The Namo Bharat train, part of the Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), has emerged as the fastest train in India after touching a speed of 160 kmph on the 55-km operational section between Delhi and Meerut. With this, it has overtaken the Vande Bharat Express, which earlier shared the same top speed but now runs at a reduced limit of 130 kmph.
India’s first semi-high-speed train, Gatiman Express, had debuted in 2016 with a maximum speed of 160 kmph between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Agra. Later, the Vande Bharat Express also ran at the same speed. However, following a decision by the Railway Ministry in June 2024, the speed of all trains across the network, including Vande Bharat, was capped at 130 kmph. Namo Bharat has now reclaimed the 160 kmph mark, albeit for short stretches between stations that are spaced farther apart.
At present, 30 trainsets of Namo Bharat, each with six coaches, operate between New Ashok Nagar in East Delhi and Meerut South in Uttar Pradesh with a frequency of 15 minutes. The entire 82.15-km corridor from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram in Uttar Pradesh, covering 16 stations, is expected to be fully operational soon, officials of the National Capital Regional Transport Corporation (NCRTC) said.
The Namo Bharat rolling stock, designed in Hyderabad and manufactured at Alstom’s Savli factory in Gujarat, features a sleek aerodynamic design and is equipped with advanced technologies such as Automatic Train Protection (ATP), Automatic Train Control (ATC), and Automatic Train Operations (ATO). Unlike conventional Indian Railways trains, the service does not operate on fixed timetables or require seat reservations, and unlike metro trains, it is aimed at passengers covering longer distances at higher speeds with fewer stops.
According to NCRTC, the corridor will enable travel between Delhi and Meerut in under one hour while halting at all intermediate stations. Since its launch on the 17-km priority section in October 2023, Namo Bharat has expanded to 55 km and has already carried over 1.5 crore passengers.
NCRTC is also testing the integration of Meerut Metro services with the RRTS network. The metro service will cover 23 km with 13 stations in Meerut city and run on the same infrastructure as Namo Bharat, allowing commuters to switch between the two seamlessly and making the travel experience faster and more convenient.
