NCRTC, Blue Dart tie up to explore Namo Bharat freight movement in NCR

New Delhi: NCRTC and Blue Dart Express Limited on Tuesday signed an agreement to explore the movement of express parcels through the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor, with an aim to reduce delivery vehicles on roads and support cleaner freight movement in the national capital region.

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Under the proposed model, the two organisations will study operational requirements, expected parcel volumes, station facilities and other aspects to assess the feasibility of transporting e-commerce consignments and other urban cargo through Namo Bharat services.

The initiative aims to develop a sustainable logistics solution by using the existing Namo Bharat infrastructure for freight movement and complementing Blue Dart's pickup and delivery network across the NCR, the corporation said in a statement.

"If found feasible, the proposed model could help reduce the number of delivery vehicles operating on roads, thereby easing congestion and vehicular pollution in the region," NCRTC said.

The 82-km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor is estimated to take more than one lakh private vehicles off roads and reduce around 2.5 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from vehicular traffic annually, it said.

According to the corporation, the freight model could further enhance the environmental benefits of the corridor by shifting a part of urban cargo movement to the regional rail network.

Namo Bharat connects Delhi with Meerut in less than an hour, passing through Ghaziabad and peri-urban areas, including Muradnagar, Rithani, Bhaisali and Modipuram. It also connects major transport hubs such as Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi.

The corridor has two depots, with one operational at Duhai in Ghaziabad and another under implementation at Modipuram in Meerut, it mentioned.

NCRTC Managing Director Shalabh Goel said the collaboration with Blue Dart would explore how the regional rail infrastructure could also serve the freight ecosystem while keeping public convenience at the centre.

"Namo Bharat is a strategic intervention to transform the regional connectivity across the National Capital Region and help reduce vehicular congestion and air pollution," Goel said.

He said the service had gained popularity among commuters and was providing access to jobs, education, healthcare and affordable housing.

Pablo Ciano, CEO of DHL eCommerce Division, said India was a significant growth market for DHL eCommerce and Blue Dart's service quality and network were central to serving its customers.

He said the collaboration with NCRTC would explore how regional rail connectivity could strengthen the logistics network and add value for customers in the NCR.

The initiative will also examine the commercial potential of using the Namo Bharat corridor for cargo movement. NCRTC said a successful model could contribute to the corridor's non-fare box revenue and strengthen its financial capacity.

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The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor currently serves around 1.1 lakh commuters daily and has recorded more than 4.5 crore passenger journeys since the start of operations.

The proposed cargo model would seek to use the corridor's existing connectivity between Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut along with Blue Dart's pickup and delivery network to facilitate faster movement of time-sensitive shipments, the statement read.

NCRTC added that the MoU was exploratory in nature and the proposed service would be taken forward based on the outcome of the operational and feasibility assessment.

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