Delhi to Karnal, Jewar Airport by Namo Bharat? 4 proposed routes could reshape NCR travel

Four new Namo Bharat corridors, including Delhi-Karnal and Ghaziabad-Noida International Airport, have been proposed for the Delhi-NCR region, with the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) having already submitted detailed project reports to the Centre for consideration.

The development was disclosed in Parliament on Monday, when Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply that the DPRs are under review and will undergo detailed technical and financial appraisal before any funding decision is taken.

“After such examination, the central government considers financial assistance to RRTS (Regional Rapid Transit System) projects based on the feasibility of the proposal and availability of resources," he said.

READ ALSO: Delhi to Noida International Airport by Namo Bharat? NCRTC’s new corridor report explained

Proposed routes

The four corridors proposed are Delhi-Karnal, Delhi-Bawal, Bawal-Behror and Ghaziabad-Noida International Airport.
According to the proposal, the Delhi-Karnal corridor would extend rapid rail connectivity into Haryana’s northern belt, while the Ghaziabad-Noida International Airport line is expected to improve access to the upcoming Jewar airport, which is projected to become a major aviation hub in north India.

The Delhi-Bawal and Bawal-Behror corridors would further expand connectivity in southern Haryana, filling a long-standing gap in high-speed commuter rail access between the capital and growing towns in the region.

Part of wider NCR plan

The proposed routes fit into a broader transport blueprint for the NCR. In its Functional Plan on Transport for NCR-2032, the NCR Planning Board had identified eight RRTS corridors for the region, including:

• Delhi-Gurugram-Rewari-Alwar
• Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut
• Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat
• Delhi-Faridabad-Ballabhgarh-Palwal
• Delhi-Bahadurgarh-Rohtak
• Delhi-Shahdara-Baraut
• Ghaziabad-Khurja
• Ghaziabad-Hapur

A task force set up by the erstwhile Planning Commission, now NITI Aayog, had earlier prioritised three corridors for early implementation: Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Gurugram-Alwar and Delhi-Panipat.

READ ALSO: A game-changer for East Delhi? How the Delhi-Shahdara-Baraut Namo Bharat corridor could redefine NCR travel

What happens next

The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor was the first to be sanctioned and is now fully operational as India’s first Namo Bharat rapid rail line. The 82.15-km stretch was approved by the Centre in March 2019 and now carries thousands of commuters daily.
For the new proposals, however, no approval or funding has been announced yet. As the minister noted, Namo Bharat projects involve substantial investment and require detailed appraisal before the Centre commits financial support.

That means the corridors remain in the planning stage for now, but the submission of DPRs marks a key step forward in bringing them closer to possible implementation.