Namo Bharat reaches Modipuram as NCRTC begins trial runs on Meerut stretch

The NCRTC on Thursday commenced trial runs of the Namo Bharat train on the final stretch of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor, reaching Modipuram, the last station in this section, according to a statement.

During the trial, the train was operated between Shatabdi Nagar and Modipuram, marking the first time the Namo Bharat train traversed the underground section of Meerut, a key step in connecting the city's central areas with Delhi through high-speed rail, it stated. 

Trial operations had been limited to the two sections flanking the currently operational segment between New Ashok Nagar and Sarai Kale Khan on one end and Meerut South and Shatabdi Nagar on the other, it said.

With this run, for the first time, Namo Bharat trains are now running across the entire Delhi-Meerut corridor, it added.

The initial phase of testing is being carried out in manual mode to assess the compatibility of the train with civil structures and the NCRTC will evaluate the integration of various subsystems such as track alignment, platform screen doors (PSDs), and overhead electrification during subsequent trials, it stated. 

High-speed trials with trains operating up to 180 kmph are expected to be conducted in the coming days as part of comprehensive testing, it added.

According to the NCRTC, Meerut Central near Football Chowk, is the first underground station in this section, followed by Bhaisali and Begumpul. Of these, only Begumpul will serve both Namo Bharat and Meerut Metro, while the other two are Metro-only stops.