a year.
The train delivery is part of a EUR 436 million contract awarded in 2020 for the supply of 210 regional commuter and transit train cars (40 trains) including the comprehensive maintenance services for 15 years. Under a value of EUR 106 million, the contract also includes the design, supply, install, test and commission signalling and train control, supervision, platform screen doors and telecommunication systems.
This RRTS line is the first in India to adopt the ETCS hybrid Level 2 signalling system. This contract also marks the world premiere for the combination of the latest ETCS standard supported by the latest digital Interlocking and Automatic Train Operation (ATO) over Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio.
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