The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has invited bids for licensing commercial spaces on the ground floor of the Sarai Kale Khan Namo Bharat station along the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor. This initiative aims to enhance commuter convenience by offering a variety of facilities within the station premises.
Available Spaces and Facilities
Approximately 818 square metres of space across eight identified locations are available for commuter-focused facilities. These include food and beverage outlets, cafes, convenience stores, service centres, pod services, and other retail purposes. The inventory comprises both bare and built-up spaces, ranging from compact units of 17 square metres to larger spaces of up to 247 square metres.
Licensing Terms
The spaces are being offered on an "as is where is" basis for licence periods ranging from nine to 15 years. An official from NCRTC stated that integrating such facilities within the station footprint will save time for commuters and make their journeys safer, more comfortable, and convenient. Additionally, it will strengthen non-fare revenue streams for the corporation.
Benefits for Commuters and Locals
The outlets will also serve residents and visitors in the surrounding area by providing easy access to a range of retail and convenience services. Sarai Kale Khan is emerging as a major multimodal transport hub, and the station precinct is becoming an important transit-oriented development node with considerable opportunities for commercial growth and mixed-use development.
Previous Bids and Developments
In January, bids were invited for commercial spaces at the Ghaziabad RRTS station for similar facilities. In May, bids were also invited for selecting co-branding partners for exclusive semi-naming or co-branding rights at 21 stations along the Namo Bharat corridor.
Corridor Operations
The entire Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor became operational on February 22 this year. Namo Bharat trains have a design speed of 180 kmph and a maximum operational speed of 160 kmph. The travel time from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Begumpul is 54 minutes, and to Modipuram in Meerut is 58 minutes.
