A high-level delegation from the World Bank visited the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) corporate office to discuss ongoing and future collaborations in urban transit. The primary focus of the discussion was on financing the upcoming Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) corridors. The delegation, led by Pankaj Gupta, Regional Director for Infrastructure at the World Bank, met with the NCRTC team, headed by Managing Director Shalabh Goel.

The World Bank is a multi-lateral development bank approved by the Government of India to fund the RRTS corridor between Delhi-Gurugram-SNB. The Bank has previously partnered with NCRTC on various initiatives, including studies on providing logistics services through RRTS corridors and exploring Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) potential along the upcoming RRTS routes. This partnership has been highly productive, characterized by a collaborative approach to advancing sustainable and efficient transport infrastructure in the National Capital Region.

During their visit, the delegation appreciated the advanced technologies deployed by NCRTC in implementing India’s first RRTS project and was particularly impressed by NCRTC’s ability to meet the targeted timelines for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor—an impressive achievement for such a large-scale & complex infrastructure project. The emphasis on providing seamless multimodal integration at various RRTS stations was also well-received.

The delegation noted NCRTC’s development of a substantial capacity of experts and a robust knowledge base, which could greatly benefit other organizations in urban transit. The delegation also expressed a strong interest in exploring further collaboration with NCRTC,

both locally and globally, marking a significant step toward strengthening the partnership and paving the way for future urban transit developments.