Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan railway station to open on Sept 17

Beyond Meerut South, three additional stations—Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul, and Modipuram—are also expected to open on September 17.

Sarai Kale Khan, the last Delhi station on the Delhi–Ghaziabad–Meerut RRTS corridor to be completed, is all set to begin operations, with its inauguration expected on September 17, said officials of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), the agency executing the project.

The 82.15 km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor features 16 stations and trains currently run along a 55km section from New Ashok Nagar in Delhi to Meerut South, covering 11 stations. (HT Archive)

One of the corridor’s largest stations, Sarai Kale Khan spans 215 metres in length, 50 metres in width, and 15 metres in height, and is designed to handle high passenger volumes. Future expansions aim for all three RRTS phases to be interoperable through this station, connecting Delhi with parts of Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

“The National Capital Region Transport Corporation has successfully completed trial runs, with full-length timetable trials of Namo Bharat (RRTS) trains between Sarai Kale Khan and Modipuram, covering the journey in under an hour with stops at every station,” said NCRTC spokesperson Puneet Vats.

The 82.15 km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor features 16 stations and trains currently run along a 55km section from New Ashok Nagar in Delhi to Meerut South, covering 11 stations.

Beyond Meerut South, three additional stations—Shatabdi Nagar, Begumpul, and Modipuram—are also expected to open on September 17, alongside the Sarai Kale Khan station and the Meerut Metro, a local train module using RRTS infrastructure for intracity travel.

Since its phased launch in October 2023, the corridor has seen over 15 million riders, with trains running every 15 minutes.

“This system differs from conventional rail as it does not operate on a fixed timetable or require seat reservations. Unlike the Metro, it caters to passengers travelling longer distances with fewer stops and higher speeds,” said an Indian Railways spokesperson during a media visit.

Once fully operational, the corridor is projected to raise public transport’s share on the Delhi–Meerut route from 37% to 63%, encouraging a major shift from private vehicles, according to the detailed project report.

“It will cut travel time by 60%–75%, making suburban areas reachable within 30–60 minutes of the capital. This will benefit commuters, industrial workers, intercity travellers, and students alike,” said an RRTS spokesperson.

The Union government has identified eight RRTS corridors, with three—Delhi to Meerut, Delhi to Alwar, and Delhi to Karnal—prioritized for Phase 1 development. The Delhi-Meerut corridor is the first to be implemented, while the Delhi-Karnal route is awaiting cabinet approval.