As a grey haze settles over the National Capital Region again, the region's rapid rail network is trying to get more commuters out of their cars. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) will operate 20 additional Namo Bharat train trips on the Delhi-Meerut corridor from Wednesday, November 4. The aim is to get more people onto public transport and reduce the number of private vehicles on the roads.

The extra services will run along the entire corridor, from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram in Meerut.

Air quality close to the danger mark

The decision comes after several days of falling air quality across Delhi-NCR. On Tuesday, Delhi's AQI dropped to 397, just below the 400 mark at which air quality is classified as 'severe'. Ghaziabad and Meerut, both on the Namo Bharat route, are also in the 'very poor' category.

Vehicle exhaust is one of the pollution sources that authorities can control directly in the short term. Every commuter who takes the train for a daily trip between Meerut, Ghaziabad and Delhi means one less car or two-wheeler on some of the busiest roads in the region. NCRTC said the extra trips are meant to reduce private traffic and support wider efforts to control pollution.

Making the switch easier

Running more trains does not help much if commuters find it hard to reach them. The corridor is built to connect with other transport. Key stations such as Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, New Ashok Nagar and Ghaziabad link to the Delhi Metro, Indian Railways, interstate bus terminals and city bus services, so passengers can change between modes easily.

For people who still need to drive part of the way, Namo Bharat stations have parking. Commuters can park at the station and continue by train instead of driving the whole distance into Delhi.

Parking is often the reason people do not try this. The 'Namo Bharat Connect' app now has a live parking tracker that shows how many spaces are free at a station before the passenger books a ticket. This helps commuters plan their trip and removes the worry of reaching a station and finding no space.

Why it matters

Every winter, Delhi-NCR's air crisis prompts emergency measures, many of which restrict activity, such as construction bans or limits on vehicles. NCRTC's step works differently. It gives people a better alternative to driving instead of only restricting them. Whether it makes a real difference will depend on how many daily drivers actually switch to the train.

NCRTC said in a statement that the move will give passengers a convenient and reliable way to travel and will also promote a sustainable public transport system across the NCR. With pollution likely to stay a concern in the coming weeks, ridership on the extra services will show whether better public transport can persuade commuters to leave their cars at home.

(With inputs from IANS)