In a major step towards the improvement of the logistic and transportation network of the National Capital Region (NCR), the Uttar Pradesh government has recently started a feasibility study for an orbital rail. This mega 270-km rail connectivity project, out of which 90-km is in Uttar Pradesh, is aimed at enhancing passenger and freight operations across the various NCR cities like Ghaziabad, Baghpat, Noida and Greater Noida among others.
This project has been planned as part of the NCR Planning Board’s 2041 regional plan and the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has been named as the nodal agency for this project. The GDA will liaise with the Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (HRIDC) to prepare the feasibility report, for which about Rs 10 lakh has already been proposed. The report is expected to be submitted within six months.
This orbital rail project is planned to be located at the periphery of Delhi, with the help of alignment of Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways. Unlike these access-controlled expressways, the rail project will have a station at every five kilometres, thus covering a larger population in UP and Haryana. This strategic plan seeks to avoid places that the expressways do not currently access in order to improve supply chain management in the NCR area.
The main emphasis is made on the integration of the orbital rail near Duhai with the rapid rail corridor. This link will help in smooth transportation of passengers and freight for Ghaziabad, Baghpat, Noida and Greater Noida urban complexes. The rail corridor is also expected to facilitate the development of a new freight corridor which will be linked to the existing Dadri freight corridor and thus add strength to the logistics sector of the region.
In May, a high-level meeting was organized under the chairmanship of the Divisional Commissioner of Meerut Selva Kumari and the participants included NCR Planning Cell, Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA), Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC), and GDA. This meeting highlighted the need to step up the pace in the project as it is crucial in the transformation of the NCR into one of the best logistics destinations by 2032.
Future estimations suggest that by 2032, five urban agglomerations of the NCR, namely Gurgaon-Manesar, Faridabad-Ballabgarh, Meerut, Ghaziabad, and Noida-Greater Noida-Kasna are likely to transform into megacities. This vision can only be realized if the orbital rail project is implemented successfully, as it will go a long way in improving the transport network of the region and spur the growth of these urban clusters.
With the feasibility study ongoing, the residents and business entities in the NCR can expect better transport systems and increased operational capacity in the logistics chain to boost the region’s growth and development.
