Published on: Dec 13, 2025 04:08 am IST
A major jump was recorded after January 2025, when the 13km Delhi section from New Ashok Nagar to Sahibabad, featuring a key interchange station at Anand Vihar, was inaugurated
Two years after operations began on the Delhi–Ghaziabad–Meerut RRTS corridor, the line has crossed the mark of 20 million commuter trips, reflecting a consistent rise in ridership across successive phases of the network, officials from the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) said.
Services on the 17km priority section between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot started on October 21, 2023, and the system logged over 72,000 monthly trips in its first month, officials added. Ridership climbed through 2024 as the corridor extended to Modinagar North in March and Meerut South in August, with monthly footfall touching around 700,000 by December.
“A major jump was recorded after January 2025, when the 13km Delhi section from New Ashok Nagar to Sahibabad, featuring a key interchange station at Anand Vihar, was inaugurated. The expansion widened the commuter base, with monthly ridership nearing 1.5 million by mid-2025 and daily usage stabilising between 55,000 and 60,000,” said an NCRTC official.
NCRTC officials said the frequency of trains has also been increased; there is now a train every 10 minutes, instead of 15, with provisions to reduce the interval even further.
Officials added that feedback from commuters from Meerut and Ghaziabad suggests that the service has offered them a more predictable travel option during peak traffic periods and weather disruptions. Alongside corridor expansion, NCRTC has also introduced first and last-mile linkages, including services by app-based mobility operators and electric buses at New Ashok Nagar and Anand Vihar. Integrated ticketing with Delhi Metro has also been rolled out.
Currently, 55km of the corridor with 11 stations is operational. The remaining stretches, including the Sarai Kale Khan–New Ashok Nagar section in Delhi and the Meerut South–Modipuram section, are expected to be completed within the next few months.
