Metro Rail News Aug 2021

A Symbroj Media Publication

METRO RAIL NEWS ISSN 2582-2330 / Vol. V / Issue 56 / Monthly /August 2021

With Deep Focus On Metro, Railway, RRTS , HSR & Allied Industries

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ADVISORY BOARD

Editorial Advisory Board WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

Vol. V | Issue 56 | August 2021 Managing Editor Narendra Shah editor@metrorailnews.in Editorial Support Staff Aria Smith Correspondent (International News division)

Rajesh Agrawal Advisor & Consultant Former Member (Rolling Stock) Railway Board

Sudhanshu Mani General Manager (Retd.)

IRSME, ICF, Chennai Team Leader – Train 18

Mahesh C. Yadav Ex.IRSSE , MIE(I) Chartered Engineer (I)

Sandip Kumar, Assistant Editor sandip.kumar@metrorailnews.in Business Development Priyanka Sahu, Director priyanka.sahu@metrorailnews.in Anurag Jha, Business Development Executive Anurag.jha@metrorailnews.in Cover Page & Graphics Joydeep kundu jk@metrorailnews.in

Yogesh Dandekar Founder: Sarg Design Studio LLP (Pune)

Ved Mani Tiwari President & COO Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd New Delhi (India)

Haru Imam Project Control Engineer Persons Corporation SaudiArbia (UAE)

Manas Ranjan Panda Sr. Rolling Stock Expert AYESA India Pvt Ltd. Lucknow (India)

Sanjay Kumar Agarwal Dy. General Manaer Metro One Operations Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai (India)

Digvijay Pratap Singh Chairman Main Mast Group

Dr. Ajeet Kumar Pandey Delivery Manager L&T Technology Services Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Chinmoy Pattanyak Head of APAC Center of Delivery & SW Center India (TCMS) at BOMBARDIER

Percy Bernard Brooks Project Management Specialist Faiveley Transport Rail Technologies Bengaluru (India)

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

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EDITOR’S NOTE EDITOR'S NOTE

FROM THE DESK OF

MANAGING EDITOR For decades, city traffic and transportation have been a hot topic around the world. However, because of an ever-increasing population, fast urbanisation, and a transfer of people in greater numbers to cities, the situation of commuters has continued to deteriorate, particularly in third-world and developing countries. As a result, people living in the area are already facing increasing pressure on precious and limited resources.

Narendra Shah Managing Editor

As a result, the entire circumstance creates a complex habitat for which there appears to be no simple solution. Population concerns, meeting their needs in terms of social and economic infrastructure, growth and development, future plans, easy living, a safe, healthy, and cleaner environment, as well as a variety of other socio-economic factors such as balanced economic growth, reaching the last mile, and so on, have all become relevant and prominent issues.

As a result, initiatives to develop cities in a holistic manner in terms of urban mobility are needed. New ideas for city growth and development, as well as mobility, are hot topics these days. There is a specific purpose for this. One of the most important indicators today is the development of modern modes of transportation and the successful implementation of new strategies, which represents the growth and

development of a number of units that are intrinsically co-related in a cohesive environment and form a larger transport unit or system. This is also one of the essential components of industrial collaborations that is being explored these days in the context of envisioning a worldwide future oriented transportation system.

Across the value chain, the Indian automotive industry is also witnessing substantial changes. New technology, business models, and fast changing emissions and incentive policies are all threatening to destabilise the industry. With several fundamental shifts looming, industry stakeholders in India's automotive sector are grappling with a number of questions, the most pressing of which is how to keep the traditional way of doing business competitive in the face of impending technological disruptions, rapidly changing customer preferences, and uncertain regulatory changes.

Factors such as the development of the electric mobility ecosystem by bringing together diverse stakeholders are likely to have a substantial impact on how various stakeholders conduct their business across the mobility ecosystem (OEMs, component manufacturers, policymakers, etc.). The importance of innovative and new business models based on data analytics, as well as continuously changing automotive R&D, are all factors to consider. Connected mobility is becoming more popular (sharing mobility, SIM powered telematics, personalised infotainment, autonomous cars, etc.).

The economy is steadily recuperating as restrictions and bans are gradually lifted around the country in a cautious manner. We must stay vigilant and cautious, sticking to all measures and safety guidelines.

I'm pleased to share the August 21 issue, which urges you to be safe and healthy in the face of the dangerous pandemic. The August 2021 issue of Metro Rail News features a cover story on Restoring Passenger Confidence in Metro & Rail. Jammu-Srinagar Metro is selected as the project of the month. An exclusive interview with Mr. V. R. Sharma, MD of JSPL, Mr. Sudhanshu Mani, Ex. G.M, ICF, Chennai, Mr. Vinay Kumar Singh M.D of NCRTC. Mr. Sanjeev Sachdev, MD, Toshi Automatic Systems Pvt. Ltd. Along with regular columns such as Articles, Case Studies, News, Tenders, Events, and Jobs information.

We owe it to you to keep you informed and up to date on all topics concerning urban, metro rail transit and development.

Narendra Shah

Managing Editor Metro Rail News (A Symbroj Media Publication) E-mail: editor@metrorailnews.in

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

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Photo courtesy : Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC)

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CONTENT

contents Index

10

EDITOR'S NOTE

06

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

10

COVER STORY

17

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

24

Mr. Sanjeev Sachdev

Managing Director Toshi Automatic Systems Pvt. Ltd.

14 24

Vinay Kumar Singh Managing director

National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC)

Mr. Sudhanshu Mani Mani

Ex-General Manager, Integral Coach Factory, Chennai

Mr. V. R. Sharma

Managing Director Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. (JSPL)

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28

30

33

RAILWAY NEWS

37

PROJECT OF THE MONTH

38

BOOK REVIEW

40

ARTICLE

42

JOBS

50

EVENTS

54

LIVE TENDER

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

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17

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Successful completion of Border Control Gates at Delhi International Airport (Terminal 3)

2020 Inauguration of the first indigenously made AFC machine by Toshi Automatic for BRT and Metro station by Hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi.

2018 Breakthrough into the Airport Business for Mass Transit domain through successful commissioning of 120 Immigration Barriers at Delhi International Airport Terminal 3.

2017 Successful completion of 7 BRT projects across India and 500+ AFC Turnstiles with over 800+ Platform Screen Doors in 6 cities.

2016

First-mover into the Mass Transit domain through contract of Platform Screen Doors in India's first BRT station in Ahmedabad.

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NEWS HIGHLIGHT

Metro Rail

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually inaugurated a newly-built five-star hotel a top the redeveloped Gandhinagar railway station on July 16.

The redevelopment of the Gandhinagar railway station and construction of the five-star hotel started in January 2017 by the Indian Railway Stations Redevelopment Corporation (IRSDC).

Delhi Metro trains start running with 100% seating capacity

Gandhi Nagar Railway Station is India’s first five-star Hotel built over railway tracks. The luxury hotel has 318 rooms to be operated by a private entity. It is spread across 7,400 square meters and has been built at a cost of INR 790 Crores.

As per media reports, the 5-star hotel will be run by the Leela Group of hotels.

Given the government’s latest guidelines on July 26, 2021, regarding Covid-19 containment, services began this morning with total seating capacity.

However, there is still no provision for standing travel inside coaches, as has been since June 7. 17-18 per cent carrying capacity.

The hotel is for national and international guests who will come to attend seminars and conferences at Mahatma Mandir, a convention centre situated just opposite the property. In addition, the redevelopment of Gandhinagar railway station will transform the station into a world-class 24-hour travel hub.

Sources earlier said that each coach has about 300 riders, 50 seated and 250 standing. However, since standing commuters are not allowed, a maximum of 50 people can ride in each carriage.

And, effectively, the carrying capacity is about 17-18 per cent, which was 10 per cent since June 7, due to the 50 per cent rule.

The DMRC again appealed to the public to travel by metro “only when it is absolutely necessary and observe all Covid-related travel protocols in place for their own and everyone else’s safety in this fight against the pandemic”. As travel in a standing position is still not permitted by the authorities, entry at stations will also continue to be regulated through identified gates as per the ongoing practice.

PM Modi inaugurate India’s first five-star Hotel over railway tracks in Gandhinagar.

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

as the Deputy Secretary in the office of the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Pune Metro makes first trial run on Vanaz-Ramwadi route, may open to public by November Gearing up to launch its service in October or November this year, Pune Metro on July 30, 2021, successfully carried out the first trial run on a 3-km stretch from Vanaz to Anandnagar, on the route that will go all the way to Ramwadi.

“We hope to make Metro train operational and open to the public on a 5-km stretch from Vanaz to Garware College by October-November,” said Brijesh Dixit, managing director of Maha-Metro, the agency in charge of Pune Metro project.

Earlier, Pune Metro had carried out a trial run on the 6-km stretch from PimpriChinchwad to Phugewadi on the route to Swargate.

Ashwini Vaishnaw is the new Union Railway Minister

The Pune Metro project is being executed by the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, or Maha-Metro.

It is developing two routes in the city – a 16.6-km-long route from PimpriChinchwad to Swargate, and a 14.7-kmlong route from Vanaz to Ramwadi.

Ashwini Vaishnaw is inducted into the Union Cabinet on July 07, 2021 and is now the new Railways minister. He is also given charge of the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Ministry of Communications.

Ashwini Vaishnav has an illustrious career. He is a former IAS officer of the 1994 batch with an All India Rank of 27.

He holds a degree of M.Tech from IIT Kanpur and has done MBA from Wharton School, Pennsylvania University. He served as a Collector in Balasore and Cuttack districts. He worked in Odisha till 2003 where he was also appointed

Delhi Metro launched India’s first FasTag/UPI based cashless parking facility. www.metrorailnews.in

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

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NEWS HIGHLIGHT Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on July 6, 2021, launched India’s first FASTag/UPI-based cashless parking facility at the Kashmere Gate Metro Station on the Red Line of Delhi Metro.

The facility was launched by Dr. Mangu Singh, the Managing Director of DMRC, in the presence of senior officials of DMRC and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

In addition to this, dedicated Intermediate Public Transport (IPT) lanes for Auto, Taxi, and E-Rickshaws were also inaugurated at Gate No.6 & 8 of the Kashmere Gate station which will enable a smooth movement of vehicles and enhance the last mile connectivity at the station and is a part of the Multi-Model Integration (MMI) initiative.

DCPs from the Metro and New Delhi area have requested the DMRC to keep an extra vigil on the seven metro stations as well as others in the New Delhi district.

Parwez, a 1994 batch IAS officer and currently the transport principal secretary, will be responsible for fast tracking the much-delayed Namma Metro’s Phase 2 project.

The Delhi Police have asked Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to shut seven metro stations, if needed, in the New Delhi district in view of the farmers’ protest outside the Parliament. The police have urged officials to keep extra vigil at Janpath, Lok Kalyan Marg, Patel Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Mandi House and Udyog Bhawan from Monday till the end of the monsoon session to prevent farmers from reaching the protest sites.

The farmers and police had a meeting on Sunday where the farmers said they want to participate in “Sansad Gherao” during the monsoon session. In a letter signed

by DCP (Metro) Jitendra Mani, police said the Delhi metro is the “most favoured form of conveyance and the protesters may use the metro to reach/gather in the New Delhi area.”

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

Chennai Metro Rail Limited will begin a rail grinding exercise at night to set right any undulations in the sharp curves of the tracks in the phase I project stretches — Washermanpet to Chennai Airport and Chennai Central to St. Thomas Mount.

Two years ago, they did this for the underground stretches.

Anjum Parwez is new MD of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Senior IAS officer Anjum Parwez has been appointed as the new managing director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL).

Delhi Police ask DMRC to close 7 metro stations to prevent protesting farmers reach Parliament

tear, and now are in need of extensive maintenance.

“Government of India (GOI) concurs with the proposal of Karnataka government for appointment of Parwez as managing director, BMRCL. As per the conditions of sanction of Bangalore Metro rail project, the full time managing director shall be removed/transferred only with the prior consent of GOI.

Chennai Metro Rail begins track maintenance in stretches of the phase I project Many commuters might have heard screeching while travelling through some stretches of the Metro. Over the past six years, some of the sharper curves on the tracks have suffered from wear and

Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation completes 97 per cent tunneling on Colaba-SEEPZ Metro line Estimated to cost around Rs 23,136 crore, the entire project is expected to be operational by mid-2022, and transport around 1.60 million commuters daily in full comfort.

Spelling cheers for Mumbaikars, almost 97 per cent tunnelling work on the longest and fully-underground ColabaBandra-SEEPZ Mumbai Metro 3 corridor has been completed with the 39th breakthrough achieved at Mahalaxmi, officials said on July 21, 2021. Till date, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) Ltd, which is executing the project, has tunnelled 52.60 km of the 54.50 km double line (up/down), marking nearly 97 percent of the total tunnelling work required, company’s Managing Director Ranjit Singh Deol said.

The city’s first fully subterranean 33.50kms long Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro-3 line, which passes below sections off the Mithi River and Mahim Creek, will have 27 stations, including 26 underground, with at least 6 inter-changes at strategic points on the route. Estimated to cost around Rs 23,136 crore, the entire project is expected to be operational by mid2022, and transport around 1.60 million commuters daily in full comfort.

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

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NEWS HIGHLIGHT

RLDA to lease seven land parcels in Chennai for Commercial Development The capital of Tamil Nadu, has emerged as a prominent realty hub owing to the growth of the IT/ITes sector in the past few years. The upcoming developments, such as Chennai Metro, the Comprehensive Infrastructure Road Development Programme of Tamil Nadu, and the up-gradation of the Chennai International Airport will further bolster real estate prospects in the city.

At present Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) is in the process of inviting online bids for leasing several land parcels in Chennai.

Two of the land parcels of 2.5 acres each and one land parcel of 3.6 Acres are in the Ayanavaram Railway Colony, situated along Konnur High Road and Duncan Road. Other land parcels are located at Walltax Road near Basin Bridge (0.27 Acres), Pulianthope (2.09 Acres), Victoria Crescent site located at Victoria Crescent adjacent to Ethiraj College (0.43 Ha), respectively. Apart from this, a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the redevelopment of the Egmore Railway Colony will be invited shortly.

Alstom has begun manufacturing the regional commuter and transit trains for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut semi-highspeed rail corridor for RRTS Phase 1. In May 2020, the company was awarded the contract to design, build, and deliver 210 regional commuter and transit train cars along with comprehensive maintenance services for 15 years.

the situation and held a meeting with Mangu Singh, MD of Delhi Metro Rail Project, and its director Daljit Singh, who are also handling the Patna Metro Rail Project works.

As per the contract, Alstom will deliver 30 regional commuter train-sets of six cars each and 10 intra city mass transit trainsets of three cars each. In accordance with India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ vision and the Make-in-India guidelines, these RRTS trains are 100% indigenously manufactured, with over 80% localisation and are being manufactured in Alstom’s factory in Savli (Gujarat). This facility will produce the bogies, car bodies and undertake train testing. The propulsion systems and electricals are being manufactured at the company’s factory in Maneja (Gujarat).

A loan of Rs 5,520.93 crore for the same has also been taken from the Japanese government, according to Sushil Kumar Modi.

Alstom’s scope of work also includes designing, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of Signalling & Train Control, Supervision, Platform Screen Doors and Telecommunication Systems for this 82.15 km corridor. This line will be the first in India to adopt the European Train Control System (ETCS) hybrid Level 2 signalling system, which is the core signalling and train control component of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).

Patna metro rail project works stuck at 1 per cent completion; was inaugurated in 2019

Alstom begins manufacturing modern commuter & transit trains for the Delhi-GhaziabadMeerut RRTS project.

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

Bihar’s ambitious Patna Metro Rail Project has moved at a snail’s pace so far with not more than 1% of its total work having been executed in over two and half years.

Rajya Sabha MP and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi took stock of

The foundation stone of the proposed mega project was laid down in February 2019 with a budget of Rs 13,000 crore.

Satish Agnihotri is the new Managing Director of National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has appointed 1982 Batch IRSE officer (Retired) Satish Agnihotri as the new Managing Director on July 1 2021. Previously, he had worked as Chairman & Managing Director, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a schedule ‘A’ CPSE under the Ministry of Railways for close to 9 years.

As per NHSRCL, he also held the position of Chairman, High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (HSRC), a fully owned subsidiary of RVNL since its inception in July 2012 till August 2018. HSRC was the Indian-side counterpart agency for carrying out various high-speed studies which were undertaken on Governmentto-Government basis with China, Spain etc. and completed feasibility studies of 5 high speed rail corridors.

MGM Contractors is the lowest bidder for construction of 11 bridges on MumbaiAhmedabad HSR Corridor The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) on July 19, 2021, opened financial bids for the Package www.metrorailnews.in

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NEWS HIGHLIGHT Number-MAHSR-P-1(B) which involves construction of four PSC bridges and seven steel truss bridges located between Zaroli Village at Maharashtra-Gujarat Border and Vadodara in Gujarat for the 508.17 Km long Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor.

KEC International Ltd. – INR 19.36 Crores S.C. Agarwal – INR 19.64 Crores Contract: PT-08 Name of Work: Supply, Installation, Testing & commissioning of standard gauge track work (Ballasted, Embedded, and Column lines) at New ISBT Depot for Patna Metro Rail Project for PMRCL.

3 Firms bid for Chennai Metro’s Line-3 Elevated Section

Financial bids revealed the bid values of three bidders in which MG Contractors Pvt. Ltd. emerged as the lowest bidder quoting bid value of INR 549.67 Crores in comparison to the bid value of INR 618.05 Crores + 246 million Yen from KEC – SAM India JV and INR 677.77 Crores from GRIL – GPT JV.

Bhopal Metro received bids from 4 firms for the construction of 8 Elevated Stations Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) opened technical bids on Tuesday for the work related to construction of eight elevated Metro stations from AIIMS to Subhash Nagar for the 14.99 km long Purple Line (Karond Circle – AIIMS) of Bhopal Metro.

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) opened technical bids on Saturday for the work related to construction of Elevated Viaduct of length 10 km approximately for Line-3 of Chennai Metro. It also includes construction of 10 Elevated Metro Stations from Nehru Nagar to Sholinganallur.

Total three firms submitted bids for this contract, tenders for which were invited in February this year with completion period of 1095 days (3 Years). However, the estimated cost for this work is not known. The names of three bidders are – •

JMC Projects

•

KEC International

MPMRCL invited bids for this contract in March this year with an estimated cost of INR 421 Crores and completion period of 847 days. The names of the bidders are –

•

Larsen & Toubro

KEC International bags ballasted track to contract for New ISBT Depot of Patna Metro

• Bansal Private Limited •

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL)

KEC International Ltd. emerged as the lowest bidder for the supply and commissioning of standard gauge ballasted track for New ISBT Depot of Patna Metro after DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation) opened financial bids for this contract on July 16, 2021.

•

URC Construction (URCC)

•

YFC Projects Private Limited

Name of Work – Construction of Elevated Viaduct (Approximate Length -10km) including Elevated Ramp and ten (10) Elevated Metro Stations at Nehru Nagar, Kandanchavadi, Perungudi, Thoraipakkam, Mettukuppam, Ptc Colony, Okkiyampet, Karapakkam, Okkiyam Thoraipakkam And Sholinganallur.

DMRC invited tenders for this ballasted track contract in January this year with an approximate cost of work to be INR 17.97 Crores and a completion period of 24 months. Technical bids were opened in March which revealed the names of five bidders.

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

Construction

Works

Tender Number – CMRL/CON/PHASE-II/ CORRIDOR3/CP08-EV-01/2021

Tender Reference Number – 354/ MPMRCL/2021/Package BH-02-EIB Name of Work – Design and Construction of Eight (8) Elevated Metro Rail Stations including Viaduct portion within the stations and Transition spans on either side of the stations (AIIMS, Alkapuri, Habibganj Naka, Habibganj, M.P Nagar Zone-1, DB City Mall, Kendriya Vidyalaya and Subhash Nagar)” for Bhopal Metro Rail Project. www.metrorailnews.in

COVER STORY

Restoring Passenger Confidence in Metro & Rail

Introduction The Covid-19 pandemic has substantially affected passenger rail traffic, in a short-term perspective, with a large decrease in traffic.

Needless to say that it will also have long-term effects on regularisation of passenger movements in rail and mass rapid transit systems. Once the pandemic is over, one can expect changes in travel behaviours. However, for now it is erstwhile to mention that it is only through adoption of adequate safety measures, taking precautions that the spread of virus can be controlled.

It may also be noted that new routines and technology will continue to be used to ensure passenger safety and unambiguous commuting in the public transport system globally. To make this happen, it is undeniable that design of both trains and services will not look different. The global nature of the pandemic makes a global outlook towards the disease making it highly relevant. Hence, learning across the globe shall be crucial to strengthen rail traffic today and in the future.

Public Transportation during Pandemic There has been a substantial decrease in public transportation in urban areas across the globe. The transportation showed a fall of 75-80% in Canada, In U.K it fell from 77-80%, Sweden – 50%, USA 70-80%, South Korea 35-50%, Hong Kong 30-40%, Australia 65-80%. In India, there was a complete shutdown from 22nd March. The nationwide lockdown in Indian Sub-

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continent continued for nearly 03 months making it one of the most comprehensive lockdown sessions globally, which was stretched nationwide for a considerable period amidst a wake of saving innumerable lives against an unknown disease.

Government's Response to the Crisis Covid-19 has impacted rail all around the world. Accordingly, countries around the world responded to this situation by taking a number of steps.

1. In Australia, an extra fund was allocated to employ additional cleaners of public infrastructure.

2. In U.K. fund was allocated to support trams and metros in specific areas. There was also support provided for commercial bus services. The rail franchise agreements in concert with operators were suspended. Revenue and cost risks were transferred to the government for six months. Additional funds were allocated to ensure continued operation in borders rail service.

3. In Sweden, more than 300 million US$ was allocated to support public transportation.

4. More than 25 billion US$ were allocated as a compensatory measure to help sustain public transportation in USA. In addition, the US government also supported the national rail sectors by making special provisions.

5. In Hong Kong fares were reduced by 20% and subsidy was provided to public transport service providers.

METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

17

COVER STORY However, few nations like India, South Korea and Canada didn’t give any immediate direct financial support to public transportation nor railway identified. However, in India, special trains were operated to carry people from different parts of the country to their destinations during the nationwide lockdown.

India especially worked strenuously to improve its freight and passenger-carrying capabilities by improving and modernising its infrastructure and technology during the period of nationwide lockdown in railways.

Restoring Passenger Confidence

govt. transporters like rail, metros etc.) have focussed on three major areas – (i)

Use of New Routines to mitigate the spread of Virus

(ii)

Use of New Technology to mitigate the spread of Virus

(iii)

Use of Future Ready Designs

Use of New Routines to mitigate the spread of Virus

Following measures have been taken under this approach to make transportation safe for passengers especially in busy and large transport systems like metros and rail – (a.) Use of heat cameras in metros and train stations: Almost every country with a metro system has started using heat cameras in metros and train stations. People with fever are asked to leave the stations or are tested or provided medical care.

In a crisis, the operators and train manufacturers need to be creative to survive. The sudden outbreak of pandemic had one of the worst effects on public transport system.

The general or public transport systems being the centres of mass gathering had been most vulnerable for the spread of the virus.

Therefore, new routines and technical solutions were required to be worked upon and systematically implemented to limit the spread of the virus.

Asian countries were amongst the first to implement new routines as they emerged from the crisis early and had previous experience of SARS epidemics.

However, the major challenge before the transport operators today is regaining the confidence of the commuters which had been severely depleted due to spread of pandemic from places of gathering, the public transport being one of them.

With availability of vaccines most of the public transport system globally have opened up or have started to open. But, restoring passenger confidence in public transport travel is still a major challenge and accomplishment subdued.

Hence, to make public transport safe for passengers and restore their confidence in use of public transport for their commuting the transport operators (including govt. owned or

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

(b.) Use of facial recognition cameras: China in its metro system, has started using facial recognition cameras before a passenger boarding a metro. These cameras not only keep a record of the passengers but also ensure that anybody with an infection does not board the train. Few other nations are also working on technology to scan crowds and identify usage of masks as well as individuals with fever. GPS enabled apps for most of the metro system is also being developed which enables passengers and travellers to see how crowded each metro station is. (c.) QR scanning and passenger record: Travellers in most of the metro systems globally are required to scan a QR code placed in each metro car. Passengers, while arriving and leaving the metro are required to scan the QR code with their phone number, which gets recorded with the database of the metro stations. Railways too are working on this technique which would help to track the passengers travelling to various destinations. (d.) Disinfection routines for train, stations and staff: Mechanised tools, robotic arms, gadgets etc are being used to sanitize and disinfect the train coaches and metro cars. The stations are also frequently cleaned and staffs too are passed through disinfectant tunnel to keep themselves sanitised and free from infection. (e.) Contactless ticket booking and easy refund: Ever since www.metrorailnews.in

COVER STORY the spread of the pandemic, contactless ticket booking, maintaining social distance, keeping an eye on personal health & hygiene, cleanliness of the surrounding have been few priorities emphasized by transport operators for a safe transportation option for commuters in public transport.

New Technology to mitigate the spread of the Virus

(a.) Substituting Materials Studies show that the Coronavirus behaves differently depending on the type of surface it lands on. It lives longer on non-porous surfaces. On the materials tested in controlled lab environments, the virus survived; ≥ 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel

1. A new experiment with built-in thermal camera helmets are being used that automatically detects if someone had a fever five metres away. An alarm is automatically raised if anything suspicious is detected. In a recent development, operators at station terminals have also started using drones with thermal imaging to spot people with raised temperatures or fever.

2. Using ‘Hotspot Zone Detection’ and replacing materials on the most frequently touched areas seems to be one of the feasible approaches and new way forward to curb the spread of virus in public transport areas. Under this technique, a Hotspot zone detection system uses existing CCTV or IP cameras combined with computer vision to identify if people frequently touch physical objects in an area where a camera is installed. If the number of touches exceeds the threshold value, an alert is sent to the authorities and the area can be declared as a hotspot zone. The software can also be used to spot the use of personal protection.

3. UV-light (Ultra-Violet) based sanitization techniques have already been started to be used in many rail, metro and public transport system around the world. China, Japan, Canada are few nations who have started using this technique Future Ready Design

≤ 24 hours on cardboard ≤ 4 hours on copper Another study shows that on the most effective copper, viruses expire after 30 minutes. Hence, on the basis of above study and findings a train industry for the future may be envisaged based on use of ‘hotspot zone detection’ and replacing stainless steel and plastic with copper or cardboard on frequently used surfaces in train interiors.

Additionally, studies are being carried out to make materials in train interiors of the future to be resistant to strong disinfectant or UV light washing. (b.) Flexible Design Studies are being carried out with design flexibility in future centric public transport system. For e.g. Airplanes are being customized with modular and flexible designs so that by simply removing the seats or making some small changes in the interior it can be used to transport goods or people in need of assistance.

France and Spain were amongst few countries who turned their high speed trains into transports for Covid-19 patients during the crisis.

India Railways too converted rail bogies into isolation and treatment centres for Covid-19 patients. These train compartments turned Covid centres appeared to a major relief amidst increasing number of beds required for alarmingly rising Covid patients in second most populous country of the world.

It may be noted that in a customized transportation system if a passenger traffic takes time to recover to pre-pandemic volumes, containers that fits on a passenger seat can be used to transport goods or packages.

While discussing the various ways to restore and develop confidence in metro, rail and public transport few questions are often envisaged. That being : • What should the next generations of trains look like once the Covid-19 pandemic is over?

• What can be done to make passengers in rail transport feel secure?

• How can we reduce the next viral spread and be more agile during the next unknown pandemic?

The answer to the above can be studied as under:

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Modular seats are another possible development. These seats can be rotated during a pandemic or the annual flu season. Passengers face every other forward and backwards.

Additionally, an easily attachable cover, covering the head area, can avoid spreading viruses. (c.) Digitization It is one of the major component of future ready design in which various techniques are being adopted to curb and control the spread of the virus.

• Physical tickets are exchanged with QR Codes.

• Apps informing passengers on crowded platforms and trains are being developed.

METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

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COVER STORY Steps taken by different Metro Systems to normalise passenger traffic and restore movement

Chicago’s transit authority has invested in UV light tools to disinfect trains and is testing new antimicrobial products to prevent bacteria, viruses, and liquids from sticking to treated surfaces for an extended period of time.

The United Kingdom Passengers using the London Underground are required to keep a distance of two meters from their fellow travellers even though face coverings have not been made mandatory. Moreover, to avoid rush-hour crowds and easier planning of journeys, a new TfL Go app has been launched. The app provides real-time train schedules and information on alternative routes.

The Tokyo Metro

With metro systems resuming in most parts of the world and the governments allowing gradual resumption of metro train services across the globe, it is for sure that the journey in a metro will not be the same for commuters and is set to transform dramatically in a post-Covid world. Mandatory wearing of masks, thermal screening at entry gates, leaving alternate seats vacant and social distancing for standing passengers — these are among the many guidelines being mooted by authorities to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Metro, Railway and Public Transportation system.

While restoring rider's confidence will remain a challenge in the near future, for some cities like Delhi, where the metro is considered the city’s lifeline, the resumption of services is also closely knit with economic recovery.

In Europe and in the United States, metro or rapid transit services resumed operations in May last year, with governments imposing mandatory wearing of masks, limiting riders to enable physical distancing and staggering ridership. Many countries in Asia, Europe and North America have installed plastic screens between passengers while in Chicago, riders will soon be able to monitor crowding aboard metros through an app and adjust the timing of their trips.

The United States Several states in the US have come up with their own set of guidelines and steps to arrest the spread of Covid-19.

Besides mandating face masks and disinfecting trains at regular intervals, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the New York subway, has a robust ventilation system that effectively removes viral particles from the air. According to an NYT report, in subway trains, the filtered air that circulates through a car is replaced with fresh air at least 18 times an hour.

To reduce rush-hour crowding, New York officials have asked businesses to stagger work hours. The transit agency has also distributed over a million masks to riders and started public service campaigns encouraging them to maintain social distance. However, the NYT report says ridership has been just 20 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

In San Francisco, the Bay Area Rapid Transit system provides weekly crowding charts for train riders and uses its Twitter and text alert system to keep riders informed.

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

Tokyo Metro resumed operations when Japan lifted its lockdown in late May. To check spread of the virus, Tokyo Metro, which has a rail network of about 900 stations and 85 lines, has begun spraying its nearly 3,000 cars with a superfine atomisation of a silver-based compound, using silver’s antimicrobial properties to keep the virus off surfaces apart from other common, modern and widely used techniques of sanitization and disinfection.

Europe Most European nations re-opened metro systems in mid-May last year. However, the passenger travel and traffic has not been very encouraging, albeit with drastically reduced ridership which has continued even in the following months.

• Italy The Milan Metro in Italy has made wearing of face masks and gloves mandatory on board, with passengers having to maintain a one-meter distance from one another. To alert authorities if maximum capacity of a train has been reached, a system is in place in most stations to automatically count passengers as they pass ticket barriers. Besides, red signs have been put to show people where they should stand on the platform to keep a safe distance from others.

• France The French government has limited the number of passengers on a metro train to 180 (a total of 32 passengers per carriage) from 700 on normal times. Wearing a face mask is compulsory for those over 11 years of age and violators can be fined up to $145. In the Ile-de-France region, travellers must carry a certificate from their employer that authorises them to use public transport at rush hour.

• Germany Germany was one of the first countries to reopen metro services after weeks of lockdown. Passengers are required to keep a 1.5-meter distance inside the Berlin metro system (U-Bahn) and face masks or any mouth-and-nose covering is mandatory except for children under six years.

India India was amongst few nations who went for a nationwide lockdown for a considerable period of time as long as 90 days www.metrorailnews.in

COVER STORY in the first wave of pandemic.

10.

The travelling passengers, on arrival at their destinations, to adhere to such health protocols as prescribed by the destinations states and Union Territories.

11.

All travelling passengers advised by the government to download and use the Aarogya Setu mobile app (an indigenous app to track the health and well-being of a travelling passenger).

Metro system in India has also prepared a Standard Operating Procedure 1. Mandatory wearing of masks and use of smart cards instead of tokens.

2. Thermal screening - Anyone showing a high temperature or symptoms of flu to be barred from entering the station premises.

3. All cash transactions to be dis-encouraged. Commuters to use credit or debit cards, e-wallets like Paytm for recharging their smart cards.

The train and metro services were completely shut down with only freight and some special trains made operational during the period of lockdown. The train and metro services were resumed in the unlock phase after the peak of the pandemic in first phase was over in the sub-continent.

The Indian Railways ever since the unlock phase is running special passenger trains in phased manner. The government has issued a list of guidelines, precautions and protocols as SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for passenger movement in these special trains – 1. Only those railway passengers with confirmed e-tickets are allowed to enter the station premises.

4. A new type of smart card, called ‘Autope’, which can be linked with bank accounts, made available for the passengers travelling.

5. Alternate seats to be left vacant and a distance of one metre to be maintained between two persons standing.

6. Trains to halt with all the doors open for a considerable time at terminal stations to allow fresh air to enter the coaches.

7. The temperature inside the coaches to be maintained between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius.

8. QR Code based entry and exit at stations.

2. The passenger movement, as well as the driver of the vehicle transporting the passengers to and fro the station, is permitted on the basis of the confirmed e-ticket.

3. Compulsory screening of all railway passengers and only asymptomatic passengers allowed to enter or board the train.

4. To facilitate thermal screening at the station, passengers to reach the station at-least 90 minutes in advance.

Summary With a steep drop in the number of passengers in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19, the rail sector will need to return to economic health in 2021, but also to prepare for several major challenges for the future (restructuring, safety, attractiveness, carbon footprint, etc.).

5. At all entry and exit points at stations as well as in coaches, all passengers to be provided with hand sanitizers.

6. Mandatory wearing of masks and face covers by passengers at all entries and during the travel.

7. During the train journey, all passengers to maintain social distancing.

8. Health advisories, as well as guidelines, to be circulated by the Railway Ministry through Information, Education and Communication campaign for the staff and passengers.

9. Inside the train, no linen, blankets as well as curtains to be provided. Also, no stalls or booths on the railway station platforms to be opened. Apart from this, no train side vending to be allowed. Passengers encouraged to bring their own food.

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

21

COVER STORY 1) Strengthening the attractiveness of the railways • Ensuring safety, health and hygiene on board and around the trains The recovery of traffic in 2021 is still vague and the experts of the sector bet on a decrease in the use of public transport in the coming months and years amidst a changing nature of the Covid-19 virus.

So, a question arises that how can such a phenomenon be limited, which risks representing a serious loss of income for an entire sector, and at the same time restore the image of public transport, which is currently being wrongly designated as the scapegoat for the contamination.

The priority challenge beyond any doubt will be to raise the level of health safety.

In a world traumatised by COVID-19, operators will have to offer travellers new guarantees and enhance their offers, for example by promoting air filtration solutions, encouraging and facilitating compliance with new onboard hygiene measures or redesigning the spaces in their cars to ensure a comfortable distance between passengers. However, the economic equation remains to be solved, because fewer passengers train bogies or metro cars means additional costs: the players in the value chain will have to be imaginative.

• Improving passenger comfort and connectivity Another fundamental element is the quality perceived by the passengers. If operators wish to attract customers to the trains, they will have to be even more ingenious to make trains even more comfortable and, like planes or cars, ensure that passengers feel a ‘sense of well-being’ from the moment they enter the station to the moment they board the train (materials, layout, electrical sockets, etc.). The objective is to create a “unique customer experience” that is both distinctive and attractive.

This operation to win back customers will also concern business travellers, the profitable segment of the pre-CVID period. This target has largely converted to teleworking in recent months and should certainly continue to limit its journeys, whether they are daily trips (offices, meetings, etc.) or more occasional ones (trade fairs, etc.). To make these professionals want to travel again, the rail sector will have to offer a new level of comfort on board, similar to that of the office or home, which of course requires perfect access to the Internet, with ever-increasing speeds for a smooth flow of video, data and voice, thanks in particular to the introduction of 5G. If operators wish to attract customers back to the train, whether for short, regional, intercity or long international journeys, in competition with air travel, 5G is a must. Travellers on trains and metros today need to be permanently connected, without interruption.

(2) Digitalising Rail Transport • To increase line capacity Increasing the capacity of ‘mass transport’ will be the only way to meet the growing urbanisation challenge in the long term and the resulting road congestion. However, one way to increase this capacity on existing or new railway lines is to increase the frequency of trains. To do this, digitalisation is key: it allows the

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

train to calculate and optimise its emergency stopping distance with the one in front of it. The distance between successive trains is then reduced in complete safety for passengers, and the use and capacity of the line are increased.

As an example, Europe is harmonising its rail signalling with the ERTMS (European Railways Traffic Management System), which is based on digital technologies, with the aim of not only promoting interoperability between countries, but also increasing transport capacity, both regionally, nationally and internationally, by increasing the number of trains per hour. In addition to this, operators like SNCF are testing semi-automatic to automatic driving modes, freeing themselves from manual modes (Grade of Automations: GoA 3 and 4).

In urban areas, we see the same trend: for example, instead of having one metro every 3 minutes on the same line, the rate changes to a metro every 2 minutes or even less. Automation is then necessary, as manual mode does not allow these frequencies. Line 14 of the Paris metro is an example of this.

In the long term, train automation will for sure increase availability and reduce operating costs, even if the investments are substantial and must be amortised over long periods.

• To improve train availability while lowering costs The availability of trains is closely linked to the reliability of their components and the day-to-day ‘health’ of their components (brakes, etc.). Thanks to the development of onboard sensors and the Internet of Things, that it is possible today to obtain real-time diagnoses of the train’s state of health, to predict failures, and therefore to organise cost-effective preventive maintenance, rather than more costly corrective maintenance, or even to manage an on-line stop.

• Modelling is also becoming essential for anticipating, forecasting and defining the behaviour to be adopted during the life cycle of the train: digital twins of the physical trains can be subjected to operational scenarios without physical tests.

This is also a significant cost reduction area, with methodologies already in use in the automotive sector.

• Train availability also depends on the availability of spare parts.

Here, 3D printing technology has an important role to play, in the case of supply chain disruptions, or implementation or delivery that are incompatible with short response times.

• Finally, Digital with ‘Factory 4.0’ inspires the renovation and construction of efficient and modern maintenance workshops.

In the context of an increased competition linked to the liberalisation of the sector, in progress or to come depending on the country: the robotisation of maintenance operations is being studied, promoted and financed by European programmes. The operating cost of a train being 40% linked to its maintenance over the 35-year life of the equipment, it is easy to understand the economic contribution of digital technology.

(3.) Designing ever more virtuous trains The pandemic has reinforced the conviction of politicians that the mode of rail transport for passengers as well as for goods remains one of the most environmentally friendly and respectful for the planet in terms of the volume transported www.metrorailnews.in

COVER STORY per unit of time. Indeed, at least three times less polluting than road transport, rail can already claim its place at the top of the ranking of the most environmentally sustainable modes of transport, whether for the transport of people or goods. That said, the sector must continue its efforts to further improve the environmental footprint over the entire life cycle of rolling stock and the infrastructures that support it at an acceptable cost to society.

Then new fuels with a promising carbon footprint compared to fossil fuels have moved from experimentation to commercialisation, such as Alstom’s Hydrogen iLint train, or prototypes running on liquefied natural gas being tested in Spain. Hydrogen fuel cells, as a source of electricity on board and discharging only water as a waste product, are enjoying great media visibility and a major investment by the railway industry. At the European level, countries such as France and Germany have thus released budgets of several billion euros to support the development of the hydrogen sector.

Implementing hydrogen fuel in the rail sector is not only about integrating a new propulsion mode on board new trains, or renovating existing fleets. The rail sector must also think in a systemic way about the deployment of hydrogen production and supply chains adapted to its needs. It must do so in coordination with other sectors of industry, which are more demanding, in order to lower and share the costs.

Conclusion Globally, rail traffic has been heavily affected by Covid-19.

Therefore, it is important that governments ensure that rail stays competitive post-pandemic. Many new routines have been implemented and new technology has been developed.

The Covid-19 pandemic is most likely have effects on rail and metro for many years to come. One possible long-term consequence is the use of new materials and different designs.

Material where viruses can live for a longer period could be substituted with other materials with better antiviral properties.

There is also a possibility to rebuild trains to increase the social distancing and incorporate modular design so that the operators can use trains for other transportation needs in time of crisis.

However, it’s also important to mention that a solution implemented in one country may not be desirable in another country. There may be clear disadvantages of a successful innovation or piloting in a country not being that feasible with another nation.

Hence, continued efforts needs to made to reach on a uniform system to ensure passenger traffic in rail and metros across the globe and restore their confidence to travel in public transport with ease and safety.

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23

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

In a Conversation with Mr. Sanjeev Sachdev, Managing Director of Toshi Automatic Systems Pvt. Ltd. Mr. Sanjeev Sachdev, Managing Director of Toshi Automatic Systems Pvt. Ltd. was invited by Mr. Narendra Shah, Managing Editor of Metro Rail News Magazine for a live interview on LinkedIn to discuss the challenges faced by small & medium sized Indian companies regarding their inability to participate in Metro tenders.

The terms and conditions under the participation criteria for Metro tenders set by the government hinder the ability of Indian SMEs to prove their capabilities and play in the big leagues, despite major initiatives such as ‘Make In India’, ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat - Self-Reliant India’, and ‘Vocal for Local’ being advocated across the nation.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Q. Do you want any change in the Metro Tenders terms and conditions, so that Indian companies can participate as well?

Speaking on behalf of the entire automation industry, and not as Sanjeev Sachdev or as a managing director, Mr. Sanjeev said that despite the introduction of the automation industry over 30 years ago in the Indian market, the industry players still struggle to place a small step into the Metro domain. Mr. Sanjeev believes that things are changing for good and initiatives such as ‘Make In India’, Atmanirbhar Bharat - Self-Reliant India’, and ‘Vocal for Local’ that are being advocated have the power to change the ecosystem of businesses across the country. However, for these initiatives to deliver their true potential, they need to be promoted as more than just words, and every decision-maker needs to realise the true value of these campaigns.

With over 30 years of experience in the automation industry, Mr. Sanjeev talked about his first BRTS opportunity in 2010, when Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The Ahmedabad BRTS project was the first project to have authorised only Indian companies to participate.

And since its incorporation, every BRTS project completed by the domestic companies has operated successfully till date. Using the Ahmedabad BRTS example, Mr. Sanjeev describes BRTS as a form of “Metro on the Road”, especially since the concept functions on similar

24

METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

Mr. Sanjeev Sachdev Managing Director Toshi Automatic Systems Pvt. Ltd.

RFID technology (Radio Frequency Identification) that comprises two main components - tags and readers. The RFID technology allows safe and automatic identification and communication of data that controls timely opening and closing of platform screen doors (PSD), as soon as a metro or bus arrives at the station ensuring safe boarding and deboarding of multiple passengers at once.

To conclude, he stated that if Toshi Automatic Systems Pvt. Ltd. and other Indian companies have successfully executed several BRTS projects around India - which are based on similar RFID technology used in Metro - why are only forgein companies allowed to participate in metro projects? Moreover, if bigger companies who have completed railway projects in the past are not eligible, it is impossible for SMEs to even be

considered for such projects. Mr. Sanjeev further expressed that Indian SMEs are restricted to carry out small tasks such as fabrication, material handling, digging, etc. but intellectually advanced tasks involving software development and machine manufacturing are limited to foreign companies, which is leading to wasted potential amongst domestic automation companies and costing the government a lot higher. Therefore, the intent and trust needs to be altered in favour of Indian companies, to allow them to prove their capabilities.

Q. Do you think pre-engagement before the contract with the Metro operators promotes speedy work?

Complimenting Mr. Shah for putting forward a good question, Mr. Sanjeev expressed that such an interaction www.metrorailnews.in

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW between the two parties can encourage trust towards each other as well as in oneself to deliver a project to the best of one’s capabilities. Moreover, simply participating and executing a project based on the pre-written contracts can potentially lead to miscommunication. However, interaction between the business provider and the business receiver prior to the official contract allows both parties to understand the business and its requirements on a deeper level, which eliminates the possibility for mistakes such as wastage of material, time, and efforts. This in turn, promotes speedy as well as quality work.

Q. What is the main roadblock to implement ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat - Self-reliant India’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives in the long run?

Mr. Sanjeev said that change has been more evident in the past 3 years than it has in the past 30 years, and so far, it has been a good change. He explained that in the time span of his working experience as a Managing Director as well as the President of the Industrial Area Manufacturing Association in Ghaziabad, where he directly represents over 500 industries in the area and over 8,000 industries indirectly, Mr. Sanjeev has seen the change from how these industries moved from being manufacturers to being importers for Chinese businesses, to once again becoming manufacturers in their field after approximately two decades. After working with Chinese companies for so many years, he guarantees that with the technology, talent, and resources that Indian businesses have, they can become true competitors to China. While Chinese industries base their pricing on European markets and standards, they have high margins. However, if India once again dominates the manufacturing sector, it will only have higher profit margins for similar quality of products, but will also realise the true potential of its people, its industries, and its trust in the ability to become self-reliant.

In the past year, since the on-going pandemic brought the world to a standstill, businesses were immensely affected. However, this duration also allowed many companies to introspect and restructure their businesses to survive

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and eventually thrive. He discussed that Indian companies reliant on China for manufactured goods had to deal with losses caused due to high freight costs, delays in delivery, and shortage of materials. On the contrary, if Indian companies had simply been reliant on domestic businesses, they could have minimised their losses, promoted local businesses, and saved the nation’s economy.

Within the last two years, Mr. Sanjeev set up a manufacturing unit for Toshi Automatic Systems Pvt. Ltd. and according to his calculations for one of the products he manufactured, the cost of production was calculated to be only 8% higher than the cost of production from China for the same product. However, as the world attempts to achieve normality again, and once mass production starts to meet economies of scale, the cost of production is likely to be 10% cheaper than Chinese counterparts. Furthermore, taking into account the significant rise in the cost of steel - a primary component for production of automation products, an 8% higher cost is rather insignificant, especially since the delivery time is more than halved due to faster local deliveries as compared to overseas deliveries from China.

Q. With so many policies and initiatives like ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat - Self-reliant

India’ and ‘Make in India’ by the government, why are there limited Indian companies manufacturing PSD and AFC Systems?

Mr. Sanjeev terms this notion as an eye-wash since he believes that many foreign companies have opened Indian subsidiaries and by doing so, they are benefiting from lower cost of production and compromised quality, while they continue to enjoy higher profits. And as discussed earlier, since such foreign subsidiaries are more likely to get tenders for Metro and Airport projects, originally Indian companies lose out on the chance to participate at the same level. To further his point, Mr. Sanjeev gives an example that by relying on Chinese companies for PSDs and AFC Gates that are imported to India, the local manufacturers do not get a chance to sell their own products. And lack of business for local SMEs hinders their ability to generate profits to further invest in R&D and production. Therefore, it creates a vicious cycle that obstructs growth potential for the Indian economy.

Mr. Sanjeev recalls that such initiatives started off great, because when Toshi Automatic Systems Pvt. Ltd. was given the opportunity to work with a leading PSU, which had been assigned to develop NCMC gate in India in 2017. Mr. Sanjeev had approached the U.P. government for the same project to propose the manufacturing of these NCMC systems METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

25

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

under the Make-In-India initiative. The U.P. Government supported the idea well and assisted Toshi Automatic Systems Pvt. Ltd. to set up the manufacturing unit and get all required certifications to initiate the process. However, while the project was implemented successfully, Mr. Sanjeev’s company has received no further orders for the NCMC systems since then. And despite approaching pre-existing companies across China, Korea, Europe, etc. no company allowed an Indian manufacturer to enter a partnership and no efforts were made by the government to promote the same.

using the RFID Technology. However, Mr. Sanjeev is struggling to find a supplier willing to provide motors and standard raw materials due to foreign companies’ hesitance in supporting Indian companies. While Mr. Sanjeev delivers this request with utmost respect for the government and foreign companies operating in India, he asks them to trust and support domestic industries like Toshi Automatic Systems Pvt. Ltd. and give them a chance to showcase their credibility, after 30 years of experience in the industry.

Q. How has Toshi Automatic Systems Pvt. Ltd. helped the government in Metro and Rail projects in the past?

GUEST QUESTIONS

Mr. Sanjeev declared that in the last 9 years, Toshi Automatic Systems has provided over 900 doors for BRTS and has been maintaining and servicing these gates since then. After completing DLP and O&M, Toshi Automatic Systems is currently under CAMC. In 2020, Toshi Automatic Systems Pvt. Ltd. developed a prototype model of PSD for Metro

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

Q. What is the future possibility for growth of bullet train projects in India?

Mr. Sanjeev believes that the possibility of growth is immense since the cost of production is low, resources are ample, and opportunities are endless. The manner in which airports are expanding and metros are developing, high speed & low cost solutions are needed to meet the rising demand. And once reliance

on Indian industries increases, every dependent SME is bound to benefit from this newly localised ecosystem under the ‘Make-In-India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.

Q. What is the future of privatisation of railways and will it happen?

Mr. Sanjeev relates this question as a transformational change since he believes that privatization is the key to restructure the entire industrial ecosystem since it promotes competition, which in turn, gives way to creativity and innovation at a low cost. He raises the question that if China can do that, then why not India?

Mr. Sanjeev states that dependence on foreign companies for such projects is not a one-time investment since it involves recurring cost of maintenance and service - an excessive cost that can be minimised through local companies.

•••

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Delhi-Meerut Rapid Rail to be Operational From 2023: Vinay Kumar Singh The Delhi-Meerut Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS), a joint venture of the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government worth Rs 30,274 crore, would begin operations by March 2023. According to the National Capital Region Transport Corporation, preparations are going on to operationalise 17 km stretch of the total 82.15 km long corridor by March 2023.

In a recent media interaction NCRTC MD Vinay Kumar Singh said we expect about 8 lakh passengers are likely to travel daily

by Rapid Rail. The architecture and design work for the 17 km long priority section from Sahibabad to Duhai covering five stations Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai and Duhai depots, have been finalized. The construction work is in advanced stage. Covid-19 put brakes on all activities due to this the work of rapid rail also affected.

The UP government has allocated Rs 1,326 crore for the project in the current financial year. According to the officials of RRTS project, 24 stations will be built along the entire corridor.

Here are the extracts from the interview Q1: What is the status of construction of Rapid Rail between Delhi and Meerut?

Ans: The construction work is going on in full swing on this route. A large number of pillars have been prepared in the UP part. Tunnel construction work in Delhi’s Anand Vihar will start soon. Our target is that in March 2023, rapid rail will start running on 17 km of this corridor and gradually its sections will be opened. In 2025, passengers of Delhi will be able to reach Meerut in an hour by Rapid Rail. We estimate that in 2025, 8 lakh passengers will travel daily on Rapid Rail.

Q2: Work stopped due to Covid, has it affected the construction? Will the cost also increase?

Ans: The work was stopped during Covid.

At that time oxygen was being supplied for Kovid patients, so oxygen supply was stopped for construction works. But now we have time to start this entire line, so it should be expected that if there is no major hurdle, then the rapid rail will

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

Vinay Kumar Singh Managing director

National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC)

www.metrorailnews.in

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

run on time. As far as cost escalation is concerned, it will be finalized only when the project is completed.

Q3: Due to Covid, all the metro companies of the country are stuck in financial crisis. The average cost of construction of Rapid Rail is also around Rs 370 crore/km, so what is the preparation for Rapid Rail not to face any crisis?

Ans: We will focus on reducing cost.

Many metros are currently handing over some work to private companies, so that the cost can be reduced. To reduce the cost, we will also give the responsibility of running the Rapid Rail operations to a private company so that the expenses can be reduced. For this, we will find good companies and have a detailed agreement with them so that there is no inconvenience to the passengers. Apart from this, we will also keep a backup plan so that if the agency faces any problem, the speed of Rapid Rail does not stop.

Q4: But there will also be safety concerns in this and the fare burden will not increase on the passengers? What is the estimate of how much the Rapid www.metrorailnews.in

Rail fare will be?

Ans: How will the new system evolve if we do not do any experiments? Well, for safety, we are making a foolproof plan.

Metro Act will be applicable on Rapid Rail also. Just as there are strict rules of safety and security in it, so will it be here too.

As far as the fare is concerned, according to the DPR estimate, the fare will be around Rs 2 a km. The private agency will not have the right to increase the rent later. Like the Metro, the fare committee will decide, which is formed under the chairmanship of the judge.

Q5: Will there be any arrangement like feeder bus for Rapid Rail?

Ans: Talks are going on in UP for feeder buses. In Delhi, we are doing integrated planning. Our Meerut line in Delhi will connect with bus stands and metro stations at two places so that the passenger does not face any problem for onward journey by getting off the rapid rail. Similarly, we are making such arrangements for Alwar line also. The Alwar line will also connect to INA, Munirka and Aerocity metro stations in Delhi. Similarly, the station of Panipat

line will be connected to the Kashmiri Gate metro station. In the coming times, overall there will be rapid rail connectivity on 7 out of 8 lines of Delhi Metro. Apart from this, passengers will not have to take separate tickets for the fare. With the same card, you will be able to travel in Metro, Rapid Rail.

Q6: What is the status of Alwar and Panipat line of Rapid Rail?

Ans: We have got approval from the Government of Haryana and Delhi for the 106 km route from Sarai Kale Khan to SNB for the Rapid Rail to be built from Sarai Kale Khan to Alwar. It is expected that soon the central government will also give its approval. At present, we are doing pre-construction work so that after getting the approval, it does not take much time to start the construction work.

The DPR of Panipat line has also been prepared.

(Based on the recent conversation with Gulshan Rai Khatri, NBT)

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

In a Conversation with Mr. Sudhanshu Mani, ex-General Manager, Integral Coach Factory, Chennai Metro Rail News team conducts an email interview with Mr. Sudhanshu Mani Mani, ex-General Manager, Integral Coach Factory, Chennai. on the launch of his book” My Train 18 Story. Here are edited excerpts: Q.1. First of all many congratulations for you book ‘My Train 18 Story’. How would you like to refer your book An autobiography, a motivational facsimile or an experience document for engineers, technocrats and servicemen in railways?

Although, I would not like to label it as something but I would primarily call it a tribute to the great team of ICF, to recount those amazing days as my colleagues there designed and built the train. You see, I started writing this book after my retirement but was soon a little disillusioned as some negativity engulfed the project and many of the team members seemed to be taking the brunt. But I soon realized that that the heroes of this novel endeavour should not go unknown and unsung. I resumed writing as I considered it my duty to convey to my countrymen that a thousand such projects could bloom in the country; all it needs is courage, passion, sense of purpose and resolve in the leadership. Negativity may come and go but the story must be told. So in way, the book is also an attempt at motivating innovations.

Q.2. No doubt ICF developed the first semi high speed train of the country in record time. But, don’t you think in a fast transforming world and in a quest of development of trains like Maglev, Shinkasen, Talgo and Eurostar the achievement still is much to be worked upon?

Absolutely. This is a first baby step. We have to cover a lot of ground but one can do bigger things only if one tries.

Our problem is not lack of talent and creativity, the problem is lack of attempts and risk-taking. Train 18 was a successful attempt at breaking the “more of the same” mould.

Q.3. Train 18 or Vande Bharat Express is a replacement of Shatabdi Group of Trains. Do you think it was a much

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

Mr. Sudhanshu Mani Mani Ex-General Manager, Integral Coach Factory, Chennai

www.metrorailnews.in

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW required step to be taken? Why a need for replacing well established Shatabdi group of trains that too when Gatimaan Express (a Shatabdi Group train) achieved the feat of being the fastest train in the country way back in 2016 only? In what ways Vande Bharat express is an improvement? Can’t Gatmaan, Shatabdi and Rajdhani group of trains modified to run at a speed Vande Bharat is running presently?

It is not bout speed capability alone. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Due to its characteristics, particularly acceleration and deceleration profile, Train 18 has shaved off 2 hours of travel time between Delhi and Varanasi. It can shave off considerable travel time on all Shatabdis and Rajdhanis. This in addition to better passenger amenities and comforts.

Other advantages are superior energyefficiency (because only 16 rolling stocks replace 19/20 of them in a conventional train on apple-to-apple comparison), no requirement of locomotive reversal, ease of maintenance, all in one depot and so on. We have not reinvented the wheel, train sets are decidedly superior to locohauled trains the world-over.

Q.4. Is there any plan railway has for the replacement of more trustworthy and fine sleeper class travel option available today for the Rajdhani group of Trains?

Do you think there is a need as such?

How would you see a sleeper version of Train 18 / Vande Bharat Express if it is to be developed? In what ways it can be different from the successfully previously running the Rajdhani, Doronto, Samparka and August Kranti group of trains?

There was a clear plan to make a Rajdhani type sleeper version of Train 18 in 2019. But after I retired, since the project itself was halted, no work was done on this design.

Train 18 has the capability to make DelhiMumbai and Delhi-Howrah journeys truly overnight in 12/13 hours. Needless to add but the Sleeper version of Train 18 would be far superior to the existing Rajdhani and other trains in terms of cutting down of travel time, energy-efficiency and passengers’ comfort.

Q.5. Don’t you think in a quest of speed and luxury in form of Bullet trains, Vande Bharat, Tejas express etc. the burning issues of overcrowded mail

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and express trains in the country, pathetic condition of passenger and general trains, wait listing etc. seems to remain much behind and unanswered in an underdeveloped country like ours habituated by much poor and middle income grouped people?

Speed would help everyone, poorest to the richest. As for luxury, yes, unnecessary luxury should be confined to the highest class only but gradually, we must picture air-conditioning as something which should be available to common people too. Look at where India should be in 2040 and it is not inconceivable that AC travel would be affordable for common people too. I agree that the issue of overcrowding and the pathetic condition of general trains should be addressed with some increase in fares which would still be below the fare for matching services in buses.

Q.6. How do you see Indian railways 10 years from now? What can we expect A network of Shinkasen or Bullet trains connecting every major city of the country or nation’s own indigenously developed Vande Bharat express cruising and connecting all major railway stations with an equal care and concern for the underprivileged and economically poor sections of the society?

I will tell you of what I would like to see 10 years from now, which may not necessarily happen but I believe in the India story which is still nascent and somewhat misguided. Yes, a network of high-speed trains connecting major cities and indigenous Train18/Train 18like train sets operating at 200 km/h connecting all major railway stations with good and affordable travel for all sections of society.

Q.7. You have already made significant contribution to rail transport in the country as a senior railway official.

What are your plans further if any other than knowledge sharing through documentation, book writing etc.?

As Shakespeare said, through Cressida in Troilus and Cressida, “things won are done, joy’s soul lies in the doing”, it was sheer pleasure to work with the team in ICF, and earlier too in my other postings, to attempt to give to the country something of value. After retirement, I am again engaged with things which give me joy. Although I am happy being a consultant, it pays well but I am happier doing other things which do not pay at all. Like playing the role of a motivational speaker in gatherings of young and old, writing, anchoring programmes on Youtube on current affairs and literature, promoting visual arts and so on. And yes, to complete the answer, I am ever willing METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

31

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW to part with the little knowledge I have or share my experiences and I will continue to write books. And remember that there is always a lot do, as Iqbal said:

“Sitaron se aage

jahan aur bhi hain Ishq ke imtihan aur bhi hain ”

(There is world beyond the stars and many inquests of love that I still have to go through.)

Q.8 What would be your message to young minds getting into railway engineering or transport services?

As a mentor what would be your expectations from them and your tips to learn?

Very simple: Indian Railways is a great field to work in, engineering or otherwise,

and offers a great canvas to do things.

I also believe that this sector is going to see much better days so I would expect them to stay put and contribute.

Q.9. Last but not the least we shall like to know about your views about Metro Rail News and message for our readers?

Metro Rail News is undoubtedly doing great work in the Railway and Metro space through its publications, workshops and exhibitions. Since it is serving a great purpose, I would encourage readers and industry to support it so it can do even better in future.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Mr. V. R. Sharma, MD, JSPL Recommended Galvanized Rails for Indian Railways We have with us M.D of J.S.P.L Mr. Vidya Rattan Sharma. Mr. V. R. Sharma is a leading Technocrat with more than 37 years of experience in the Steel, Power, Cement, and Mining industries. He is currently working as the Managing Director of Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL), One of India’s leading conglomerates with Steel, Power, Mining, and Infrastructure interests.

Welcome Sir, to our One 2 One interview session.

J.S.P.L has envisaged to scale up steelmaking capacity from 8.5 million tonnes to approx. 25.2 million tonnes by 2030. Can you tell us how you will proceed with this? Are you going to raise funds for this, any CAPEX? Mr. V R Sharma: We have 8.5 million tonnes of capacity; we want to reach 12 million tonnes in a couple of years— another addition of 3.6 million tonnes.

We have taken the first step to increase capacity from 8.5 million tonnes to 12 million tonnes, and for that, we will invest 18 thousand crore rupees in the next three years. As far as funding is concerned, we have the arrangement from Indian banks.

Also, we are exploring the possibility of taking a foreign loan in the form of ECA (Export Credit Assurance). We are very sure that this will be a financial and banking arrangement only. All of the funding will be from our own approvals. You know the banking system has to come into picture.

We are taking support from banks. We are planning to make a profit of 6000 to 7000 crores per year. This profit will be uploaded to the business.

In the process of production of steel, there is huge carbon emission? How you will manage carbon emission in the future as you will reach the production of 25.2 MTPA. of steel.

Mr. Sharma: We are serious about the Carbon emission issue. We are going to adhere to the Indian central pollution control board and the ministry of environment. So Whatever technology is to be brought into the country or whatever technology is to be adopted, we will adapt. We will not violate the norms laid by the government of India. www.metrorailnews.in

Mr. V. R. Sharma Managing Director Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. (JSPL)

METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

33

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

So this is our main objective; the government of India has a very specific terminology on how much CO2 can be emitted in steel companies. All norms are set, and perhaps Indian standards are among the best in the world. So as far as the total standards are concerned. We will follow all of the standards which are mentioned by the government of India.

construction activities or MSME’s production will definitely pick up pace.

After the Pandemic, the construction activities have started back to normal, but Why is Domestic demand not picking up? What do you think?

Mr. Sharma: The international scenario of steel is very bullish. International prices are very high, and the spot market prices are also very high. The reason is that the input cost of steel has increased.

Iron Ore, coking coal, everything has increased. So whatever we see today is a result of an increase in the input cost.

Yes, of course, for the spot market is input level. The prices are much higher than the domestic market in India. There is a gap of about 6 to 7 thousand rupee minimum in the imported price into India versus the domestic steel. The steel sold in the country is cheaper than imported steel. So there is no point importing steel in the country, and the domestic market is fulfilling the requirement of the local Industry at a lower price than the international price. As far as the question of what is going to happen in one year

Mr. Sharma: After the Pandemic, the construction activities have not yet started fully because most people and workers have gone back to their hometowns. Now the government of India has decided that they will vaccinate all of the people aged more than 18 years.

I think once they take the first injection of the first dose and the second dose.

After 84 days, they will return to work, and the construction activities will gain momentum. The workers working in MSME’s are coming back gradually. So this will take another 30 to 40 days.

I Hope at the end of September,

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

There has been a sudden increase in the cost of steel products in the last one and a half years. Also, there is a correction going on. Do you see there will be furthermore correction in price across all products in this year or coming year?

or two years of time, It’s very difficult to predict. If the raw material prices come down then the steel prices may go down.

The major raw materials are iron ore and coking coal. If the price of Iron ore and coking coal will go up, then surely the steel prices will increase.

What potential does JSPL see as a private player in the rail business? Will there be any changes in the policies as far as foreign vendors are concerned or domestic vendors to get preference. Do you want any change in current policies or the unchanged policies are fit for the business?

Mr. Sharma: Yes, you are right; we are the only producer of specialty rail in the country today like 1080 head hardened rails, JSPL is the only company that is manufacturing 1175 Heat Treated rails. We also have asymmetric rails for the Indian railway and the entire railway system. In this context, we request a small change in the buying behaviour of most of the departments. For example, the housing and urban development authority, who are clearing the materials for rails and metro rails and also from Indian railways know that we are already qualified as a www.metrorailnews.in

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW experience of two years or three years for this particular product. That is unfair.

Talking about High-speed rail project, In MumbaiAhmedabad rail project, what is the major Role of JSPL? Are you exploring opportunities in this?

rail supplier now In some of the tenders they mention that we should have experience of two years or three years or five years or seven years before they buy rail from This is contrary to the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign launched by the honourable prime minister. We cannot have Atma Nirbhar Bharat after seven years.

We have to start making Atmanirbhar Bharat today when our quality is far better than Europeans and when all the inspection is done by RITES or RDSO as per their norms. So why this particular barrier I mean, the criteria experience of two years, three years,/four years,/ seven years. So it is counterproductive and detrimental to the interest of the country.

This is against the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Policy defined by India’s government.

The Honourable Prime Minister is urging us to make India Atmanirbhar Today, not after ten years. There’s a huge difference.

So I request and urge all the government departments to give us clearance and start sourcing from us.

They will have benefits of price, delivery of overall services level and better quality of products, or better quality of rail than what we import today. We guarantee that our rails will be much better, They can get it tested anywhere in the world.

Our rails are much better than many rails www.metrorailnews.in

being imported in the country.

R.D.S.O. has approved your three grades, so are you planning to launch some new product or any new categories?

Mr. Sharma: We are going to launch only one more grade that is galvanized rails, within the next 12 to 15 months.

This will also be a new product for the Indian government or Indian railway. For instance, in coastal areas or where there is heavy rain, railways can use galvanized rails. We will be really happy if the entire railway uses galvanized rail to increase the rail life 3 to 4 times. Today if the rail life is five years, we can increase the life of rails by about 15 to 20 years. This will also help in cutting down the overall expenses on buying the rails. So the government will also gain, and the country will also gain because replacement cost is always very high.

This is the only product we would want to bring out within one and half years. Otherwise, if any other rail grade the government of India asks, we can definitely produce all those rails for their requirement because rail is not a commodity. Rail is to be used by Indian Railways or metro rails. If they need some special rail, we can do it, but the problem here is if we produce some rail, they should not tell you not to have an

Mr. Sharma: There are two kinds of projects one is funded by the government of India the other is funded by foreign governments like Japan, Korea or any other. The countries or people funding any project put a condition to buy the rails from them. We urge the government of India that we do not accept such a condition from them and they should allow the Indian Rails to come in the railway track then only we can make India Atma Nirbhar. This signaling system, the electrical system, maybe specialty engines they can import, but all other items made of steel should be built in India under the Make in India Program than India becomes only Atma Nirbhar.

They should allow the Indian supplier to come forward, of course; the quality has to be perfect.

How much steel are you planning to produce this year?

Mr. Sharma: We will produce 8.5 million tonnes.i.e. 85 Lakh ton.

Do you feel there is much opportunity lying for you as a company to grow in Rail - Business?

Mr. Sharma: No, I don’t think that there are big opportunities in the rail business because the government of India plans to buy 1.7 million tons which they were thinking two years back that is not coming true. So It’s not practical for them today for some reason. They are buying a quantity about 1.2 million tons, and we make all the grades but they have not given us the order. So we are expecting that Indian railways should give us the order this year. We should be treated as a reliable source, and they should give us the order. Yes, Metro Rail has given us the order, but they are limited to 20% of the total order value. We expect that

METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

35

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW for our viewers and your stakeholder?

Mr. Sharma: Whatever is in the prime minister’s mind or whatever is in the mind of the steel minister that should be fulfilled, i.e., making India Atmanirbhar Bharat Today, not after ten years.

Tell us about your debt reduction plan?

Mr. Sharma: We were at a level of about 45,000 crores of debt in 2016-17. Today, our debt level is 20,000 crore. We will bring it down into four figures, i.e. below 9,999 Cr in the next financial year.

they should give 100% order because any other company does not make those rail 1080 rails. There is no competition in those rails. So I urge Indian railway to start using 1080 grade and 1175 grade, a fresh so that a level playing field is available between their existing supplier and J.S.P.L.

Please briefly describe which rails & metro product JSPL is focussing on right now?

That was Mr. V.R. Sharma, sharing with us all the insight of J.S.P.L and other opportunities. It was a pleasure talking to you, sir. Thank you for this One 2 One interview with Metro Rail News

Mr. Sharma: 1080 Head Hardened Rail Is there anything you would like to add

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RAILWAY NEWS

Electrifying Indian Railway Network: PM Modi Inaugurates newly electrified Surendranagar Pipavav Railway line with High-Rise OHE

P

rime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually inaugurated and dedicated to the nation several key projects of the Railways in Gujarat on July 16, 2021. One of these projects include the newly-electrified 266 RKM Surendranagar-Pipavav section which has been electrified by the Railways team of Kalpataru Power Transmission Limited, one of India’s leading player in the Railway EPC space. PM Modi made special mention of the fast-track Execution of this Project.

This line provides port connectivity and also acts as a feeder route to Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC). The entire line is electrified on High-Rise OHE facilitating the movement of double stack container trains for the first time in the history.

The project will provide seamless freight movement from Palanpur, Ahmedabad, and other parts of the country up to Pipavav Port. It will also decongest Ahmedabad, Viramgam and Surendranagar Yards due to avoidance of

detentions for loco change over.

It is worthwhile to mention that, in the state of Gujarat, KPTL is executing 12 Railway Electrification projects totaling around 2000 Track KMs and contributing significantly to the Mission “100% Electrification of India”. “ It feels great when the hard work of your Team is appreciated and that too at the highest level, we are thankful to Indian Railways and CORE for giving us this opportunity. Our team is working on 12 Railway projects in the state of Gujarat and we are sure our team will achieve many more such milestones in near future ” said Mr. Rakesh Gaur, Head of Rail Business, Kalpataru Power Transmission Limited while speaking to Metro Rail News.

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•••

METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

37

PROJECT OF THE MONTH

Jammu – Srinagar Metro

The Srinagar Metro is a projected rapid transit system for the city of Srinagar in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir.

The Srinagar Metro's designs have been finalised, with construction slated to begin in 2020. Two routes will be included in the planned network. Each corridor of the Srinagar metro would feature 12 stations, with a total cost of approximately 5,000 crore anticipated.

E Sreedharan, a former Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) chief titled 'Metro Man,' has been appointed project head.

History The state government of Jammu and Kashmir intends to establish a metro rail system in the cities of Srinagar and Jammu, which serve as the state's summer and winter capitals, respectively.

The government has contracted with RITES, an infrastructure development firm, to undertake a traffic analysis.

The government intends to contact the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for a comprehensive study of the project's feasibility and financial sustainability.

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

Jammu, Srinagar to get metro rail soon The Jammu Light metro System will have a 23-kilometre length with 22 stations between Bantalab and Bari Brahmana whereas Srinagar Light Rail System will have a 25-kilometre length.

The Jammu Light Rail System would be 23 kilometres long with 22 stations between Bantalab and Bari Brahmana, whereas the Srinagar Light Rail System will be 25 kilometres long with 12.5 kilometres from Indira Nagar to HMT Junction and 12.5 kilometres from Hazuri Bagh to Osmanabad with 24 stations (12 stations on each corridor.

The cost of the metro rail projects in Srinagar and Jammu is estimated to be Rs 10,559 crore. According to authorities, RITES has filed the final comprehensive project reports for the projects' anticipated completion by the end of 2024. Srinagar and Jammu would become the country's first two non-major cities to have a functional rapid transit network once the projects are finished.

According to the plan, Jammu's light metro transit system would operate 17 hours daily throughout the year. In Srinagar, it will operate 17 hours daily during the summer and 14 hours daily during the winter.

Basic Info Srinagar Light Metro (Metrolite) with two lines and 24 stations is a light rail transit (LRT) system proposed for construction in Srinagar by the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir's Housing and Urban Development Department.

In February 2020, the union territory's Administrative Council authorised in principle the engagement of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to assist with the evaluation and approval of the central government's Phase 1 project's Detailed Project Report (DPR) and any potential external finance.

www.metrorailnews.in

PROJECT OF THE MONTH Srinagar Metro Phase 1 Routes Line-1 – Indra Nagar – HMT Junction (12.5 km) • Type: Elevated • Depot: HMT Junction • Stations (12): HMT Junction, Parimpora, Bus Stand, Qamarwari, Gagarzoo, Rathpora, Batmaloo, Secretariat, Lal Chowk, Munshi Bagh, Sonwar, Indiranagar • Note: This line is planned to be extended to Pampore Bus-stand in Phase 2 Line-2 – Hazuri Bagh – Osmanabad (12.5 km) • Type: Elevated • Depot: Osmanabad • Stations (12): Osmanabad, Hazratbal Crossing, Soura, SKIMS, Nalbal Chowk, Jama Masjid, Khaniyar, Nowpara, Munshi Bagh, Hazoori Bagh • Note: This line is planned to be extended to Srinagar Airport in Phase 2

Not only would the elevated Metro Rail System benefit the public, but it will also have a favourable effect on the economy and quality of life.

by Divisional Commissioner – 19 July 2021 RITES submits final DPR of Rs 10,559 crore Jammu and Srinagar Metro Projects – 12 June 2021

Updates:-

A Long Wait for the Proposed Light Rail System of Jammu & Srinagar – 29 October 2020

DPR of Jammu Metrolite Project reviewed

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BOOK REVIEW

Book Review My Train 18 Story Book Title: My Train 18 Story Authored By: Sudhanshu Mani Language: English Publisher: Kiva Prakashan, Lucknow Lunch Date: June 1, 2021 Price: Rs 295 /- (Paperback), Rs 895/- (Hard Cover) Overall Rating:

4.5

Review By: Narendra Shah, Managing Editor, Metro Rail News

T

he book written by Mr. Sudhanshu Mani “My Train 18 Story” takes the readers into a wonderful journey of development of first semi high speed train of the country – Vande Bharat Express alias Train 18.

intact. The writer has made honest efforts to bring forth the various aspects of big institutions and government departments in the country but that laced with interesting anecdotes makes it very interesting.

The 16-coach rolling stock designed, developed, conceptualized and manufactured in a record time of 18 months at Integral Coach Factory (ICF ), as against industry standards of 3 to 4 years, under the leadership of Mr. Sudhanshu Mani at Chennai as the GM/ICF, is truly an inspirational story which motivates and encourages the readers to help them develop a fervour for tasks and roles not taken up previously.

The Paperback version of the book published by Kiva Publication is fairly priced at Rs. 295/- for general readers and the hardcover version at Rs 895/- is a good buy for institutional libraries.

•••

It is a good read book, definitely, for those young minds, technocrats and leaders who are deprived of any policy papers or guided path towards indigenous products of value to the country and to follow their dreams with conviction. It is a story about dreaming big, it is a story about leading the way, it is a story about setting a tradition and laying a path to be followed by millions and generations to come.

“My Train 18 Story” has all the makings of a bestseller. The best part of the book is that it is written in very simple words devoid of any technical jargons or complexities making it simple to be understood even by a secondary school student.

The undeniable prudence and knowledge of a Special Class Railway Apprentice and an experienced engineer does not get unnecessarily reflected in the book which makes it transcend from an engineering account to a motivational story. The country loved the train as something of their own, they would now love to read it the story as a story of one of their own.

The transliterated sher-o-shairi written between the paragraphs also helps in connecting with the readers. The common language used frequently keeps the reading interesting and

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BOOK REVIEW

Book Review Metro Rail in India for Urban Book Title: Metro Rail in India for Urban Mobility Authored By: MM Agarwal, Sudhir Chandra, K.K Miglani Language: English Publisher: Prabha & Co., Delhi Launch Date: 1st Jan 2021 Price: In India: 1675 INR (Deluxe Edition), for Outside India: US $ 70.00 (Export Edition) Review By: Narendra Shah, Managing Editor, Metro Rail News Overall Rating: 4.5/5

The book ‘Metro Rail in India for Urban Mobility' is a unique resource for all professionals involved in Metro Rail Technology, whether they are in the office planning and designing Metro Rail or out in the field constructing and maintaining it. This extensive book has 15 chapters and 700 pages, including 80 pages of illustrations (Photo). There is a gallery of Metro Rail from across the world, as well as 400 computer-generated drawings and pictures that cover nearly every element of Metro Rail Technology and Urban Mobility. It is an important book for all experts involved in Metro Rail design, building, and maintenance in India and other nations.

A guide for all professionals involved in urban mobility planning, particularly in India, using alternative modes (other than metro rail) such as light rail transit "Metro lite," "Metro-on-Tyres," "Metro-Neo," Aerial Ropeway, and Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), which are more cost effective, take less time to construct, and are better suited to areas with less traffic.

Reference book for libraries, professionals, mobility planners, and intelligent people who want to learn about modern technologies for urban mobility that are being used on a global scale, such as first and last mile connectivity, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, building information modelling, big data processing, communication based train control (CBTC), and so on.

commissioning.

A complete dissertation on all aspects of Metro Rail Technology in India and Other Countries for experts involved in Metro Rail design, construction, and maintenance in India and other countries. The book 'Metro Rail in India for Urban Mobility' is aimed at all professionals involved in Metro Rail Technology, whether they work in the office planning and designing or on the ground constructing and maintaining Metro Rail. This comprehensive book includes an 80-page visual gallery of Metro Rail shots from around the world, as well as 400 computer-created drawings/photographs covering practically all aspects of Metro Rail Technology and Urban Mobility. For all professionals, mobility planners, and intelligentsia involved in the design, construction, and maintenance of Metro Rail in India and other countries, this book is a vital guide as well as a reference book.

This book, "Metro Rail in India for Urban Mobility," is dedicated to all Metro Rail Men and Women around the world who worked tirelessly and sacrificed to build and maintain Metro Rail to the highest standards imaginable.

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“An encyclopedia for Rail sector” Narendra Shah.

Special Feature of Book.

This special book gives insight on all aspect of “How to plan for a new Metro as well as prepare Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Metro Rail Project”. It deals extensively with the construction of viaducts, tunnels, elevated and underground stations tracks as well as construction of depots, procurement and management of rolling stocks, power supply, traction system, train control signalling, interlocking, telecommunication, testing and www.metrorailnews.in

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ARTICLE

Explore How the Emerging Railway System Regulates the Global Railway Transport

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ith regards to safety and security, railway transport has been one of the most reliable modes of transportation across the world indeed. The railway system is responsible for providing better management to the rail transport. To deliver an enhanced customer satisfaction, it incorporates numerous activities and services such as operation management, communication network, infrastructure management, maintenance & support, station control, traffic planning, power supply management, asset management and data analytics etc.

In order to implement these services, the railway system uses some tools and technologies including rail operation management system, rail control system, rail maintenance management system, rail traffic management system, and rail asset management system etc. Advanced railway system keeps a track on speed and location of trains and thus, supports the management of railway transport during train arrivals & departures, revenue, ticketing and other handling functions.

The current infrastructure and market scenario of the global railway system:Unfortunately, the outbreak of the COVID- 19 pandemic led to the global lockdown, which gave way to several travel restrictions. This in turn, had significantly affected the railway industry, as the rail services were completely or temporarily shut down in almost all countries, or were resumed with limited number of trains on track. However, there were few countries like China, India etc. who made the best use of the lockdown by engaging in construction of new tracks and maintenance of

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railway infrastructure etc. In a nutshell, the pandemic situation had a mixed impact on the railway system market across the world.

According to a report published by Allied Market Research, the global railway system market size is anticipated to register a significant CAGR from 2019-2026. The key factors like rapid rise in global population, increase in globalization & urbanization, need for advanced transportation etc. are boosting the demand for railway services, which in turn, is tightening the existing rail management systems. Consumers across the world are embracing public transportations services like trains & metros to travel faster and avoid congestion on road.

Likewise, the demand for advanced speed, security and reliability is increasing across regions, which is why, the railway transport is implementing new strategies in order to provide more convenient travel solutions with higher level of digital services. Though new rail markets adopt new emerging technologies with flexible infrastructure, but the old technologies in railway systems still tend to limit the efficiency of resources and rise in congestion while also compromising the reliability of rail markets to some extent.

The infrastructure in railway system include several technological elements like hardware, software, network etc. In the aging railway system, it is difficult to operate and integrate various hardware devices along with the system software and provisional system infrastructure because the legacy IT systems are old, complex & time taking and are often unable to integrate with new generation smart devices. This in

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ARTICLE traffic control technologies.

Undeniably, the railway transportation is considered to be the cheapest and safest mode of transportation. But still the factors such as huge capital expenditure, high initial cost for the installation, and high operational & maintenance costs of railway management solutions are few big challenges and can restrain the growth of the global railway system market.

So, the government and other private companies are investing huge amount to manage & modernize the rail infrastructure, and arrange transmission networks between end users.

Moreover, latest trains are provided with onboard cameras, sensors etc. They are also able to run underground or at the ground level with highly secured provisions, which in turn, is driving the growth of the market in more than one way. Also, the implementation of automation and the IoT technologies in railway management systems are further expected to propel the growth of the market. hamper the railway system market growth to a great extent.

With this drift on board, the government of several developing countries across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific regions, are focusing on building digitally smarter railway infrastructure, which will have a positive impact on customer satisfaction. The Asia-Pacific region along with the developing countries like Australia, Singapore, China, India and Korea, is witnessing the highest growth rate of railway system market due to the increasing adoption of new technologies, allocating higher budgets for digital transformation etc.

Nevertheless, the rail freight companies are enduring huge growth in trade, particularly in energy and commodity sectors.

Additionally, in order to meet several capacity challenges, the railway companies are constantly trying to increase their asset utilization and make remarkable investments in railway infrastructure, regular asset management, automation, and

In Addition, the modern railway systems includes big data analytics to control and manage the communication systems.

With the help of this technique, the operators are able to identify glitches and prevent any breakdowns. Furthermore, with the emerging trend of smart cities, the market is definitely proceeding to gather huge prospects and exponential growth in the approaching time.

For more information visit @https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/railway-systemmarket-A05987 Author’s Bio-

Koyel Ghosh Koyel Ghosh is a blogger with a strong passion and enjoys writing on miscellaneous domains, as she believes it lets her explore a wide variety of niches. She has an innate interest for creativity and enjoys experimenting with different writing styles. A writer who never stops imagining, she has been serving the corporate industry for the last four years. koyel.ghosh@alliedmarketresearch.net

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ARTICLE

Timely completion of Infrastructure Projects is the need of the hour for bringing back Indian economy on the fast track

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ne of the feasible solutions to bring the Indian economy back on track today is the execution of Infrastructure Projects that are already planned but require faster physical performance now than ever. GOI is already in action to fast track these projects.

“Indian Infrastructure Projects, in general, are notorious for abnormal delays in completion and exorbitant cost overruns” is not an overstatement.

However, we are also witnessing the change in this trend. A few transportation projects are being executed within a reasonable timeline and cost, while others are slogging at a snail pace. Delays in projects contribute most to cost overruns. Therefore, Timely completion of the projects is the need of the hour.

What are the factors which enable some projects to complete on time and not others? We have tried to analyze data, reports, and previous research on this subject and [1] after sieving out effects of political and community interferences, inordinate delays in land acquisition and delays in fund allocations, our findings are classified as below: The top reason which enabled projects to remain on track is how efficiently the project was managed. We can see that wherever projects [mostly with external funding] are managed with adequate project management processes, teams and leadership, they are completed within reasonable1 time and cost.

The following factors are identified at the conceptual stage, and the execution stage of the project, which contribute most to the timely completion of the project are: CONCEPTUAL STAGE At the onset of the project conceptualization, Integrated Master Implementation Plan [MIP] is a must. MIP must be maintained, updated and detailed out throughout the project duration. It provides management a bird’s eye view of the project and brings out the missing links, which become significant bottlenecks in the project if not taken care of in time. Therefore, an integrated Master Plan is ideally developed in Primavera P6, and they must contain the following at a minimum: a) Scope definition and Technology Selection: Construction Technology selection through constructability analysis is the primary tool to control the time and cost of the project at this stage. b) Scope Breakdown, i.e., work packaging [primarily based on constructability analysis and selected technologies], should reduce interfaces. c) Identified design and construction interfaces within and out of the projects d) Interfaces with other concurrent or planned projects e) Overall Project Execution Strategy in line with the Strategic

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Goals EXECUTION STAGE Another attribute of successful projects is SMART decisionmaking during the execution of the project. The most critical link found in our study is the direct relationship between the pace of decision making and the pace of the project. Effective decision making requires timely and correct information through an Integrated Project Management System [IPMS], preferably a digital system capable of providing automatic notifications and warnings about missed instructions and missing deadlines at the lowest level and presenting a transparent picture of the project status and critical issues/interfaces to the decisionmaker.

Lack of collaboration among various disciplines, departments working in silos within bureaucratic structures coupled with interfaces with multiple internal & external agencies presents the biggest challenge in fast decision making, which can be mitigated with the help of Integrated Project Management System.

Current mega projects such as High-Speed Railway HSR and Rapid Rail Transport System RRTS projects are already using Integrated MIP / IPMS. The improvement in the pace of execution is visible to all. If all our National Infrastructure Projects can take the cue from these projects and reap the benefit of already established systems and processes, results will be phenomenal.

Protecton BTG has been instrumental in setting up these systems at India’s first bullet train project MAHSR and currently in active discussion with other important infrastructural projects for providing MIP services and implementation/operations of SMART PMS.

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ARTICLE

Innovative solutions How to meet the challenge of growing urban mobility needs Introduction While most Indian people continue to live in rural regions — 70 percent of the overall population is believed to live in rural areas I — cities in India are also developing, with populations now numbering in the hundreds of millions.

By 2030, India will have 68 urban sprawls, each with a population of more than one million people; Europe as a whole has just 35. [ii] Cities are undeniably the engines of economic progress. To realise its full economic and demographic potential, India must raise its rate of urbanisation and improve the quality of life in existing cities. Today’s Indian cities are characterised by rising levels of traffic congestion, pollution, road deaths, and access disparity.

Technology will play a critical role in detecting mobility gaps and changing existing transportation systems in order to develop more inclusive, safer, and greener cities of the future.

For two reasons, the debate over urban mobility in India is changing now. For starters, technology now allows for real-time monitoring of public transit routes and traffic patterns, which was previously impossible. Second, government agencies are now promoting the use of public transit through innovative mobility business models such as on-demand and multimodal trip-planning apps. [iii] This reflects a worldwide trend in which governments and companies are investigating mobility solutions through multimodal transportation — where consumers will be able to easily integrate services such as public transit and ridesharing rather than having to pick one over the other. Users of integrated payment systems, such as London’s Oyster [iv] and Singapore’s EZ-Link [v], can choose between several types of public transit with a single smartcard. These answers, however, cannot be realised alone via the efforts of one entity. The integration will necessitate the cooperation of a wide range of stakeholders, including national and state governments, transit agencies, infrastructure developers, transportation service providers, and data scientists.

As firms investigate various modes of providing mobility in Indian cities, such as ride-sharing, bus aggregation, and vehicle rentals [vi], stakeholders must agree on the guiding principles for regulating the on-demand and ride-sharing industries.

Recognizing these facts, the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) held a roundtable discussion on The Future of Urban Mobility in India in early May in Mumbai, with assistance from UBER. Participants included Maharashtra government employees, civil society individuals working at the nexus of innovation and urban mobility, business, academia, and representatives of the Maharashtra government. In addition to a roundtable discussion, a workshop was organised. Breakout groups discussed significant problems currently restricting www.metrorailnews.in

urban mobility, ranging from infrastructural deficiencies to the lack of defined regulatory standards for on-demand and ride-sharing apps. Following the workshop’s format, the recommendations are separated into three sections: assessing infrastructure, fostering mobility innovation, regulating the ride-sharing sector, and implementing dynamic pricing.

1. Evaluating transportation infrastructure and encouraging urban mobility innovation Participants at the discussion agreed that inadequacies in supporting infrastructure would need to be solved before implementing innovative urban transportation technology such as autonomous or electric automobiles. India’s transportation infrastructure, which includes highways, suburban trains, metro METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

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ARTICLE lines, and gasoline stations, is insufficient to meet present demands or any future population growth. Poor transportation infrastructure development can be ascribed to a lack of political will, competence, and cooperation among state and local government agencies. For example, inadequate route allocation for public transportation results in overcrowding on certain routes and a shortage of others. Other causes for infrastructure development delays, according to experts, include the inability to create and apply uniform design standards throughout construction, as well as high prices and time-consuming processes involved in land acquisition. [vii] Furthermore, the lack of accurate travel data has made it impossible for public authorities to analyse the impact of infrastructure investments on urban mobility and predict future needs. This is no longer the case because to advancements in geo-mapping technology and open standards, the most popular of which is GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification).

Transit agencies must make GTFS feeds on routes and timetables and GIS locations on transportation infrastructure, public. Some transit authorities have also made available data sets on budgets, performance, and ridership. [viii] By analysing historical data on highways and transportation, government authorities and companies may make targeted investments in supporting infrastructure. This data may help politicians, transportation agencies, and urban planners build infrastructure that allows for greater mobility by making better use of existing roadways and implementing smarter traffic management.

Furthermore, open transportation data in other countries has led to creating third-party mobile applications that provide real-time transit information, allowing users to better plan their travels, resulting in higher ridership and enhanced customer experience. [ix] Indeed, studies have indicated that open data in transportation provides enormous economic potential, with a worldwide worth of between US$720 and US$920 billion, since it leads to innovation in multi-modal planning apps and new mobility enterprises. [x]

Regulations must be implemented to encourage more effective use of existing roadways and better traffic management. For example, prohibiting trucks and large commercial carriers from driving on city streets throughout the day.

Policymakers and data scientists must work together to investigate ways for implementing congestion pricing and dynamic pricing for parking spots.

The country’s ride-sharing sector must consider minimising, if not eliminating, driver reliance on middlemen or intermediaries to get automobiles. In addition, the ride-hailing business must investigate various credit-rating procedures for their driverpartners.

In order to provide real-time timetables and routes, transit authorities must guarantee that buses are equipped with GPS tracking.

Before implementing new mobility technology, governments must guarantee that a sufficient ecosystem is in place. Cities, for example, must first build a sufficient number of charging stations before they can accept electric vehicles.

Authorities must consider modifying the regulatory structure in place to allow commercial cars to be used.

Specific Ideas To fix the country’s cities, the public and private sectors must work together to conceive and implement India-centric solutions. To alleviate the country’s mobility problem, government agencies should invest resources in making transportation data available to the public in order to stimulate innovation through the creation of new business models.

The private sector may provide data on the number of cars, traffic patterns, accidents, and user behaviour to enable politicians to implement evidence-based pricing and safety rules. However, companies must disclose data anonymously and in aggregate form, and address any privacy concerns raised by users while doing so. Meanwhile, authorities must guarantee that firms’ intellectual rights are safeguarded and evaluate the role of intermediaries in data handling. Furthermore, authorities must have mechanisms in place to make the most use of available data.

Private automobile ride-sharing and car-pooling services will only be a small part of the answer. To improve urban mobility, policymakers must consider overhauling public transit and infrastructure.

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II. Principles for controlling India’s ride-hailing industry Participants in the ORF discussion agreed that rules controlling the ride-sharing sector must encourage user safety as well as market competitiveness. On the other hand, Regulation should not dictate business models and should be non-prescriptive or “soft touch.” After all, the transportation department is generally a market incumbent and should not act as a regulator.

To govern regulation, standards based on fairness, justice, and safety must first be created in order to incentivize new and smaller market actors. Regulation — or the lack thereof — is critical in encouraging innovation. This at a time when firms are attempting to persuade the government to legalise innovative mobility models such as utilising private vehicles for ride-sharing [xi], with some state governments considering outright bans on ride-sharing. [xii] Regulators, on the other hand, bear the added duty of ensuring user safety and would be wary of adopting new business models. Companies must be transparent in their policies and directly address issues involving their drivers as drivers of traditional taxi services [xiii] and ride-sharing www.metrorailnews.in

ARTICLE companies [xiv] demand government intervention to protect their interests, prevent falling incomes, and change incentive structures [xv]. To support evidence-based policymaking, companies must share with authorities their data on pricing mechanisms and user behaviour, such as customer demand and willingness to pay.

The enforcement of the City Taxi Rules, 2017 [xvi] in Maharashtra may have a negative impact on competition because it imposes a significant licence fee on driver-partners seeking to operate through ride-sharing applications. Ride-sharing businesses should be permitted to self-regulate, and the point of entry for governmental regulation should only be to ensure customer safety and market competitiveness. The licencing body may not impose a price floor or a ceiling on surge pricing, and authorities must consult with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) before regulating pricing.

must, however, be halted during emergencies such as natural disasters and terrorist acts. [xxvii] To discourage driving and boost public transit, the dynamic pricing concept must also be applied to parking spots. In India, dynamic pricing in the ridesharing sector has been effective in influencing user behaviour.

Policymakers must examine dynamic pricing systems depending on characteristics such as traffic congestion, fuel economy, and carbon emissions in the future. [xxviii] Specific Suggestions

Specific Recommendations Before enacting any regulations, the government and other stakeholders must first agree on broad principles to regulate the ride-sharing sector.

Platforms for ride-sharing must be permitted to self-regulate.

Authorities must avoid overregulation; for example, the Maharashtra City Taxi Rules require app-based taxis to conform to a minimum engine capacity restriction and operators to have 30% of their cars on their platform over 1400 cc.

Regulators must consult CCI to ensure that regulations on licencing, vehicle requirements and pricing are not anticompetitive – that they do not function as a barrier to entry for drivers interested in joining cab aggregators.

Accidents and illegal behaviour involving their drivers on the road must be reduced via minimal insurance.

III. Using dynamic pricing to address urban transportation issues Ride-sharing businesses set their charges dynamically depending on variables such as the expected duration and distance of the predicted route, traffic estimates, and the number of riders and drivers utilising the service at any one time. [xvii] During periods of strong demand for trips, prices rise to reflect the’surge’ in demand in order to ensure that pickups are accessible for passengers willing to pay the higher cost.

UBER has been chastised for increasing costs in the aftermath of terrorist incidents, [xviii] after natural catastrophes, and even before Delhi introduced its odd-even plan in early 2016. [xx] Following the London Bridge attack in June of this year, UBER halted their surge pricing after some delay [xxi] and reimbursed those consumers who had been charged a higher fee [xxii] – a procedure the business has previously followed during terror situations. [xxiii] State governments, notably Delhi, [xxiv] Karnataka, [xxv], and, most recently, Maharashtra, [xxvi], have imposed prices restrictions on taxi aggregators charging spike pricing. Governments impose surge pricing limitations to protect consumers’ interests and avoid exploitative pricing.

Surge or dynamic pricing improves vehicle utilisation and dependability, and dynamic pricing based on driver demand and supply in real time assures access to mobility. Surge pricing www.metrorailnews.in

During natural disasters, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks, and other specific situations defined by the state government, ridesharing services must stop surge pricing.

The CCI should only interfere in the pricing of ride-sharing applications if the anti-competitive consequences can be demonstrated.

After consulting with the CCI, the State Government may impose temporary fares to halt anti-competitive conduct.

To dissuade individuals from utilising personal transportation, use dynamic pricing to charge for parking – both on the street and in parking lots.

India’s urban transportation issue will likely worsen over the next decade as cities become more congested, dirty, and dangerous. Any mobility issue is unique in that it involves a diverse range of parties, from transportation authorities to ICT entrepreneurs. To successfully tackle the problem, a discussion between stakeholders is required to analyse assets and create new transportation solutions. To encourage innovative firms that use technology to offer mobility, governments must first agree on regulatory principles that promote justice, safety, and equity. New mobility is a profitable sector that may benefit local communities and create opportunity for many people. As the Maharashtra government prioritises sustainable urban transportation, Mumbai can serve as an example for policymakers and entrepreneurs throughout India in terms of using ICT to provide individualised, safe, and sustainable transportation to all. [xxix]

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ARTICLE

Rail connectivity in J&K Introduction Indian Railways has developed a National Rail Plan (NRP) for India until 2030. By 2030, the goal is to have a ‘Future Ready’ railway system. The NRP aims to develop strategies based on both operational capabilities and commercial policy efforts to raise the Railways’ modal share in freight to 45 percent. The plan’s goal is to build capacity ahead of demand by 2030, which will allow it to meet future demand increases up to 2050 and expand and sustain railways’ modal share in freight traffic to 45 percent. As part of the National Rail Plan, Vision 2024 was launched to accelerate the implementation of certain critical projects by 2024, such as 100 percent electrification, multitracking of congested routes, speed upgrades to 160 kmph on certain routes, speed upgrades to 130 kmph on all other Golden Quadrilateral-Golden Diagonal (GQ/GD) routes, and elimination of all Level Crossings on a national scale. In addition, new Dedicated Freight Corridors have been discovered, and Detailed Project Reports for these corridors are being prepared.

In order to fulfil the railroads’ vision and strategy, Indian Railways has prioritised the extension of rail networks in Jammu & Kashmir and the country’s north-eastern area. Rail Network Expansion in Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir is our country’s northernmost state, and the former state holds a vital location on the country’s map, with borders to Pakistan, Tibet, and China.

Except for the districts of Jammu and Kathua, the whole state of Jammu and Kashmir is mountainous. It has a geographical

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size of 2, 22,236 square kilometres and 19.95 percent of the entire geographical area is covered by forest. This valley has an average elevation of 1,850 metres (6,070 feet) above sea level, while the Pir Panjal range to the north has an elevation of 10,000 feet (3,000 m).

According to the 2011 census, the total population is 1.25 crore, accounting for 1.04 percent of the nation’s total population.

J&K’s railway network is the highest altitude network in India.

Rail infrastructure justification Because of J&K’s strategic position, connection to this area is critical for national security, prosperity, and socioeconomic growth. Despite possessing a plethora of resources, the UT has been unable to grow in a desired manner due to various issues, one of which is its connectedness to the rest of the county.

Efforts are being made to create rail connection to the region, and a number of railway projects have been begun and are in various states of completion. Because of its terrain and other geographical considerations, the execution of rail projects in J&K is a particularly difficult undertaking.

Rail Link Project Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla (USBRL Project: 272 km) The Jammu-Baramulla Railway connects the Kashmir Valley to the Jammu Railway Station and the rest of the country. The initiative has been designated as a National Project.

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ARTICLE Institutions such as IIT Delhi, IIT Roorkee, the Geographical Survey of India, and the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) are offering expertise in project design and implementation. Along this route, the world’s highest railway bridge and India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge will be built.

1 tunnel and 320 small bridges • These roads provide connectivity to far flung and inaccessible areas leading to socio economic development of the region • Chenab Bridge – 1315m Mega Iconic highest bridge in the world • Anji Bridge – 290m (1stCable stayed Rail Bridge in India) 5 Challenges of the Project: 1. Inaccessible sites 2. Very difficult Geology of young Himalayan Mountains 3. Repeated PIL in High Court affected the project adversely from 2008-16 4. Law & Order issues 5. Extreme Weather Conditions (Rainfall & Snowfall prone area) 6. Impact of COVID-19

After completion, this line will be an all-weather convenient and cost-effective mass transit system, acting as a stimulus for the entire development of the country’s northernmost alpine area.

Therefore, this initiative is extremely important for security and socioeconomic growth. Apart from offering job opportunities, it may play a significant role in fast industrialization, transportation of raw materials and completed goods from J&K, and encouraging commerce and tourism in the region. Similarly, it will be beneficial to the growth of agriculture, horticulture, and floriculture in this region.

Status and details of Udhampur-Shrinagar-Baramula Rail Link (USBRL) Project Legs Section Km Cost (in Cr) Status 1st Leg Qazigund-Baramulla 118 3493 Commissioned Banihal-Qazigund 18 1692 Commissioned 2nd leg Udhmapur-Katra 25 1111 Commissioned 3rd Leg Katra to Banihal 111 21653 under Progress

After completion, this project will be a magnificent engineering project of the twenty-first century, and it will write a new chapter in the nation’s growth, progress, wealth, and security.

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Salient features of the project: • Most challenging Railway project undertaken by Indian Railways post-independence • Alignment involves large number of tunnels, bridges in highly rugged, difficult mountainous terrain with Complex Himalayan Geology • To reach the construction site, more than 200 Km long approach road constructed including

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JOBS

Gujarat Metro Recruitment 2021: Apply for various posts in Ahmedabad and Surat Metro

Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) Limited invites applications from qualified and experienced candidates as per the following posts GMRC Recruitment 2021 Details 1. Civil Wing: For Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project Phase – I & Phase – II & Surat Metro Rail Project

Sr. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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Post Additional General Joint General Manager Sr. Deputy General Deputy General Manager Deputy General Manager Manager (Civil) Manager (Architect) Manager (Multi Modal

METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

Pay/Revised IDA Pay Scale 100000 - 260000 90000 – 240000 80000 – 220000 70000 – 200000 70000 – 200000 60000 – 180000 60000 – 180000 60000 – 180000

No. of Posts 4 3 1 2 1 4 2 1

Age as on date of Advertisement Max. 53 years 50 years 48 years 45 years 45 years 40 years 40 years 40 years

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JOBS 2. SER Wing Sr. No.

Post

1

2 3 4

General Manager

Additional General Manager Joint General Manager Senior Deputy General Manager

5

Deputy General Manager

6

Manager

GMRC Recruitment 2021: Educational Qualification For Civil Wing Sr. No. 1: Additional General Manager (Civil), No. of posts – 4.

Candidate must be B.E/ B.Tech in Civil Engineering from a Govt. recognized University/ Institute.

Sr. No. 2: Joint General Manager (Civil), No. of posts – 3.

Discipline Electrical/Rolling Stock Traction Signalling Telecom Rolling Stock/Electrical Signalling & PSD Rolling Stock Traction Rolling Stock E&M L&E Signalling Telecom/AFC Rolling Stock Traction Signalling

Revised Pay Scale (IDA Pattern)

Age Limit (Max.) as on Advertisement

2 Nos. 1 No. 2 Nos.

120000-280000

55 years

2 Nos.

100000-260000

53 years

2 Nos. 2 Nos. 2 Nos. 1 No 1 No 1 No. 2 Nos. 2 Nos. 2 Nos. 2 Nos. 2 Nos.

90000-240000

50 years

80000-220000

48 years

70000-200000

45 years

60000-180000

40 years

No. of Posts 1 No.

authority. .

Sr. No. 5: DGM – Multi Modal Integration (Transport Planning) – No. of posts - 1.

Candidate must be a Bachelor in Planning from a Govt. Recognized University/ Institute & Masters in Transport Planning or related field from a Govt. Recognized University/Institute.

Sr. No. 6: Manager (Civil) – No. of posts - 4.

Sr. No. 1: General Manager, No. of Post – 6 Nos. For Electrical / Rolling Electrical, No. of post – 1

Stock-

Candidate must be a B.E /B.Tech (Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics/ Applied Electronics / Industrial Electronics / Power Electronics/ Instrumentation or equivalent) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/Institute.

Candidate must be a B.E / B. Tech (Civil) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/Institute.

For Traction, No. of post – 2.

Sr. No. 3: Sr. DGM (Civil) – No. of posts - 1.

Sr. No. 7: Manager (Architect) – No. of posts- 2.

Candidate must be a B.E /B.Tech (Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/Institute.

Candidate must be a B.E / B. Tech (Civil) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/Institute.

Candidate must be a B.Arch engineering graduate from a Govt. Recognized University/Institute.

For Signaling, No. of post – 1:

Sr. No. 4: DGM (Civil- Safety) – No. of posts - 2.

Sr. No. 8: Manager (MMI) – No. of posts - 1.

Candidate must be a B.E / B. Tech in Civil Engineering from a Govt. Recognized University/Institute with a Diploma/P.G. Diploma in Construction/Industrial Safety from an Institute recognized by State /Central Govt. or other Statutory

Candidate must be a Bachelor in planning from a Govt. Recognized University/ Institute.

Candidate must be B.E/ B.Tech in Civil Engineering from a Govt. recognized University/ Institute.

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Candidate must be a B.E /B.Tech (Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics/ Applied Electronics / Industrial Electronics / Power Electronics/ Instrumentation or equivalent) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/Institute.

For Systems, Electrical & Rolling Stock Wing:

•••

METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

51

JOBS For Telecom, No. of post – 2.

Candidate must be a B.E /B. Tech (Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics/ Applied Electronics / Industrial Electronics / Power Electronics/ Instrumentation or equivalent) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/Institute.

Sr. No. 2: Additional General Manager (Rolling Stock/Electrical) No. of posts-2 Candidate must be a B.E /B. Tech (Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics/ Applied Electronics / Industrial Electronics / Power Electronics/ Instrumentation/Mechanical or equivalent) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/ Institute.

Sr. No.3: Joint General Manager (Signaling & PSD) No. of Posts-2 Candidate must be a B.E /B. Tech (Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics/ Applied Electronics / Industrial Electronics / Power Electronics/ Instrumentation or equivalent) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/Institute.

Sr. No.4: Sr. Deputy General Manager (Rolling Stock/Traction) No. of Posts-4 For Rolling Stock No. of Posts-2 Candidate must be a B.E /B. Tech (Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics/ Mechanical/Applied Electronics / Industrial Electronics / Power Electronics/Instrumentation or equivalent) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/ Institute.

For Traction No. of Posts-2

(Rolling Stock/E&M/L&E/Traction/ Signaling/Telecom/AFC) No. of Posts-7 For Rolling Stock No. of Post-1 Candidate must be a B.E /B. Tech (Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics/ Applied Electronics / Industrial Electronics / Power Electronics/ Instrumentation/Mechanical or equivalent) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/ Institute.

For E&M, No. of Post-1: Candidate must be a B.E/B.Tech (Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics/ Mechanical) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/ Institute.

For L&E, No. of Post-1: Candidate must be a B.E/B.Tech (Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics/ Mechanical) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/ Institute.

For Signaling No. of Posts-2: Candidate must be a B.E /B. Tech (Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics/ Applied Electronics / Industrial Electronics / Power Electronics/ Instrumentation or equivalent) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/Institute.

Candidate must be a B.E /B.Tech (Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/Institute.

For Signaling No. of Posts-2: Candidate must be a B.E /B. Tech (Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics/ Applied Electronics / Industrial Electronics / Power Electronics/ Instrumentation or equivalent) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/Institute.

SELECTION Applicants should fill up the required information online only on our Company website through the link under http://www.gujaratmetrorail.com/ careers/ “APPLY ONLINE” along with necessary attachments in a merged single PDF file containing CV, payslips & testimonials etc., on or before 20th August, 2021.

Candidate must be a B.E /B. Tech (Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics/ Applied Electronics / Industrial Electronics / Power Electronics/ Instrumentation/Electronics and communication/ Computer Science/ Electrical) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/ Institute.

Sr. No. 6: Manager, No. of Posts – 6 Nos. For Rolling Stock No. of Posts-2:

Sr. No.5: Deputy General Manager

Candidate must be a B.E /B. Tech

METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

For Traction No. of Posts-2:

For Telecom & AFC No. of Posts-2:

Candidate must be a B.E /B.Tech (Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/Institute.

52

(Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics/ Applied Electronics / Industrial Electronics / Power Electronics/ Instrumentation/Mechanical or equivalent) engineering graduate from a Govt. recognized University/ Institute.

www.metrorailnews.in

EVENTS EVENT JOBS

Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) has released a notification for recruitment to the post of Deputy Engineer and Junior Engineer.

No. of Posts – 02

Mumbai Metro Recruitment 2021 Details

Qualification – Degree/ Diploma in Electrical Engineering from recognized institute/university/ college.

1. Deputy Engineer (PST)

Age Limit – Maximum 35 years

3. Jr. Engineer-II (E&M)

Grade (E2) Rs. 50,000 – 1,60,000/Grade (W6) Rs. 35,280 – 67,920/No. of Posts – 02 No. of Posts – 10 Age Limit – Maximum 35 years Age Limit – Maximum 35 years Qualification – Full time Degree in Electrical Engineering from recognized institute/university/ college.

2. Deputy Engineer (E&M)

Qualification – Degree/ Diploma in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering from recognized institute/ college.

Grade (E2) Rs. 50,000 – 1,60,000/-

Selection Procedure –

No. of Posts – 05

Candidates applying for the posts mentioned in the advertisement will be called for Personal Interview.

MMRCL reserves the right to shortlist the Candidates for Personal Interview. The Candidates will be shortlisted for interview, based on their eligibility/ experience in the relevant field.

Age Limit – Maximum 35 years Qualification – Full time Degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering from recognized institute/university/college.

3. Jr. Engineer-II (PST) Grade (W6) Rs. 35,280 – 67,920/www.metrorailnews.in

Online registration will start from 21st July, 2021 at 10:00 Hrs. and will end on 31st August, 2021 at 23:59 Hrs.

•••

METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

53

LIVE TENDERS EVENTS

Metro and Railway Industry Events Calender

LIVE TENDERS Dates

Event Name

Venue

July 12 - 17, 2021

Rail DIGI Expo

Virtual

Sept 07-09, 2021

Railtex / Infrarail 2021

NEC, Birmingham

Sep 07-08, 2021

7th Railway Forum

Berlin, Germany

Sept 15-16, 2021

Asia Pacific Rail 2021

BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand.

Sep 30, 2021

ROLLING STOCK NETWORKING

Derby Velodrome

07 - 09 Sep 2021

Infra Rail

NEC, Birmingham

Sep 29 - Oct 01 2021

HTS-2021

Mumbai, India

Oct. 26-28, 2021

Intermodal Europe 2021

RAI AMSTERDAM

Oct 12 - 13, 2021

Middle East Rail

Dubai, UAE

20 - 22 Oct, 2021

RAIL EXPO

Kyiv

Oct. 21-23, 2021

International Railway Equipment Exhibition 2021 (IREE)

New Delhi, India

Oct 27-29, 2021

PowerGen India

IECC, PRAGATI MAIDAN, NEW DELHI, INDIA

Oct 29-31, 2021

Urban Mobility Conference & Expo 2021

Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty, Kerala, India

Nov 1 - 3, 2021

Smart Transit USA

Denver, US

Nov 9-10, 2021

Move

London, ExCeL

NOV 16-18, 2021

Innorail2021

Budapest

18-20 Oct 2021

Smart Metro

Vienna, Austria

Nov 25-27, 2021

EURASIA RAIL

TÜYAP, Istanbul.

30 Nov- 1 Dec 2021

Rail Live! 2021

IFEMA, Madrid

Mar. 23-25, 2022

7th Smart Cities India 2021 Expo

Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

Mar. 23-24, 2022

Geo Connect Asia 2020

Singapore

Mar 08-10 2022

RailTech Europe 2021

Digital event

April 28-30, 2022

InnoMetro 2022

Virtual

31st May-02nd June 2022

28th International Exhibition for Track Technology (iaf)

Münster

June 2-3, 2022

7th Smart Ticketing & Digital Services Forum

Virtual

June 22 nd -23 rd, 2022

Rail Live 2022

Quinton Rail Technology Centre, Warwickshire, UK

June 04 - 07, 2023

UITP Global Public Transport Summit

BARCELONA, SPAIN

Sep. 20-23, 2022

InnoTrans 2020

Berlin, Germany

54

METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

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Metro Rail TENDER DETAILS

Location

VALUE

DEADLINE

“Design, Manufacture, Supply, Installation, Testing And Commissioning Of Telecommunication For Main Lines & Depot Of Line 4 And Extension Corridor [Wadala - Kasarvadavali -Gaimukh] Of Mumbai Metro Rail Project Of Mmrda”

Maharashtra, India

Refer Document

07-09-2021

Sitc Of 25kv Overhead Equipment (Ohe) System, Switching Posts, 33kv Ring Mains, Auxiliary Sub Stations For Elevated Sections And Scada System For Underground And Elevated Sections For Corridor 1 And 2 And Isbt Depot Of Patna Metro Rail Project.

Bihar, India

INR 144.65 CR.

02-09-2021

Construction Of Cable Trench For Laying Of 33 Kv, 1c X 630 Mm X 6 Nos. Xlpe Power Cables For Metro Railway Bays At Howrah 220 Kv S/Stn Under Howrah Area Office, W.B.S.E.T.C.L

West Bengal, India

INR 26.10 Lacs

01-09-2021

Annual Rate Contract For Breakdown And Routine Maintenance Of Dg Set Installed At L-1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Including Depots And Staff Quarters Of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited For Five (05) Years

Delhi, India

INR 1.77 CR.

26-08-2021

Maharashtra, India

Refer Document

26-08-2021

Tr-21/2021 For Various 132kv T.L. Works Associated With Metro Rail Project And Smart City Project At Bhopal On Underground Xlpe Cable Including Design Of Cable Termination (Dc/Ct) Monopole/Tower On Turnkey Basis.

Madhya Pradesh, India

INR 93.68 CR.

23-08-2021

All -Inclusive Annual Maintenance Of 03 Nos. Lifts, M/S Thyssenkrupp Make Installed At 90, Chowrangee Road, Officers' Flat, 200 X, S.P. Mukherjee Road, Officers' Flat And Tol/Orh Building Of Metro Railway, Kolkata Through Oem, On Single Tender Basis.

Madhya Pradesh, India

INR 93.68 CR.

23-08-2021

Design Consultancy For Preparation Of Traction Overhead Equipment Lop Plan & Sectioning Drawing For Nagpur Metro Rail Phase-Ii.

Maharashtra, India

Refer Document

20-08-2021

Provision Of Automatic Fire Detection And Alarm System At All Stations And Carshed Of Metro Railway ,Kolkata

West Bengal, India

INR 3.15 CR.

20-08-2021

Design Consultancy For Preparation Of Traction Overhead Equipment Lop Plan And Sectioning Drawing For Nagpur Metro Rail Phase-Ii

Maharashtra, India

Refer Document

Refer Document

Tender For Selection Of Consultant For Providing Transaction Advisory Services Including Feasibility And Market Study, Formulation Of Non Fare Box Revenue Business Plans, Project Structuring And Bid Process Management Services For Cmrl Land Parcels And Built Up Spaces Within Chennai Metro Rail Stations.

Tamil Nadu, India

Refer Document

Refer Document

Various 132kv Transmission Line Works Associated With Metro Rail Project And Smart City Project At Bhopal On Underground Xlpe Cable Including Design Of Double Circuit Cable Termination (Dc/Ct) Monopole/Tower. Complete Work With Supply, Installation And Commissioning Of All Required Material/Equipment.

Standardisation Of Guard Rail In Dum Dum - Tollygunge Section Of Metro Railway, Kolkata.

West Bengal, India

INR 2.79 CR.

18-08-2021

Corrigendum : Design, Manufacture, Supply, Installation, Testing And Commissioning Of Cbtc Based Train Control And Signaling Systems And Telecommunication Systems For Kavisubhash - Biman Bandar Corridor And Joka-Esplanade Metro Corridor Of Metro Railway In W.B.

West Bengal, India

INR 656.00 CR.

17-08-2021

Procurement, Supply, Installation, Testing, Integration, Commissioning And Support Of Integrated Real Time Enterprise Asset Management System And Advance Analytics For Operation And Maintenance Of Maha Metro Rail Projects

Maharashtra, India

INR 656.00 CR.

17-08-2021

Noapara - Kavi Subhash Provision Of Led Lights In Inspection Pits Of Car Depot At Kkvs,Kmuk & Knap Of Metro Railway, Kolkata

West Bengal, India

INR 31.62 Lacs

17-08-2021

www.metrorailnews.in

METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

55

LIVE TENDERS Metro Rail TENDER DETAILS

Location

VALUE

DEADLINE

Design, Detail Engineering, Supply, Installation, Testing And Commissioning Of Receiving And Auxiliary Main Substation Including High Voltage Cabling From Grid Substation For Phase-Iv Of Delhi Metro Rail Project

Delhi, India

Refer Document

16-08-2021

Installation, Maintenance & Display Of Advertisements Through Vinyl Wrapping Of Train Exteriors (Including Windows But Excluding Doors) And Affixing Of Vinyl Stickers Inside Mr - 410 Medha Rake (Rake Consisting Of 8 Coaches) Of Metro Railway, Kolkata

West Bengal, India

INR 39.10 Lacs

16-08-2021

Removal Of Trees, Construction Of Elevated Viaduct Of Length 19.633 Km From Central Silk Board (Csb) Junction To K.R. Puram & Upto Baiyappanahalli Depot And Thirteen Elevated Metro Stations Including Road Widening, Utility Diversion & Other Allied Works Of Bangalore Metro Rail Project Of Outer Ring Road ( Orr0 Line Phase2a.

Karnataka, India

Refer Document

Refer Document

Corrigendum : Selection Of General Consultant For Chennai Metro Rail Phase 2 Project Corridor 4 And Part Of Corridor 3 And 5

Karnataka, India

Refer Document

Refer Document

West Bengal, India

INR 49.78 Lacs

13-08-2021

West Bengal, India

INR 10.58 Lacs

12-08-2021

Removal Of Abandoned Piles In Tolly Nallah Under Viaduct From Mahanayak Uttam Kumar To Sahid Khudiram Station And Beyond In Tolly Nallah Portion Of Metro Railway, Kolkata.

Annual Maintenance Of Kone Make Lift Installed At Metro Bhavan Of Metro Railway, Kolkata Through Oem, On Single Tender Basis.

Project Management Consultant For Phase-Ii Corridor From Jln Stadium To Infopark Via Kakkanad Of Kochi Metro Rail Project

Kerala, India

Refer Document

07-08-2021

Supply & Execution Of E & M Works For 10 Elevated Stations Kadarshi Ni Nal, Majura Gate, Rupali Canal, Althan Tenement, Althan Gam, Vip Road, Women Iti, Bhimrad, Convention Center & Dream City, In Connection With Surat Metro Rail, Phase – I, Package Em - 01

Gujarat, India

INR 59.82 CR.

07-08-2021

Maharashtra, India

Refer Document

Refer Document

Supply Of Set Of Contactors And Mpcbs For Sidwal Make Rmpu Of Kolkata Metro Railway

West Bengal, India

Refer Document

05-08-2021

Supply Of Braided Copper Strip To Item 1 Of Drg.No.Icf/Sk 7-2-487 Alt 'B'. Eligibility Criteria: Firm Shall Be Oem / Oem Authorised Agents Having Valid Authorization From Oem For Supply Of This/Similar Items To Railway Coaches Or Metro Railway/Automobile/Aviation Applications Etc. Please Visit Icf Vendor Portal For Downloading Drawing Http://Vp.Icf.Gov.In/Vendtendordetnew.Php Using Key : 0821w5ghitc1367

Tamil Nadu, India

Refer Document

05-08-2021

Supply Of Hose For Motor Compressor As Per Metro Railway's Drawing No. Mr/Poh/Ac-3-5-014 For Ac Rakes Of Kolkata Metro.

West Bengal, India

Refer Document

04-08-2021

Procurement And Construction Of Chain Link Fabric Fencing With Ms Fabricated Gate Within Municipal Boundaries Of Bhopal And Indore For Bhopal Metro Rail Project And For Indore Metro Rail Project

Multi Location

INR 61.07 Lacs

02-08-2021

Maharashtra, India

Refer Document

31-07-2021

Procurement, Supply, Installation, Testing, Integration, Commissioning And Support Of Integrated Real Time Enterprise Asset Management System & Advance Analytics For Operation & Maintenance Of Maha Metro Rail Projects.

Expression Of Interest For Design, Manufacture, Supply, Testing, Commissioning Of Tyred Based Electric Bus Running On Ohe At Nashik For Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.

56

METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

www.metrorailnews.in

LIVE TENDERS Indian Railway TENDER DETAILS

Location

VALUE

DEADLINE

Request For Empanelment Of Financial And Marketing Consultants For Various Sites / Railway Colonies Of Indian Railways Located Pan India Panel-2 For Sites Valuing Rs 50 Crore Upto Rs 300 Crore

Delhi, India

Refer Document

08-09-2021

Request For Empanelment Of Financial And Marketing Consultants For Various Sites / Railway Colonies Of Indian Railways Located Pan Indiarequest For Empanelment Of Financial And Marketing Consultants For Various Sites / Railway Colonies Of Indian Railways Located Pan India

Multi State, India

Refer Document

01-09-2021

Multi Location

Refer Document

01-09-2021

Empanelment Of Hospitality Organizations Under Category "A" & "B" To Undertake The Work Of “Renovate, Operate And Transfer (Rot) Of Retiring Rooms On Indian Railway Network”

Delhi, India

Refer Document

01-09-2021

Supply Of Natural & Artificial Fiber Thermoset Composite (Naftc) Sheet For Roof Panelling Of Indian Railway Passenger Coaches B.G. (Provisional) Size -3048x1524x1.5 Mm Specification Rdso /2016/Cg -02,Amndt-1 Warranty 48;-Months From The Date Of Supply Or 42 Months From The Date Of Fitment Of The Sheet

Multi Location

Refer Document

30-08-2021

Corrigendum : Supply Installation Testing Commissioning Integration With Existing Vss Infra, Operation And Maintenance Of Ip Based Video Surveillance System Vss At Railway Stations Under Southern Region Of Railtel For And On Behalf Of Indian Railways

Telangana, India

INR 51.44 CR.

20-08-2021

Supply, Installation, Testing, Commissioning, Integration With Existing Vss Infra, Operation And Maintenance Of Ip Based Video Surveillance System (Vss) At Railway Stations Under Southern Region Of Railtel For And On Behalf Of Indian Railways.

Telangana, India

Refer Document

20-08-2021

Skid For Use On Indian Railway To Drawing / Specification No. Rdso Tfc / Specs./ 374 / Skid.

Multi Location

Refer Document

19-08-2021

Supply Of Single Row Deep Groove Ball Bearing As Per Skf 6205 Or Equal Only. Skf,Fag,Nbc,Hch Or Equivalent(With Proven Past Performance In Indian Railways Attached To Be Submitted Alongwith Bid).

Uttar Pradesh, India

Refer Document

18-08-2021

Corrigendum : Supply Installation Testing Commissioning Integration With Existing Vss Infra Operation And Maintenance Of Ip Based Video Surveillance System Vss At Railwaystations Under Northern Region Of Railtel For And On Behalf Of Indian Railways

Delhi, India

INR 59.26 CR.

17-08-2021

Multi State, India

INR 33.34 CR.

17-08-2021

Multi State, India

INR 33.34 CR.

17-08-2021

Expression Of Interest For Establishing Private Fright Terminal Over Indian Railway

Haryana, India

Refer Document

Refer Document

Supply Of :Push Button Self Restoring Momentarily Press Switch Heavy Duty For Use In 110v Ac Circuits For Electrically Operated Level Crossing Gates Of Indian Railways With Specifications As Per Annexure - A. Make: L&T, Teknic, Seimens, Havells, Heidz.

Maharashtra, India

Refer Document

16-08-2021

Supply Of Non Asbestos Based Organic Brake - Non Asbestos Based Organic Brake Pads For Lhb Type Coaches Equipped With Disc Brake System On Indian Railways. (One Set Consisting Of 1 Left &1 Right) (Item 12 Of Ref 10) Specification No.:- Rdso Spec.

No. Rdso/2013/Cg-01 (With Amnd. Slip No.1).Warranty Before The Condemning Limit Is Reached Or 24 Months From The Date Of Supply Whichever Is Earlier. .

Corrigendum : "Monitoring Health Of Ballast Bed With The Help Of Ground Penetration Radar Technology For Through Ballast Renewal (Tbr) And Formation Rehabilitation On Indian Railways” Supply, Installation, Testing, Commissioning, Integration With Existing Vss Infra, Operation And Maintenance Of Ip Based Video Surveillance System (Vss) At Railway Stations Under Northern Region Of Railtel For And On Behalf Of Indian Railways

www.metrorailnews.in

METRO RAIL NEWS | AUGUST 2021

57

Indian Railway TENDER DETAILS

Location

VALUE

DEADLINE

Uttar Pradesh, India

Refer Document

13-08-2021

Supply Of Gold Plated Silver Medal -1) Gold Plated Silver Medal With Indian Railway Logo On One Side And Name Of Zonal Railway On The Other Side. (2) Two Aluminum Pillars Of Height 1.5 Inches And Diameter 0.75 Inches On Both Sides Of The Medal. (3) The Two Stands/Pillars Are To Be Fixed Suitably On Inner Plate Of 9 Mm Covered With Velvet Cloth So That The Medal May Not Be Displaced Due To Jerk Or Capsize Condition Of The Box. (4). Packing In Transparent Acrylic Velvet Box Of Good Quality And Goo.....

Assam, India

Refer Document

11-08-2021

Supply Of Intercar Gangway Mounting. Drawing No. : Indian Railway's (Lhb Gmbh) Drawing No. 1.10113.0.24.100.001, Without Item No. 4. Matl. & Spec: As Per Drawing And Conforming To Rdso's Specification No. Rdso/2007/Cg-05 Of June 2007 With Corrigendum Slip No. 2 Of June 2015 & Amendment Slip No. 5 Of August, 2016

Multi Location

Refer Document

11-08-2021

Supply Of Non-Asbestos Based 'K' Type High Friction Composite Brake Block For Coaches With Bogie Mounted Brake System On Indian Railway To Rdso S Sk - 98066, Alt - 6(Six) And Rdso S Specn.

No. C - 9809 (Rev.-4) Of May 2009 With Amendment Slip No. 1 Of Sept.2016.

West Bengal, India

Refer Document

11-08-2021

Supply Of :Aar 'H' Type Lock Coupler With Transition Screw Coupling For Fitment On Bg Passenger Coaches On Bg Passenger Coaches Of Indian Railway As Per Rdso/2011/Cg-03 (Rev-3)

Multi Location

Refer Document

10-08-2021

Supply Of Set Of 02 Items Consisting Of (1) Bellow Connector Upper Assembly To Dlw Part No: 10245649 - 05nos (2) Bellow Connector Lower Assembly To Dlw Part No: 10245650 - 05nos Suitable For Wds6ad Locomotives. Note: Firm Should Submit Credintials Of Previous Supplies Of Same Material For Any Indian Railway Establishment.

Andhra Pradesh, India

Refer Document

10-08-2021

Tender For Rake Handling Services Of Bcn Wagon Loading Of Indian Railway From Hpcl Visakh Bitumen Drum Filling Plants And Transportation

Andhra Pradesh, India

Refer Document

06-08-2021

Supply Of Crest For Indian Railways To Rdso Drg. No. Csc-1124 A Alt-9. Matl.&Spec. As Per Drg.

Multi Location

Refer Document

06-08-2021

Tender For Rake Handling Services Of Bcn Wagon Loading Of Indian Railway From Hpcl Visakh Bitumen Drum Filling Plants And Transportation

Andhra Pradesh, India

Refer Document

06-08-2021

Empanelment For Provision Of Onboard Catering Services In M1 August Various Types Of Trains On Indian Railways.

Delhi, India

Refer Document

05-08-2021

Supply Of Tools For Pit Line Examination (Under Gear) Gang As Per Attcahed Annexure-A (One Set Consist Of 10 Items) - Soft Gate Hammer With Mallet, Allen Key Set, Ball Pein Hammer With Wooden Handle, Open Spanner Set, Ring Spanner Set, Flat Chiesel, Steel Measuring Tape, Special Wrench With Life Time Warranty Certificate Of Oem As [Er Sr.Sk. M & P No. 2/Ad2bs With Indian Logo And Life Time Warranty Certificate In Original Required Along With Supply, Inside Caliper 3" Apprx, Easy To Carry Tool Ba.....

Gujarat, India

Refer Document

05-08-2021

Request For Proposal For Appointment Of Programme Management Unit For Providing Transaction And Financial Advisory Services To Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation For Station Redevelopment Programme

Delhi, India

Refer Document

03-08-2021

Maintenance Of 4th Line Under Sse(P-Way)Pwl Section Between Hodal-Palwal For Year 2021-22. 1. Removing Rail Of All Types & Length From Track, Laid On Any Type & Density Of Sleeper By Removing Fish Plates, Fastenings & Fish Bolts And Other Materials Alongwith Keeping Released Rail And All Materials Safely On Cess, As Directed By Engineer In-Charge. (Cutting & Drilling Of Rail Shall Be Paid Separately And Work To Be Done Under Traffic Block & Railway's Supervision) Bg Track - For Casual/Scattered.....

The right connection The right Environment

Stainless Steel and Carbon Steel, Double Ferrule and Single ferrule Tube fittings

Proven Design Zero leak performance On site installation

ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 Certified Company Type Approved supplier for Marine, ISO/TS 22163 (IRIS) Certified Company CIN : U85110KA1991PTC011924 Plot. No. 88, Machhe Industrial Estate, Machhe, Belagavi, 590 014 Karnataka, INDIA Phone: +91 831 241 2777, Email: sales@hyloc.co.in

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