Ghaziabad: The Eastern Orbital Rail Corridor (EORC) is likely to feature an interchange at the Duhai Namo Bharat station, according to officials. A feasibility report prepared by the Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (HRIDC), which is executing the project, has been submitted to the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA), the nodal agency for the project. The report will now be examined at the state level before a formal nod is sought to commission a detailed project report.
Proposed Connection via 4km Bridge
The EORC is proposed to be connected with Duhai station via a 4km, 24-metre-high bridge, a GDA official said. “GDA’s technical team is going through the report to ensure land acquisition and other logistical issues before the draft is sent to the state government,” the official added.
Background and Route
Last April, Uttar Pradesh approved Haryana’s proposal to build the rail corridor beyond the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) and follow an elliptical route. This design allows vehicles from Uttar Pradesh to bypass Delhi for entering Haryana and beyond. The project is proposed to be Delhi’s third ring road, designed to facilitate passenger and freight movement within the National Capital Region (NCR) without adding to the capital’s traffic or pollution. The EORC is proposed to connect Palwal in Haryana to Sonepat via Ghaziabad, Noida, and Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh.
Details of the Corridor
According to the draft, a 59km section of the 135km orbital rail project will fall in Ghaziabad. The EORC is proposed to have nine stations in Uttar Pradesh: New Kekhra Road, Badagaon, Manauli, Dasna, Sukhanapur, Rajatpur, Shamshudinpur, Bisaich, and Gunupura. It will offer connectivity between NH-1, Faridabad, and Sikri through Ghaziabad and Noida on the eastern side of NCR. The Western Peripheral Expressway from Kundli will link Faridabad, Palwal, and Manesar. Significant progress has been made on the orbital rail project in Haryana.
Regional Significance
The orbital rail is a part of the NCR Planning Board’s 2041 regional plan. Officials stated that expediting the project is necessary if the region is to emerge as a logistics hub in the future. As per projections, five urban clusters in the NCR—Gurgaon-Manesar, Faridabad-Ballabgarh, Meerut, Ghaziabad, and Noida-Greater Noida-Kasna—will become megacities by 2032.
