RailEnquiry

‘Cabinet note being prepared for circulation to all stakeholders for starting work’ If the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) sources are to be believed, a high-speed corridor connecting all the important towns/areas of NCR can be a reality in future. The high-speed corridors are aimed at improving the connectivity to facilitating better commuting in the region.The NCRPB had prepared a functional plan last year for creating a transport system for NCR-2032. The plan recommended eight regional rapid transit system (RRTS) corridors to connect various towns/areas of NCR, of which the Centre prioritised three corridors for implementation in consultation with the State governments.A NCRPB official said a Cabinet note is being prepared for circulation to all stakeholders for starting work on the RRTS. Initially, three corridors -- Delhi-Gurgaon-Alwar, Delhi-Sonepat-Panipat and Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut -- have been identified and work will start after the Cabinet approval. These routes have been identified for the RRTS because these towns and cities have a large number of people travelling for economic reasons on an everyday basis.The Union Urban Development Ministry, which is the nodal Ministry for the ambitious project, has also agreed to conduct a feasibility study for high-speed train services on Delhi-Rohtak-Hisar section which would be the fourth corridor under the RRTS.

Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda has been pushing for the fourth corridor in Haryana town arguing that Rohtak is fast emerging as an industry hub.

Importantly, the Delhi Government had raised objections to the RRTS entering the city, and insisted that it should be limited to the outskirts of the city to avoid congestion.

A memorandum of understanding was signed in June last year among all the stakeholders of the RRTS including State governments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, Union Urban Development Ministry and the NCRPB for implementation of commuter transit projects in NCR. The MoU says that the corridors were chosen after studying the demands and capacity of different routes in the NCR.

“The study has identified railway projects for commuter travel in NCR. Considering the projected transport demands of commuters on various corridors and existing capacities of various sections, a Commuter Rail Network Development Plan/ Regional Rapid Transit System has been prepared,” says the MoU.

According to the MoU, in order to “strengthen the urban/suburban rail infrastructure to improve connectivity in the NCR” and for “the creation of comprehensive integrated multi-modal suburban commuter transportation system for NCR”, an “NCR Transport Corporation (NCRTC) will be formed.”

The Centre and the other State governments are supposed to provide land for this project at confessional rates.

Importantly the MoU doesn’t rule out private players in the project.

“Private entrepreneurs may also be inducted at a subsequent stage by mutual consent for the execution of the projects, if considered desirable,” says the MoU which is available on the website of the NCRPB.