Shopping, banking facilities soon at Namo Bharat stations: NCRTC

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) said the commuters of the corridor will soon enjoy amenities such as shopping, dining at restaurants, food outlets and banking services in addition to fast and comfortable travel on the Namo Bharat trains.

New Delhi: The National Capital Region Transport Corporation said on Monday that the Namo Bharat train commuters will soon get facilities like shopping, restaurants and banking at the stations.

According to a statement, these facilities will be available at the commercial spaces within the premises of the stations near the entry and exit areas, enhancing passenger convenience, it said.

Recently, Namo Bharat trains achieved the milestone of carrying one million passengers to their destinations. In light of the increasing number of passengers each day, the availability of these facilities within the premises of the stations will further enhance passenger convenience, the statement said.

The NCRTC said the commuters of the corridor will soon enjoy amenities such as shopping, dining at restaurants, food outlets and banking services in addition to fast and comfortable travel on the Namo Bharat trains.

The NCRTC has invited bids for commercial spaces at stations on the operated section of the corridor to provide these amenities. In the first phase, bids have been invited for spaces at Sahibabad, Guldhar and Duhai stations. The last date for bid submission is June 4. Bid documents can be viewed on the NCRTC website, it stated.

Currently, the Namo Bharat train services operate at eight stations along the 34-km section between Sahibabad and Modi Nagar North. The process for opening commercial spaces at other stations within this operated section will commence soon, it stated.

At the Sahibabad station, a built-up area of around 165 square metres in the entry and exit block adjacent to Vasundhara and the Sahibabad industrial area is available for bidding. Similarly, at the Guldhar station, a built-up area of around 145 square metres offers an attractive opportunity for commercial establishments such as restaurants, food outlets, shopping outlets, banks and offices, it said.

At the Duhai station, there are two commercial spaces available for bidding at entry/exit Pocket A and Pocket D, around 140 and 135 square metres respectively, the statement said.

The currently operated 34-km section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor is expected to soon extend up to Meerut South station, increasing the operated section length to 42 km.

The entire corridor spans 82 km, with construction progressing rapidly on the under-construction stretches. The target is to start the operation of the Namo Bharat trains along the entire corridor by June 2025, it added.