Rapid rail services to reduce travel time between Meerut, Delhi to around 40-45 minutes: U.P. CM

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday (February 22, 2026) lauded the Centre’s push for digital and physical infrastructure, saying India’s transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has drawn global recognition and improved ease of living for citizens.

Addressing a gathering at the inauguration of the Namo Bharat Rapid Rail and Meerut Metro services, Mr. Adityanath said India has built a robust digital public infrastructure covering 1.4 billion people, processing nearly 20 billion digital transactions every month.

He said more than 500 million digital health IDs have been issued under the “One Health” initiative, enabling beneficiaries to avail treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

Referring to praise from French President Emmanuel Macron, the Chief Minister said the world has acknowledged India’s success in leveraging technology to deliver welfare benefits to the poor, farmers and youth without discrimination.

Mr. Adityanath said the Prime Minister’s regular review of infrastructure projects has helped fast-track projects worth ₹85 lakh crore that had remained pending for decades.

Highlighting connectivity improvements, he said the travel time between Delhi and Meerut has reduced from four to five hours to around 45-50 minutes due to expressway expansion and the launch of rapid rail services.

The Namo Bharat and metro projects would further strengthen regional connectivity, he added.

The Chief Minister also referred to the upcoming sports university in Meerut, semiconductor projects in Gautam Buddh Nagar, and the near-completion of the Noida International Airport, saying these initiatives reflect the vision of a “Viksit Bharat”.

He expressed hope that the proposed Noida Metro expansion would also be inaugurated by the Prime Minister after completion in the coming years.

Mr. Adityanath welcomed Mr. Modi to Meerut and said the new infrastructure projects would further accelerate development in western Uttar Pradesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (February 22) flagged off the Meerut Metro and Namo Bharat train from the Shatabdi Nagar station, giving a fillip to high-speed intercity travel and swift intra-city movement.