Namo Bharat Nears Three Years With 4.5 Crore Passenger Journeys
Namo Bharat has recorded more than 4.5 crore passenger journeys since its October 2023 launch, the Union housing ministry said on October 18. The figure was announced as NCRTC marked the regional railway’s approaching third anniversary at an event in New Delhi on October 17.
The operator reported daily use exceeding 1.1 lakh passengers and a recent single-day high of about 1.68 lakh. These are journey counts, rather than a count of distinct people who have used the service.
Operations began on the 17-kilometre Sahibabad–Duhai Depot section. The full 82-kilometre Delhi–Ghaziabad–Meerut corridor, together with Meerut Metro, was dedicated on February 22, 2026. The anniversary therefore covers a service that expanded in stages, rather than three years of operation along the entire route.
A railway designed for regional commuting
NCRTC’s project overview describes Namo Bharat as a service for longer commuter trips, using fewer stops and higher speeds than an urban metro. Its dedicated alignment and frequent operations are intended to make journeys between regional centres more predictable.
The idea has a long planning history. A task force established in 2005 examined a multimodal transport system for the National Capital Region. Eight corridors were identified, with the Delhi–Meerut, Delhi–Panipat and Delhi–Alwar routes prioritised. Feasibility and detailed-project work followed in 2010, according to NCRTC’s account.
The corporation’s 2026 brochure describes the Delhi–Meerut corridor as linking Sarai Kale Khan with Modipuram through places including Anand Vihar, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Murad Nagar and Modi Nagar. The route combines elevated and underground stretches. The trains have a design speed of 180 kilometres per hour and a maximum operating speed of 160 kilometres per hour; these are different from average journey speed.
Meerut Metro uses the regional railway’s infrastructure for local trips. NCRTC presents the two services as complementary: regional trains connect cities, while the metro serves shorter journeys within Meerut. Platform screen doors and contactless fare collection are among the features described in its brochure.
The next stage
At the anniversary event, NCRTC highlighted first- and last-mile connections and solar initiatives, including development of a 110-megawatt captive solar plant. The ministry said two more priority corridors were expected to receive approval soon, while other routes remained at the detailed-project-report stage.
Those proposed extensions should be read as future plans. They are separate from the operating Delhi–Meerut service. For passengers, the practical value of regional rail depends on the whole journey: reaching the station, making connections and arriving near work or education. The ridership milestone measures use of the existing network; it does not by itself establish how much road congestion or pollution has fallen.
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