In a major update for several commuters and Kanwar pilgrims travelling between Delhi and Meerut, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has increased the frequency of Namo Bharat trains during the ongoing Shravan month and Kanwar Yatra.
The new schedule, active from July 30-August 14, is designed to handle the expected rise in passenger numbers and ensure smoother travel despite road closures and traffic diversions along the Kanwar Yatra routes.
As per the new NCRTC update, 52 additional train trips will be operated every day during the period.
As a result, passengers travelling on the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Corridor will no longer have to wait up to 10 minutes for a train. Instead, services will be available every eight minutes across the entire corridor, stretching from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram in Meerut. Officials added that if passenger demand exceeds expectations during the Kanwar Yatra, additional train services will be introduced as required.
Passenger Numbers Expected To Rise
The Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Corridor at present carries nearly one lakh passengers daily. With thousands of Kanwar pilgrims travelling during the holy month of Shravan, the NCRTC expects daily ridership to rise significantly over the coming weeks.
The enhanced services are intended to ensure that commuters can travel comfortably without long waiting times, even during the busiest days of the pilgrimage.
The increased train frequency is likely to benefit not only Kanwar pilgrims but also office-goers, students and regular commuters travelling between Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut.
The Kanwar Yatra is an annual Hindu pilgrimage where devotees of Lord Shiva, called Kanwariyas, walk to sacred rivers, like the Ganges to collect holy water (Gangajal). They carry this water back in decorated pots balanced on bamboo poles across their shoulders to offer it at local Shiva temples. The journey ends with Jalabhishek, the ritual pouring of the holy water onto a Shiva Lingam