From Sarai Kale Khan to Meerut's Modipuram: 82-km Namo Bharat corridor to go live next week

Uttar Pradesh is set to witness one of its most ambitious connectivity upgrades next week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the remaining stretches of the 82-km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat rapid rail corridor and launch the Meerut Metro. The engagements will also include laying the foundation stone of north India’s first semiconductor manufacturing unit in Gautam Buddh Nagar.

Speaking in the Legislative Council during the Budget Session on Monday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the foundation stone of the semiconductor unit in Gautam Buddh Nagar would be laid on February 21. He termed it a significant step towards making the state a hub for high-technology manufacturing.

On February 22, Modi will inaugurate the remaining stretches of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor, connecting Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi with Modipuram in Meerut, the chief minister said.

Alongside the rapid rail, the 23-km Meerut Metro corridor with 13 stations will also be launched.

The remaining sections include a 5-km stretch in Delhi between Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar, and a 21-km stretch from Meerut South to Modipuram. The 82-km corridor comprises key stations such as Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Muradnagar, Modinagar South, Modinagar North, and Meerut South. The line is designed to serve as the backbone of a regional rapid transit system linking major residential, commercial, and industrial clusters across the region.

Recalling conditions before 2017, Adityanath said that it earlier took around three hours to travel from Meerut to Delhi and even then security was not guaranteed.

"Today, the distance between Delhi and Meerut can be covered in about 45 minutes through the 12-lane highway, and with the rapid rail, it will be further streamlined," he said, adding that law and order had significantly improved.

The chief minister said Uttar Pradesh today has "excellent connectivity by water, land, and air," and pointed to the state's expanding infrastructure footprint. He stated that UP accounts for 55 per cent of the country's total expressway network and has the largest railway network in India.

The state currently has a network of 22 expressways, of which seven are operational, five are under construction, and work on 10 others is underway, he said. Metro services are already running on six corridors in the state, with the Meerut corridor to be inaugurated on February 22.

Highlighting inland waterways, Adityanath said the Varanasi-Haldia waterway has been developed, with terminals at Ramnagar, Chandauli, Mirzapur and Ghazipur being upgraded. He also contrasted the current aviation infrastructure with the situation when his government took office.

"When his government assumed office, only two airports were fully operational in the state, and two were partially functional. Today, there are 16 airports in Uttar Pradesh, including four international airports, while the fifth international airport at Jewar is ready," he said, adding that efforts are on to take the project forward this month with the prime minister's participation.

The country's first Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hub is also being established at Jewar, he added, underlining what he described as the state’s emergence as a major connectivity and logistics hub.

(With inputs from PTI)