Delhi-Meerut RRTS: Eco-friendly features of India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System

[safari2021]

The Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System is set to become the nation’s first RRTS corridor. The RRTS is a rail-based high-speed regional commuter transit system, which runs on high frequency, connecting big and metropolitan cities, towns as well as urban nodes across the National Capital Region (NCR). This transit system aims to empower the public through access, address issues of economic as well as social exclusion. It also aims for balanced and sustainable economic development of the region. Besides, the RRTS will help in minimizing issues of energy consumption, severe congestion, and hazardous pollution. Following are some features to know how the Delhi-Meerut RRTS will become a Green mode of Transportation:

• Implementation of the RRTS corridors in India is an integral part of a larger strategy to address issues of pollution, congestion and is part of the ‘Comprehensive Action Plan’ for Air Pollution Control in Delhi and NCR as well as the recommendation of the High Powered Committee on Decongesting Traffic in the national capital.
• The proposed RRTS is aimed at minimizing pollution and Green House Gas emissions across the NCR in line with international standards. The RRTS, driven by electric traction, will serve as a green transit mode. On the 82 km long Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor, the estimated daily ridership is 8 lakhs.
• Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor’s 40 per cent of the total energy requirement is expected to be procured or generated from renewable energy. All elevated stations as well as depots will be equipped with solar panels and net metering system with grid supply. This strategy is said to help in achieving net zero energy concept.
• The RRTS will have 1/5th fuel consumption compared with road vehicles because of reduced friction owing to steel to steel rolling contact.
• It has significantly lesser carbon footprints. The RRTS corridor is mostly elevated i.e nearly 71 kilometres, taking only 3 meter of road space, while the rest 11 kilometres is underground.
• With the implementation of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor, it is being estimated that the share of public transportation usage along the corridor will increase from 37 per cent to 63 per cent. Additionally, the system will lead to 60 per cent-70 per cent reduction in the journey. The RRTS, once operational, will take over one lakh private vehicles off the road.
• With lesser vehicles and residual traffic decongestion on influence area roads, the RRTS will lead to reduced air pollution.

https://www.financialexpress.com/infrastructure/delhi-meerut-rrts-eco-friendly-features-of-indias-first-regional-rapid-transit-system/2229144/