Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan set to become Capital’s first multimodal interchange hub
Officials from the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) said the RRTS station here will soon become the largest transit hub of the city
New Delhi
A seamless transition from rapid rail to an interstate bus or from Metro to railways is set to become a reality at Sarai Kale Khan, with the inauguration of the Rapid Rail Transit Station (RRTS) this week. It will also mark the first integrated multimodal transport hub in the Capital, officials said.
Officials from the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) said the RRTS station here will soon become the largest transit hub of the city, and is likely to provide connectivity across seven public transport modes— the metro, city bus, interstate buses, trains, and informal modes, such as autorickshaws, cabs and e-rickshaws. The new RRTS station will interlink the Veer Hakikat Rai interstate bus terminal (ISBT), Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station, the city bus stand and the metro station along the Pink Line.
“Sarai Kale Khan is one of the biggest stations along the 82-kilometre (Delhi-Meerut RRTS) route, and is an important station as it will be a multimodal integration hub for existing metro, railway and bus stations. The station and its surroundings have been carefully designed with enough pick and drop spaces, directions to linkages for other modes and universal accessibility for pedestrian movement,” an NCRTC spokesperson said.
{{/usCountry}}“Sarai Kale Khan is one of the biggest stations along the 82-kilometre (Delhi-Meerut RRTS) route, and is an important station as it will be a multimodal integration hub for existing metro, railway and bus stations. The station and its surroundings have been carefully designed with enough pick and drop spaces, directions to linkages for other modes and universal accessibility for pedestrian movement,” an NCRTC spokesperson said.
{{/usCountry}}Officials said that the station is also being designed to facilitate interoperability, as the converging point among three priority corridors, from Delhi to Panipat, Meerut and SNB-Alwar. “Interoperability will facilitate commuters to travel from one corridor to another without any hassle and without needing to change trains. To facilitate the same, six platforms with four tracks are being built at Sarai Kale Khan,” the NCRTC official said.
{{/usCountry}}Officials said that the station is also being designed to facilitate interoperability, as the converging point among three priority corridors, from Delhi to Panipat, Meerut and SNB-Alwar. “Interoperability will facilitate commuters to travel from one corridor to another without any hassle and without needing to change trains. To facilitate the same, six platforms with four tracks are being built at Sarai Kale Khan,” the NCRTC official said.
{{/usCountry}}The station is 215 metres long, 50 metres wide and 15 metres high, comprising 14 lifts and 18 escalators to cater to passengers. The station has four tracks and six platforms at the same level. A 280-metre-long foot overbridge (FOB) with six travelators has been built at the station to connect it with Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station, which is 280 metres away. Outside this station, a public plaza has been made for commuters travelling by different modes of transport to change from one mode to another.
Connectivity to Veer Hakikat Rai ISBT and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station is being made through dedicated FOBs, while a link to the Delhi Metro Pink Line is established via an entrance near the RRTS station. Additionally, city bus interchange facilities and Ring Road entry points have also been made.
Officials said that a central interchange plaza has been made for ensuring effective interchange between RRTS, ISBT, city bus terminal, metro and auto taxi parking and providing vehicle drop off.
“The station has been planned so that passengers can move from one mode of transport to another without leaving the station or going on to the road. The location of Sarai Kale Khan RRTS station has strategically been selected being connected to Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Barapullah Flyover, Ring Road and DND (Delhi-Noida) link nearby,” the official said.
A dedicated vehicle pickup and drop-off zone for more than 40 vehicles under the station box of the Sarai Kale Khan elevated station has been made, along with a city bus interchange, where over 15 buses can be parked at a time.
Officials said that passengers will be able to enter the station by walking a short distance through segregated pedestrian pathways, after they get off their ride, without having to wade through motorised traffic.
“Due to its strategic location, lakhs of passengers are expected to utilise this upcoming mega transport hub. To facilitate their travel and ensure easy movement in and around the RRTS station, NCRTC is creating a people-friendly ecosystem with the provision of dedicated pickup and drop-off zones, pedestrian-friendly pathways, FOBs and travelators,” the official said.
At present, most intercity buses use the sides of the road to pick and drop commuters .
“Often, due to a lack of designated space, commercial and personal vehicles have to drop off the passengers on the road. It creates hindrances in traffic movement, leading to persistent congestion in the area and making it unsafe for commuters,” the official said.
Experts, however, emphasised the need for better traffic management and ensure streamlining without manual intervention.
“At places where heavy traffic is expected, having a clear circulation plan is important. The authorities should know clearly how many buses use the ISBTs and at what hours the usage is maximum, of both government and private buses. Accordingly, the movement of buses, including their parking time, should be regulated,” said S Velmurugan, chief scientist and head of the traffic engineering and safety division at the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI).
“If people are getting off along roads, there should be a demarcated stoppage and space for other public transport, such as autos and taxis that people will use to travel from the depots to their final destination. If these measures are still insufficient, police presence can be increased so that people are initially made aware of the new norms and are penalised for not following them,” he said.
The 14-km stretch of RRTS in Delhi includes the Sarai Kale Khan, New Ashok Nagar and Anand Vihar RRTS stations. The Delhi section of the RRTS corridor features a nine-kilometre elevated stretch and a five-kilometre underground stretch.
Officials said that the theme of the station has been inspired by the hues of peacock feathers, and features an exterior in shades of peacock blue and beige. The curved facade is a monochromatic blue shade combined with polycarbonate sheets to amplify the light effect, they said.
