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

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has submitted a comprehensive report for four new Namo Bharat corridors to strengthen rail connectivity across Delhi-NCR — confirmed by the Rajya Sabha, with Minister of State Tokhan Sahu detailing the proposals.

Reports have been prepared for four new corridors — Delhi-Karnal, Delhi-Bawal, Bawal-Behrod and Ghaziabad-Noida International Airport. Each corridor aims to extend the Namo Bharat network significantly beyond its current operational reach across the National Capital Region.

The NCR Planning Board has identified eight Regional Rapid Transit System corridors under its Functional Plan on Transport for NCR-2032 — covering Delhi-Gurugram-Rewari-Alwar, Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat, Delhi-Faridabad-Ballabhgarh-Palwal, Delhi-Bahadurgarh-Rohtak, Delhi-Shahdara-Baraut, Ghaziabad-Khurja and Ghaziabad-Hapur.

The RRTS project was sanctioned by the Central Government in March 2019. All eight corridors are currently under consideration — as Namo Bharat projects involve substantial investments and undergo detailed technical and financial appraisal before any funding decision is taken.

NITI Aayog has prioritised three corridors for implementation — Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Gurugram-Alwar and Delhi-Panipat — identifying these as the most critical links for high-speed rail-based commuter connectivity among major towns across Delhi-NCR.

The 82.15-km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor — the first to be sanctioned by the Centre in March 2019 — has become fully operational, Minister Sahu confirmed in his Rajya Sabha statement, making it India's first functioning RRTS corridor.

The Centre considers financial assistance to RRTS projects based on the feasibility of the proposal and availability of resources. No funding has been committed to the four new proposed corridors yet — but their inclusion in the NCRTC report marks a significant formal step toward future development.