Ghaziabad: NCRTC has introduced eight additional Namo Bharat trips during peak hours on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut route from Friday. The decision has been made to meet the higher ridership demand amid rising temperatures and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for austerity.“As a part of the initiative, the corporation has also introduced two additional train sets. Under the revised schedule, four additional trips will operate during morning peak hours between 8 am and 11 am, while four more trips will run during evening peak hours between 5 pm and 7 pm between Sarai Kale Khan and Meerut South stations,” said an NCRTC official.The Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor currently records an average daily ridership of nearly one lakh commuters.The official said the new rail trips will help the public comply with the nationwide advisories encouraging reduced dependence on private vehicles. “Also, riding on the Namo Bharat is a comfortable way to commute, especially at a time when intense heat wave condition is sweeping the region,” he added.While Namo Bharat trains earlier ran once every 15 minutes, they will now be available at a gap of 9 minutes. The operating fleet on the corridor has also gone up from 11 to 13.Each train has six coaches — four standard coaches, one premium coach with reclining seats and one reserved for women. Total seating capacity of each train is 407 while standing capacity is 1,061.The average occupancy in the standard and women coaches of the Namo Bharat trains, which in 2023 was 75%, has increased to about 85%. The occupancy of premium coaches rose from 25% in 2023 to 40% this year.
