Ghaziabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Meerut South-Modipuram section of the Delhi-Meerut rapid rail corridor on Feb 22, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Thursday after reviewing preparations for the event at the Hindon civil terminal.The new stretch will complete the Meerut arm of the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor. At present, trains operate on 55km of the 82km corridor, between New Ashok Nagar in east Delhi and Meerut South. The trains will now run between New Ashok Nagar and Modipuram since Sarai Kale Khan is yet to be opened. Once the full route becomes operational, trains are expected to cover the distance from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram in Meerut in about 55 minutes.The 23-km Meerut South–Modipuram section passes through densely populated parts of the city, including Begumpul, MES and Partapur. Trial runs on this stretch began in Feb last year and were completed by June. However, delays in opening the section had drawn criticism from commuters, particularly residents of central Meerut, who said they were forced to rely on costly last-mile transport to access the rapid rail corridor from Meerut South.“Every morning I take a shared auto to Meerut South, which takes 35 to 40 minutes,” said Asim, a resident near the Begumpul station. “Once the services start, I can simply walk to the station and save almost an hour to travel to Delhi.”The rapid rail corridor has been opened in phases. The first section, between Sahibabad and the Duhai Depot, was inaugurated in Oct 2023. This was followed by the opening of the Duhai–Modinagar North stretch in March 2024, Modinagar North–Meerut South in Aug 2024, and the Sahibabad–New Ashok Nagar section in Jan this year.Chairing a review meeting with divisional-level officials, Adityanath directed departments to complete all preparations for the inauguration within the stipulated timeframe. “The opening of this section will not only strengthen the regional transportation system but will also play a significant role in the overall development of Meerut and the surrounding districts,” the CM said.He issued instructions to ensure tight security arrangements, streamlined traffic management, sanitation, and adequate public facilities at the venue. Emphasis was also laid on seamless coordination among administrative, police and civic agencies to avoid any last-minute lapses.Earlier in the day, Adityanath reviewed the law and order situation and the progress of key development projects in Noida at a high-level meeting with senior district and police officials in Sector 38. The CM assessed policing arrangements, crime control measures and inter-departmental coordination, directing officials to maintain strict vigilance to ensure public safety in the rapidly urbanising and industrialising district. He stressed the need for a robust law and order framework to support growth and investor confidence.Adityanath also emphasised time-bound execution of development works, instructing authorities to closely monitor projects, remove bottlenecks swiftly and ensure transparency in implementation. He called for prompt redressal of public grievances and greater administrative accountability.
