New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) Nearly 2,900 kilometres of potential Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors have been identified across major regional clusters in the country, signalling a push towards developing mega-regions as new engines of economic growth, the Economic Survey 2025-26 said.
The proposed corridors include stretches such as Bengaluru-Mysuru-Tumakuru-Hosur, Chennai-Vellore-Villupuram-Chengalpattu and Hyderabad-Warangal, among others.
With modest and predictable central support, the RRTS model could unlock high economic multipliers while strengthening regional connectivity, the Survey said.
It said the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat RRTS has already demonstrated a strong employment impact, generating around 166 lakh mandays during its construction phase between 2019 and 2025.
It added that the operations of the high-speed corridor are expected to support about 12 mandays every year, creating sustained job opportunities across the region, the Survey read.
The Survey said early accessibility estimates show major gains in jobs reachable within one hour, with nearly 6.9 to 7.6 lakh opportunities becoming accessible for residents of Meerut and about one lakh for Sarai Kale Khan, it stated.
Highlighting inclusion efforts, it said over 35 per cent of train operators and station controllers are women, many recruited from nearby towns and villages, along with community skill-building initiatives.
On urban development, the Survey mentioned the corridor has been integrated into India’s first statutory implementation of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Master plans for Meerut and Ghaziabad have notified TOD zones, including large greenfield townships such as New Meerut and New Ghaziabad planned around RRTS stations.
These projects aim to promote higher-density, mixed-use development and decentralisation of employment along the corridor, easing pressure on Delhi’s core while supporting polycentric regional growth, it added.
The Survey said partial operations of the RRTS have already helped avoid around 25 lakh vehicle trips, reducing nearly 69 lakh kg of carbon dioxide emissions, with a significant share of energy coming from renewable sources.
It added that digital systems for project management, asset maintenance and training have improved efficiency and created replicable institutional capacity for future urban rail projects. PTI SHB SHB APL APL
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