Ghaziabad–Jewar rapid rail back on track; Delhi alignment idea dropped

The Ghaziabad–Jewar rapid rail corridor is proceeding as originally planned, with related RRTS corridors and integrations positioned as improving airport connectivity, reducing road congestion, and delivering environmental benefits.
Ghaziabad–Jewar rapid rail back on track; Delhi alignment idea dropped

Key insights

  • 1

    Original Ghaziabad–Jewar alignment reaffirmed: YEIDA said the corridor will not be rerouted to Delhi; the Sarai Kale Khan–Jewar concept was explored but dropped, and the original plan was finalized in a December 29 meeting.

  • 2

    RRTS planning includes absorbing existing metro proposals: The DPR indicates around 10 km of Noida’s Aqua Line extension and six stations may be integrated into the RRTS, with an integrated station planned at Char Murti Chowk; a YEIDA Sector 21–airport LRT is expected to merge later.

  • 3

    Officials frame RRTS as congestion and emissions reduction tool: cites estimates from the Delhi–Meerut corridor that full completion could raise public transport share, remove over one lakh private vehicles, and reduce CO2 emissions by about 2,50,000 tonnes annually.

A What happened
Officials from the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) said the rapid rail corridor connecting Ghaziabad to Noida International Airport at Jewar via Greater Noida West is back on track after being dropped last month, and will proceed without changes. The project was cleared by the Uttar Pradesh government in December 2025. YEIDA had asked the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) to study a revised alignment from Sarai Kale Khan to Jewar via Noida City Centre and Surajpur, aiming for stronger long-term connectivity between Delhi and the airport. Officials said the idea did not move beyond the proposal stage, and a December 29 meeting finalized continuing with the original Ghaziabad–Jewar corridor. YEIDA said the Ghaziabad–Jewar link is important for high-speed airport access for western Uttar Pradesh towns, Noida, and Greater Noida West. also notes other RRTS planning: a proposed 92-km Delhi–Gurgaon–Bawal corridor intended to cut Delhi-to-Bawal travel time to about an hour and encourage a shift from road to Namo Bharat trains. According to the DPR, about 10 km of the proposed Noida Metro Aqua Line extension (Sector 51 to Knowledge Park 5), including six stations, is planned to be absorbed into the RRTS corridor, with an integrated station at Char Murti Chowk. A proposed light rail transit corridor between YEIDA Sector 21 and the airport is expected to merge into the RRTS network in later phases. cites the operational progress of the Delhi–Ghaziabad–Meerut RRTS corridor, where 55 km of the 82 km is already running. Officials estimate that once fully completed it could increase public transport usage along the route from 37% to 63%, remove over one lakh private vehicles from roads, and cut about 2,50,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. Namo Bharat trains are described as having average speeds of 90 kmph.

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