New Delhi: Important progress has been made towards modernising the transport network in Delhi. Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena has taken an important decision for the redevelopment of the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) in Sarai Kale Khan area and approved the allocation of 2.5 acres of land of the Delhi Urban Improvement Board (DUSIB) to the National Capital Regional Transport Corporation (NCRTC). With the issuance of the NOC (No Objection Certificate) by the Lieutenant Governor, the biggest hurdle in the redevelopment of the ISBT in Sarai Kale Khan has been removed.
This land allocation is not only an infrastructure process, but it is the foundation of a transport hub that will make the travel of millions of passengers in the Delhi and NCR region faster and more convenient in the coming years. The request for this land was made by the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC). Now with the transfer of this land, there is an integration route between the ISBT and RRTS stations, which will improve traffic management and passenger movement system in the entire area.
Sarai Kale Khan is the new transport hub of the capital
With the start of the trial run of the semi-high-speed Namo Bharat train service being developed by NCRTC, Sarai Kale Khan is moving towards becoming the largest multi-modal transport hub of Delhi. On the night of April 12, 2025, a successful trial run was conducted on the 4.5 km long section between New Ashok Nagar and Sarai Kale Khan.
During this, the train passed for the first time over the 1.3 km long bridge built over the Yamuna River. This bridge passes over the Barapula flyover and ring road, which is a complex and unique construction from a technical point of view.
Sarai Kale Khan station will be one of the largest stations of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor. Its length has been kept at 215 metres, width at 50 metres and height at 15 metres. There will be 6 platforms and 4 tracks here, for which a total of 14 lifts and 18 escalators have been arranged. This design is based on the principles of multi-modal integration, where passengers will be able to directly access metro, railway and bus services.
Namo Bharat will run on the entire route
Before Sarai Kale Khan, the Namo Bharat service was running on a 55 km section from New Ashok Nagar to Meerut South, which has a total of 11 stations. As soon as Namo Bharat starts operating from Sarai Kale Khan station, this network will expand further.
By the end of the year 2025, a target has been set to start operations on the entire 82 km long Delhi-Meerut corridor. With this, the distance from Delhi to Meerut can be covered in 50 minutes. Not only this, there is a proposal to run Namo Bharat train from Sarai Kale Khan to Karnal and Alwar in the future.
After expansion in these three directions, Sarai Kale Khan will become the busiest and well-organised transport hub. The approval of land allocation to NCRTC by Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena is a visionary step. This will give a new direction to the future transport infrastructure of Delhi. This will not only transform Sarai Kale Khan, but will also provide convenient, timely and integrated transport solutions to passengers. This initiative can prove to be a milestone in making Delhi a smart and connected city.
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