Delhi NCR is the closest large region to GS India Defence Academy in Dehradun: Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad are each about 231 km away, roughly three and a quarter hours by road on a free-flowing day. The fastest train, the Vande Bharat from Anand Vihar Terminal, takes 4h 45m. Five NCR places host the UPSC NDA and CDS papers: Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar (which includes Noida) and Ghaziabad. This page adds what the Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad pages do not, namely Gurugram and Faridabad, and shows which station suits which part of the region.
Which station should an NCR family use for Dehradun?
Three trains in our timetable data cover most of the NCR, and the right one depends on where you live. Anand Vihar Terminal is on the eastern side of Delhi, close to Noida and Ghaziabad, and New Delhi is the central station. The times were read from erail.in on 12 October 2026; confirm days and times on IRCTC or NTES before booking.
| Train | Boarding | Departs | Reaches Dehradun | Journey | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22457 Anand Vihar-Dehradun Vande Bharat | Anand Vihar Terminal | 17:50 | 22:35 | 4h 45m | Six days, not Thursday |
| 12055 New Delhi-Dehradun Jan Shatabdi | New Delhi | 15:20 | 21:05 | 5h 45m | Daily |
| 12055 Jan Shatabdi | Ghaziabad | 15:55 | 21:05 | 5h 10m | Daily |
| 12017 New Delhi-Dehradun Shatabdi | Ghaziabad | 07:23 | 12:55 | 5h 32m | Daily |
| 22457 Vande Bharat | Meerut City | 18:38 | 22:35 | 3h 57m | Six days, not Thursday |
Both evening trains arrive late, at 21:05 or 22:35, so a first visit works better if the family allows for the night. The Shatabdi that reaches Dehradun at 12:55 suits a family that starts early. Dehradun station is about 10 km from the academy by approximate routing.
What are the road and bus options from the NCR?
The road distance is 231 km from Delhi and Noida and 232 km from Ghaziabad, and the drive estimates are 3.3, 3.2 and 3.3 hours before traffic. UTC, the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation, lists several Dehradun ISBT-Delhi Kashmiri Gate services, via Roorkee, Saharanpur, Noida Sector 62 and Karnal, and Dehradun ISBT-Noida services via Delhi Anand Vihar and via Mohan Nagar, which is in Ghaziabad. It also lists a Prem Nagar-Faridabad service via Dehradun ISBT that starts at Prem Nagar, in Dehradun. The route list gives no class or timings, so confirm them at utconline.uk.gov.in.
If you would like to compare train and road for your own colony, call or WhatsApp +91 70170 31757 and ask for free counselling. We hold no drive-time figure for Gurugram or Faridabad, so use the Delhi figures as a guide and check a live map for the actual journey.
Which NCR places are UPSC centres?
UPSC’s NDA and Naval Academy Examination (II), 2026 notice lists Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad, and the CDS (II) 2026 notice lists the same five. Noida is in Gautam Buddh Nagar district, so a Noida candidate chooses Gautam Buddh Nagar on the form. Meerut, also a centre in both notices, sits just outside the NCR. UPSC allots centres first-apply-first-allot up to a ceiling and will not change a centre on request, so apply early.
| Place | Name in the UPSC list | NDA (II) 2026 | CDS (II) 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Delhi | Yes | Yes |
| Noida | Gautam Buddh Nagar | Yes | Yes |
| Ghaziabad | Ghaziabad | Yes | Yes |
| Gurugram | Gurugram | Yes | Yes |
| Faridabad | Faridabad | Yes | Yes |
Is there a Sainik School in or near the NCR?
There is none in Delhi. The nearest on the Sainik Schools Society’s list is Sainik School Rewari in Haryana, 75 km from Delhi, 81 km from Noida and 95 km from Ghaziabad by straight line. Sainik School Kunjpura, near Karnal, is about 102 km from Meerut. Entry is through the All India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination, conducted by NTA, into Class VI or Class IX. Our Sainik School coaching page and the AISSEE admission guide explain the process, and the Haryana page covers Rewari and Kunjpura.
How does RIMC treat Delhi?
RIMC’s admission page speaks of vacancies per State, generally one, with up to two for States of larger population, and says seats may vary every year. It gives no figure for Delhi. From the December 2026 examination, for the July 2027 term, the application is online through NTA, the test is at NTA centres and the age window is 12½ to 14 years; forms are not issued by RIMC or State Government authorities. RIMC is in Dehradun. See the RIMC admission guide and our RIMC coaching page.
Should an NCR student stay in the capital region or move?
Delhi has a large coaching market of its own, and families should compare fairly. The question this page can answer is what changes with a move: the student lives in a separate boys’ or girls’ hostel with a mess, studies in classrooms at the academy, and is based in the city that houses the Indian Military Academy. Home is about three to six hours away by road or train, so a weekend visit is possible. Our comparison, Dehradun versus Delhi for NDA coaching, goes through the trade-offs, and hostel and mess describes the living arrangements.
Which NCR places have defence landmarks?
Delhi Cantonment holds the Rajputana Rifles Regimental Centre, and Hindan Air Force Station is in Ghaziabad. They are well-known local references, not partners of the academy.
Which of our pages cover the NCR?
- Delhi: the Delhi page gives station and bus details for the capital.
- Noida and Ghaziabad: one combined page, Noida and Ghaziabad, covers both districts and the Anand Vihar choice.
- Meerut: the Meerut page covers the fastest NCR-adjacent route, under four hours by Vande Bharat.
- Gurugram and Faridabad have no page of their own; this page is their reference.
Questions from Delhi NCR families
FAQs
Questions parents ask us.
Can't find yours? Ask on WhatsApp; a counsellor usually replies within working hours.
Ask on WhatsAppWhich NCR places are UPSC centres for the NDA?
UPSC's NDA (II) 2026 notice lists Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad. The CDS (II) 2026 notice lists the same five. Noida falls under Gautam Buddh Nagar.
Which is the fastest train from Delhi to Dehradun?
In our timetable data the 22457 Vande Bharat from Anand Vihar Terminal takes 4h 45m, leaving at 17:50 and reaching Dehradun at 22:35, six days a week and not Thursday. The 12055 Jan Shatabdi from New Delhi takes 5h 45m daily.
How far is Dehradun from Noida or Ghaziabad?
About 231 km from Noida and 232 km from Ghaziabad by road, with free-flowing drive estimates of 3.2 and 3.3 hours. Real journeys take longer.
Is there a Sainik School in Delhi?
No. The nearest on the Sainik Schools Society's list is Sainik School Rewari in Haryana, 75 km from Delhi by straight line.
Does RIMC give Delhi a fixed number of seats?
RIMC's page speaks of vacancies per State, generally one and up to two for larger States, and says seats may vary every year. It publishes no Delhi figure.
Can girls from the NCR live at the academy?
Yes. The academy has separate hostels for boys and girls, with a mess. Call or WhatsApp +91 70170 31757 to ask about a visit.
Sources
UPSC notices: NDA and NA (II) 2026 and CDS (II) 2026, dated 20 May 2026. RIMC: admission page. Sainik Schools Society: existing schools; each school’s state is taken from its own website. Buses: UTC route list. Trains: erail.in, to be re-checked on IRCTC or NTES. Road distances and drive times: OSRM routing over OpenStreetMap, approximate. Regimental centre and airbase notes: Wikipedia pages for Delhi Cantonment and Hindan Air Force Station, as listed in our city research. Facts verified on 12 October 2026.
An NCR student who has finished Class 12 can start with our NDA coaching in Dehradun, taught in classrooms at the academy; the fee structure page shows how fees are confirmed.
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