Delhi NCR is set to soon get the first rapid train of the country. Work on the 17-km priority section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Expressway is nearly complete and it will be operationalised this year. It was recently announced that the Delhi RRTS will be called RAPIDX. The trains will have a dedicated train attendant alongside a train operator who will drive the rail. The attendant will assist the commuters and will have a crucial role to play in case of an emergency.

The attendant will be stationed in the premium coach of the RRTS train, as per National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) but will assist the entire train in case of emergency. In case there’s a breakdown or any other emergency, the RRTS attendant will operate an evacuation device which will be fitted on the train, as per the train operator’s instructions. He will also assist the passengers exit the train by opening the side doors.

In case the RAPIDX train halts on the viaduct (bridge) because of any technical reason, the attendant will help all the on-board passengers to deboard on the viaduct via the emergency gate. He will then lead the passengers to the nearest emergency evacuation exit and assist them descend to the ground level through a safe passage.

Apart from being pivotal during emergency situations, the attendant will impart all the travel-related information to passengers. This includes the use of safety equipment, commuter-desired information about the journey. The attendant will especially assist and tend to the needs of the aged, sick, specially-abled passengers in need.

The RAPIDX trains on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor will likely begin on the complete route by 2025. It will cut down the time between Delhi to Meerut via Ghaziabad significantly.

(Inputs from PTI)