NCRTC likely to provide freight movement on regional rapid transit system

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is likely to facilitate freight movement on its Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors, an official said on Tuesday.

Logistics services through RRTS would be "an excellent option" especially for transporting time-sensitive commodities which also face issues related to inadequate availability of cold-chain infrastructure, he said.

The NCRTC, the executing agency of the RRTS, organised a consultation meeting with logistics industry to deliberate on the 'Provision of Logistics Services through RRTS corridors in National Capital Region'.

Representatives from various logistics organisations, including Amazon, Flipkart, BigBasket, CONCOR, Delhivery participated and shared valuable insights, official said.

Given its network, the RRTS has "strong potential" to also become a preferred partner for e-commerce logistics, they said.

"... the system which is primarily being implemented for commuter movement is planning to utilise its capacity during lean period for freight movement.

"Apart from its numerous benefits as a green corridor, it would act as a catalyst for economic growth," an official quoted NCRTC MD Vinay Kumar Singh as saying in the meeting.

Singh said that apart from its numerous benefits as a green corridor, it would act as a catalyst for economic growth.

According to the NCRTC, RRTS is envisioned to serve as a more sustainable alternative for urban freight movement in the NCR by handling goods at its depots.

"There are depots proposed along Phase-I RRTS corridors at the strategic locations --Duhai and Modipuram depots on Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor, Murthal and Panipat depots on Delhi-Panipat corridor and Dharuhera depot on Delhi-Gurugram-SNB corridor," the official said.

Commuters will be able to travel on the country's first rail rapid transit corridor in over three years from now as its 17-km-long Duhai-Sahibabad section in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad is expected to be operational by early 2023.

The entire Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor, spanning 82 km, will be operational by 2025.