Rail corridor: M Venkaiah Naidu calls for meet January 23

New Delhi: In an attempt to fast-track rail-based Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) in Delhi-NCR, Union urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has reportedly called a meeting of all stakeholders on January 23 to find out ways how to quickly get going with the Delhi-Sonepat-Panipat corridor. Of the eight rail corridors proposed to connect urban and industrial belts of the NCR, the meeting is expected to focus on how to start work on Delhi-Sonepat-Panipat corridor on a priority.

Sources said that the meeting assumes significance in wake of the suggestion of the Haryana chief secretary D.S. Dhesi that the corridor should be raised along National Highway-1 as the same would be of immense help to the road commuters as well. But the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has opposed this move saying if it wanted to expand its NH-1 project, there will be no land available to do so in future.

Also, the NHAI has proposed that the Haryana government could raise the corridor about 20 metres away from either side of the NH-1. Sources said that in such a situation one will have to use private land, for which the authorities will have to shell out huge money.

The proposed 111 km corridor would benefit the people of Delhi, Panipat, Samalkha, Gannaur and Sonipat and their adjoining townships and villages in a big way. The corridor will be having stations at Panipat city, Samalkha, Gannaur, Murthal, Rai, Kundli, Narela, Mukarba Chowk Badli and Kashmiri Gate.

The Delhi-Panipat corridor is proposed to run along with National Highway-1. It would be an elevated and dedicated train corridor of 103.5 kilometre for the high speed connectivity which is likely to connect Delhi and Panipat non-stop in 45 minutes and maximum of 60 minutes with stops. The train will be having an average speed of 200 kilometre per hour. A survey had revealed that more than 50 per cent of the traffic on the corridor was of cars only.

Among the eight rail-based high speed corridors identified by the National Capital Region Planning Board include Delhi-Gha-ziabad-Meerut (90 km), Delhi-Gurgaon-Rewari-Alwar (180 km), Delhi-Hapur (57 km), Delhi-Khurja (83 km), Delhi-Ballabgarh-Palwal (60 km), Delhi-Baghpat (56 km) and Delhi-Rohtak (70 km).