The project will connect the cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut. It will cover 82 km, 25 stations and two depots.
DB IO’s 12-year contract is worth more than €100m. DB IO will operate 40 trains on the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor and will also be responsible for maintaining the rail infrastructure. Once fully operational, the network is expected to carry more than 800,000 passengers a day.
In May, Alstom delivered the first semi high-speed electric regional train to NCRTC for use on the RRTS. In 2020, Alstom was awarded a €436 million contract to design, build, and deliver 210 regional commuter and transit train cars for the RRTS, along with comprehensive maintenance services for 15 years.
“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to operate the Delhi-Meerut corridor and help foster an Indo-German partnership for green urban mobility,” said Niko Warbanoff, chairman of the managing board of the DB E.C.O. Group, which DB IO belongs to. “This project will enable us to actively support sustainable urban development and help alleviate traffic congestion in one of the world's largest metropolitan areas, with a population of more than 46 million.”
Following on from a contract in Toronto worth billions, the Delhi project is the second major international passenger transport project secured by DB IO in 2022. “We are successfully exporting German railway and climate protection expertise,” explained Warbanoff. “And through a transfer of technology and knowledge, we are also adding a great deal of value for rail in Germany.”
This technology and knowledge transfer, coupled with a reinvestment of profits, will help build a strong rail system in Germany. The rapid transit network will be equipped with state-of-the-art ETCS Level 2/Hybrid Level 3 technology in combination with automatic train operation (ATO). This technology is also slated for deployment in Germany soon. It allows for train communications based on LTE technology, which is much more effective than conventional GSM.
The National Capital Region (India) is one of the first places in the world where the technology is being deployed. Operations are scheduled to start in 2023. DB IO specializes in operating and maintaining rail transport systems and is responsible for DB’s international operator projects outside Europe.