NCRTC selects DB India to operate & maintain RRTS trains for twelve years

New Delhi, India (Metro Rail Today):  India's first Regional Rapid Transit Systems (RRTS) implementing body National Capital Region Transport Corporation Ltd (NCRTC) has appointed DB subsidiary Deutsche Bahn International Operations for the operations & maintenance of RRTS trains on 82.15-km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridors.

Deutsche Bahn International Operations (DBIO) will be responsible to manage the operations and maintenance of the regional rapid transit system (RRTS) for a period of twelve years from the date of commissioning. The project will connect the cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut. It will cover 82 kilometers, 25 stations and two depots.

The twelve-year contract is worth over a hundred million. DBIO will operate 40 trains on the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor and will also be responsible for maintaining the rail infrastructure. Once fully operational, the network is expected to carry more than 800,000 passengers a day.

"We are thrilled to have this opportunity to operate the Delhi-Meerut corridor and help foster an Indo-German partnership for green urban mobility," said Niko Warbanoff, Chairman of the Managing Board of the DB E.C.O. Group, which DBIO belongs to. "This project will enable us to actively support sustainable urban development and help alleviate traffic congestion in one of the world's largest metropolitan areas, with a population of more than 46 million."

“At NCRTC, we are looking forward to a mutually beneficial partnership with DB. The RRTS project will benefit from the global expertise and experience of DB in tech-driven operations & predictive maintenance which will help in providing a comfortable and safe commute to the passengers. This partnership will bring about a paradigm shift in the O&M of rail-based transit in India which will open up new opportunities for DB. I believe that RRTS, which is a flagship project of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, will begin a new chapter for the rail-based transport system in our country.”, said Mr. Vinay Kumar Singh, Managing Director, NCRTC.

Following on from a contract in Toronto worth billions, the Delhi project is the second major international passenger transport project secured by DBIO in 2022. "We are successfully exporting German railway and climate protection expertise," said Warbanoff. "And through a transfer of technology and knowledge, we are also adding a great deal of value for rail in Germany."

To get trained its employees, DB India is tie-ups with Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (UPMRC) for a 90-day Operation & Maintenance training of Mass Rapid Transit Systems (MRTS).