Chandigarh, March 24 The Haryana Cabinet on Tuesday approved the construction of a 136 km Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS corridor, a high-speed, modern public transport connecting the urban and semi-urban areas of the state with the National Capital Region (NCR).
According to the approved proposal, the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), or Namo Bharat, corridor will extend from Delhi to Panipat and further up to Karnal.
The estimated cost is over ₹33,000 crore, of which the share of the Haryana Government is ₹7,472 crore. The state's contribution will be released in phases, an official statement said.
The project proposes 11 stations in Haryana, which will provide seamless and high-speed connectivity between urban and semi-urban areas of the state and the NCR. The corridor is expected to significantly reduce travel time, ease road congestion, and contribute to pollution control.
The Cabinet also approved that the depot infrastructure will be jointly planned by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) and the land-owning agency concerned. The depot will be developed at ground level, with provisions for commercial development above it, enabling additional revenue generation.
To strengthen the financial viability of the project, provisions have been made under the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) policy to allow a higher Floor Area Ratio (FAR) in areas around RRTS stations. This will promote planned urban development and generate additional resources for the project.
The Cabinet has designated the Administrative Secretary, Town & Country Planning Department, as the Nodal Officer for the project and authorised him to sign agreements and related documents with NCRTC.
The Cabinet also desired that this RRTS corridor be extended beyond Karnal to Panchkula via Kurukshetra and Saha, and the matter be taken up with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India and the NCRTC.
This corridor is expected to improve access to employment, trade, education, and healthcare, while promoting balanced and sustainable regional development.