The Namo Bharat rapid trains, flagged off by prime minister Narendra Modi on October 20 last year, have seen an average daily ridership of around 3000 since being opened for public use on October 21, according to a report in the Indian Express.
The data, obtained under the Right To Information (RTI) Act, is for the first 95 days of Namo Bharat, i.e., till January 23, 2024.
The data
As per the data, the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), was used by 63,852 passengers in October 2023, while 71,124 people boarded the trains in November that year. In December 2023, the service was used by 72,335 commuters, and, in the first 23 days of January 2024, as many as 72,382 people travelled on the RRTS.
This, therefore, means that the Namo Bharat trains served total 279,423 passengers during this 95-day period, or an average of 2941 commuters per day.
‘Actual ridership picture…’
Currently, RRTS runs on a 17-km-long priority section comprising five stations – Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, and Duhai Depot. An additional stretch, spanning 25 kms up to Meerut South, will become operational soon, a National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) official told the newspaper.
“Most passengers currently are either from Sahibabad and going to Duhai or vice-versa. The actual ridership picture will become clearer once this next stage of the corridor is operational,” the official said.
“The line up to Meerut South will open by March. For last-mile connectivity, talks are being held with UPSRTC (Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation),” the official added.
‘8 lakh daily footfall’
RRTS will have an 82-km-long corridor from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Meerut’s Modipuram. Once the entire stretch opens, the daily commuter footfall is expected to rise to 8 lakh, an NCRTC feasibility report shows.