New Delhi: Imagine reaching Delhi from Meerut in just 62 minutes and from Panipat in 74 minutes.
Travel time is set to shrink with the creation of a National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) that will build regional rapid transit system (RRTS) corridors connecting the capital with Meerut, Alwar and Panipat.
The NCR states have signed an agreement with ministries of Urban Development and Railways and the NCR Planning Board for the creation of the NCRTC.
Officials told PTI that as per the proposal for the three RRTS corridors, Delhi-Alwar is the longest at 180 km and would traverse 19 stations in a travel time of 117 minutes.
The corridor from Delhi to Panipat is 111 km and 12 stations long and the travel time is 74 minutes. The 90-km- long Delhi-Meerut route has 17 stations and a proposed travel time of 62 minutes.
Speaking to reporters after signing memorandum and articles of association of NCRTC, Urban Development Secretary Sudhir Krishna said the RRTS corridors were expected to be built within a timeline of five years once the construction work starts and would “completely transform the NCR”.
He said that the union cabinet had on July 7, approved the formation of the NCRTC which would have a share capital of Rs 100 crore.
The Urban Development and Railway ministries would contribute 22.5 per cent each to the share capital while the NCR Planning Board would add 5 per cent. The NCR states of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh would put in another 12.5 per cent each, he said.
Krishna said that the three rail-based corridors would cost an estimated Rs 72,000 crore but funding pattern of each line would be chalked out separately, keeping in mind factors like the territory that a line covers in various states.
He said since the financing requirements of the projects are huge the resources of state and central governments would not be sufficient. He advocated methods like allowing additional Floor Area Ratio (FAR), levy of impact fee and loans from domestic sources for raising of finances.
Krishna advised the officials of the NCR states to ensure that the alignment of the RRTS corridors is notified in the master plans so that land acquisition is not later challenged in courts.
He asked the four states to form high powered committees headed by the chief secretary to take decisions related to planning and approval of the corridors.
When asked how the NCRTC will address land acquisition issues, he said that since a lot of construction would be over ground, land would be required for stations but overall the requirement for acquisition would be rather minimal.
Of the three proposed corridors Delhi-Alwar is the longest at 180 km and would traverse 19 stations in a travel time of 117 minutes.
The corridor from Delhi to Panipat is 111 km and 12 stations long and the travel time is 74 minutes. The 90-km- long Delhi-Meerut route has 17 stations and a proposed travel time of 62 minutes.
NCRPB Member Secretary Naini Jayseelan said as per 2003 estimates, the Delhi-Alwar line would cost around Rs 25,000 crore, the Delhi-Panipat line Rs 14,600 crore and Delhi-Meerut Rs 16,000 crore.
She said that latest cost estimates would be available when detailed project reports of the three lines are prepared.
Delhi Chief Secretary D M Spolia, who was present, was asked by reporters whether the state government agreed with the proposal to take the RRTS corridors right up to the heart of the capital.
“Our only reservations are about the alignment. We are already in discussion with the member secretary NCRPB on this and we hope to resolve those issues,” he said.
The government of Delhi has in the past opposed allowing the RRTS beyond Delhi’s outskirts claiming that allowing these corridors to reach the centre of the city would choke those parts.
As per the proposed alignment routes the Delhi Alwar corridor would start from ISBT (Kashmere Gate) and via New Delhi Railway station, Sarai Kale Khan, INA, Dhaula Kuan, Mahipalpur, Cyber City, IFFCO Chowk, Kherki Daula, Manesar, Panchgaon, Dharuhera, BTK, MBIR, Rewari, Bawal, SNB and Khairthal stations reach Alwar.
The proposed Delhi-Panipat route involves 12 stations including ISBT, Mukarba, Kundli, KMP Expressway Interchange, Rai, Murthal, Gannaur and Samalkha.
The proposed Delhi-Meerut corridor has 17 stations including Sarai-Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, Sahibabad, Mohan Nagar, Guldhar, Duhai, Muradnagar, Modinagar, Modinagar (south), Shatabdi Nagar, HRS chowk, Begumpul, Begumpul (North), Modipuram and Shastri Nagar.-PTI
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