Yeida Plans Feasibility Study For Delhi–Jewar Rapid Rail

The decision comes after the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs observed that the previously proposed Rapid Rail link from Ghaziabad’s Sidharth Vihar to the airport did not provide a direct connection to Delhi. Yeida officials said the revised plan is intended to address this gap and strengthen airport connectivity with the national capital.

Yeida Additional Chief Executive Officer Shailendra Bhatia said the authority would shortly hold discussions with the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) before initiating the feasibility study. The proposed route would originate at Sarai Kale Khan, pass through key areas of Noida including City Centre, Phase II and Greater Noida’s Pari Chowk, and terminate at Noida International Airport. The project would move to the next stage once the study is completed.

Officials said the decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The feasibility report will be prepared by NCRTC in coordination with Yeida, after evaluating multiple connectivity options to link the airport with the wider National Capital Region.

Earlier, a detailed project report had been prepared for a 72.2 km elevated Ghaziabad–Jewar corridor, proposing 11 Rapid Rail and 11 Metro stations on a shared track, and had received in-principle approval from the Uttar Pradesh government. However, the Centre raised several objections, including the rationale for routing the line via Ghaziabad, the absence of a destination survey, overlap with the proposed Aqua Line Metro extension, and the operational challenges of running Rapid Rail and Metro services on the same corridor.

During the review meeting, attended by officials from the Uttar Pradesh government, Noida International Airport Ltd, Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd, Noida Metro Rail Corporation and NCRTC, it was noted that the earlier alignment failed to provide a direct Delhi–Jewar link and was unlikely to attract adequate passenger volumes.

Authorities therefore agreed that a new Rapid Rail corridor should begin from Sarai Kale Khan. Preliminary discussions indicate the alignment may pass through DND, Noida City Centre, Noida Phase II, Surajpur, Pari Chowk, Ecotech-6, Dankaur and Yeida sectors 18 and 21 before reaching the airport. If Sarai Kale Khan proves unviable, New Ashok Nagar may be considered as an alternative starting point. The final route length and number of stations will be determined after the feasibility study.

Officials added that extending the earlier alignment through Greater Noida West would have duplicated the proposed Aqua Line extension from Sector 51 to Knowledge Park-5, making the Rapid Rail project financially unviable and less convenient for Delhi-bound passengers. The revised alignment is expected to significantly improve airport connectivity and better integrate Jewar with the broader NCR transport network.