Possible to run Namo Bharat trains every three minutes if required: NCRTC

NEW DELHI: With the Namo Bharat corridor currently witnessing around one lakh passengers daily, and trains are operating at intervals of about 10 minutes, which could be reduced to three minutes if required, NCRTC Managing Director Shalabh Goel said.

Goel said NCRTC continuously assesses travel demand across the corridor and makes operational adjustments as required.

Considering the rising commuter demand, the corporation has recently introduced 18 additional trips during peak hours between Sarai Kale Khan and Meerut South, he said.

Goel said the corridor has witnessed a steady and encouraging increase in ridership, with around one lakh passengers travelling on the network every day. The cumulative ridership of the corridor has crossed about 3.5 crore passenger journeys.

"At present, trains are available at intervals of about 10 minutes and are comfortably accommodating the existing ridership. If required, we also have the flexibility to increase its frequency to 3 minutes," Goel said in an interview to PTI on Tuesday.

Goel said that 100 per cent of the Namo Bharat trainsets are manufactured in Savli, Gujarat.

Keeping this in view, NCRTC has consistently focused on integrating Namo Bharat stations with other modes of public transport, including Indian Railways, Metro systems, ISBTs and city bus services, wherever feasible, he said.

Goel said the operationalisation of the foot over bridge equipped with travelators connecting Sarai Kale Khan Namo Bharat Station with Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station in May 2026 resulted in about a 30 per cent increase in footfall.

Similarly, seamless integration through foot over bridges has been provided with Metro stations at New Ashok Nagar and Ghaziabad, while Anand Vihar offers convenient interchange with the railway station, ISBT, Delhi Metro and city bus services.

"These interventions have provided a safe, efficient and long-term solution to the congestion and overcrowding that previously existed around these transit facilities, while also reducing pedestrian movement on busy roads," Goel said.

He said stations offering such multimodal connectivity account for nearly 40 per cent of the corridor's ridership and continue to witness some of the highest passenger footfall.

"The experience of the Namo Bharat corridor clearly demonstrates that when different modes of transport are seamlessly integrated, public transport becomes more accessible, more attractive and ultimately more widely adopted," Goel said.

He said large-scale transit projects such as Namo Bharat are planned with a long-term horizon and are expected to serve the mobility needs of the region for several decades. As a regional transit system serving a large catchment area, strong ridership growth was anticipated from the outset.

"Accordingly, the corridor has been designed with adequate flexibility and provision for future capacity augmentation to cater to growing demand," Goel said.

While speed and comfort are important factors, Goel said a public transport system is truly successful only when people are willing to choose it over private vehicles. Such a shift, he said, can be encouraged only through seamless connectivity and ease of access.

He said NCRTC has acquired substantial expertise through the successful implementation of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor, which was delivered within stipulated timelines and budget.

"NCRTC has developed end-to-end expertise across planning, design, finance, construction, operation and maintenance of this new-age regional transit system," Goel said.

He added that NCRTC has deployed several new technologies, including the global first ETCS Level 2 Hybrid Level 3 over LTE radio signalling technology, along with best-in-class standards and implementation models adapted to Indian conditions.

This experience, Goel said, places NCRTC in a strong position to contribute to similar projects anywhere and as and when opportunities come up.