Meerut Rapid Train ridership crosses 1 lakh on first full day after launch, says NCRTC

The Delhi–Ghaziabad–Meerut Namo Bharat (RRTS) corridor recorded more than 1 lakh commuters on its first full day of commercial operations, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) said, marking the highest single-day ridership on the corridor so far.

The milestone came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inaugurated the complete Delhi–Meerut RRTS corridor along with a new Meerut Metro link, triggering heavy footfall across stations as many passengers took their first ride.

What happened

According to reports quoting NCRTC, ridership crossed the 1 lakh mark during the day, with the corporation expecting the final tally to remain above 1 lakh by the time the last train departed around 10 pm.

Visuals from stations showed large crowds, including families and young commuters, with a festive mood reported onboard.

Key details

• Ridership: 1 lakh+ riders on the first full day after launch (record so far)
  
  

• Operator/implementing agency: NCRTC
  
  

• Corridor length: Widely reported as ~82 km (some reports also describe it as ~84 km; official corridor length is commonly cited as 82.15 km in earlier reporting)
  
  

• Project cost (reported): about ₹30,274 crore
  
  

Context/background

The Delhi–Meerut RRTS is India’s first high-speed regional rail in the NCR, designed to significantly cut end-to-end travel time (often reported at around 55 minutes) and reduce road congestion between Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut.

Ridership on the corridor has been rising as new sections opened in phases, and the full-corridor inauguration has now brought a major spike in daily usage.

What happens next

With the full corridor now inaugurated, NCRTC is expected to focus on stabilising operations, managing peak-hour crowds, and potentially adjusting service frequency based on demand patterns observed in the coming days. Early ridership levels will be closely watched as an indicator of long-term commuter adoption.