ADB approves $1bn financing for Rapid Transit System in India
The Asian Development Bank has approved a $1 billion loan to support construction of the high-speed Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System, a first of its kind in India.
Financing for the project will be implemented in four tranches between August 2020 and May 2025. The Government of India will provide $1.89 billion and cofinanciers are expected to provide $1 billion of the total project cost of $3.94 billion.
The 82km Delhi–Meerut regional rapid transit system network is the first of three priority rail corridors in the country’s integrated transport network under the NCR Regional Plan 2021. This project will finance the construction of railway tracks, station buildings, maintenance facilities, and traction and power supply. The RRTS will use advanced, high technology signaling systems based on latest standards and will have multimodal hubs to ensure smooth interchange with other transport modes.
A $3 million grant from ADB’s Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction will support various activities, including provision of visual, hearing and mobility aids, such as wheelchairs for differently abled persons. Training for women and differently abled on safe mobility and employment opportunities and behavioral change for public transport providers will also be given.
The transit system project aims to help decongest the city and improve regional connectivity by establishing transit options through the densely populated sections of the NCR connecting Delhi to Meerut in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
