NEW DELHI: India’s flagship semi-high-speed Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), the Namo Bharat corridor connecting Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut, has surpassed the monumental milestone of 5 crore (50 million) cumulative passenger journeys, with the latest 1 crore riders added in a record-breaking 93 days, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) announced on Wednesday.
The remarkable ridership acceleration demonstrates skyrocketing public adoption of regional rapid rail transit across the National Capital Region (NCR). Over three crore passenger journeys were clocked in the past 12 months alone, rocketing the cumulative total from two crore in December 2025 to five crore by November 2026.
Ridership growth data illustrates exponential velocity: while the inaugural one-crore mark required 574 days following the launch of the initial 17-km Sahibabad–Duhai Depot priority section in October 2023, subsequent milestones shrank dramatically—reaching two crore in 211 days, three crore in 143 days, four crore in 101 days, and the latest crore in just 93 days.
Monthly transit figures show steady high volume, registering 35.25 lakh passenger trips in August, 32.41 lakh in September, and 33.49 lakh in October, averaging approximately 1.1 lakh commuters daily. The network achieved its highest-ever single-day ridership on August 28, transporting 1,68,666 passengers.
Following the full operational integration of the Delhi-Meerut trunk route alongside the Meerut Metro on February 22 earlier this year, the 82-km rapid rail line offers seamless multimodal interchanges with the Delhi Metro network, Indian Railways mainlines, inter-state bus terminals (ISBTs), and feeder bus services.
Operating aerodynamic trainsets at operational speeds reaching 160 kmph with over 99 percent punctuality, Namo Bharat was recently adjudged the winner of the ‘Best Passenger Services and Satisfaction’ award at the Urban Mobility India Conference and Expo 2026 in Bhubaneswar, conferred by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal.
Published by True Roots Media