Metro Rail News Oct 2019: Privatization of Railways

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Vol. III Issue 34 | October 2019

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EDITOR NOTE

From the Desk of MANAGING EDITOR

Govt to form an empowered group to privatise 150 Trains, 50 Railway Stations

Dear Readers, More Indian Railways trains and stations to be privatized, The Modi government is currently in the process of forming a task force to draw a blueprint for handing over operations of as many as 150 trains and a total of 50 railway stations to private operators. The Indian Railways trains and railways stations are likely to be handed over to private players in a time-bound manner.

Our monthly supplements are designed keeping in mind all the curiosity of the people who are looking for information and updates on Urban Transport Mobility. Readers will come across a mixture of news, features and regular columns on a wide range of Metro Rail Projects topics.

Our October issue provides cover story on Privatization of Railways. Bhopal Metro is chosen as our project of the month and exclusive Interviews of Railway Board Chairman Shri Vinod Kumar Yadav, MMRC MD Ashwini Bhide, along with other regular columns such as new development in metro project, pre/post-event coverage, technology updates, News analysis, Article, opinions, appointments, live tenders, Industry contract, upcoming events and current job openings.

I hope you will find this edition to be useful and informative. Please do let us know if there are any topics that you would us like to cover in the future editions.

I would also like to express my deepest appreciation to all our readers for your constant support, and our valuable authors, reviewers, for their contributions, service, and interest. I highly appreciate your support and hope to continue our collaboration further. Please feel free to provide your valuable feedback and suggestions on this issue to my email address mentioned below.

Thank you.

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

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6

CONTENT

Index

CONTENTS

Editor Note

6

News Highlights

9

Cover Story: Privatization of Indian Railways

16

Featured Story: Dubai Metro

21

Project of the Month: Bhopal Metro

27

Exclusive Interview a) Shri Vinod Kumar Yadav, Chairman, Railway Board

29

b) Mrs. Ashwani Bhinde, MD, MMRC

32

c) Mr. Neelesh Dixit, MD, Renmakch

37

d) Mr. Ganesh Jivani, MD, Matrix Comsec

41

16

e) Mr. Dipankar Ghosh, CEO, ESCORTS Railway Division 44 Product Insight: Axle counters

50

Market Research

53

29

Pre Event Coverage a) The 7th International Railway Summit 2019

55

b) 12th Urban Mobility Indai conference Expo 2019

58

Article

8

a) First and Last Mile Connectivity

61

b) India’s public transport challenge

67

E-Mobility

70

New Development

72

Industry News

77

Spotlight Company

79

Contract and Awards

81

Product Watch

84

Appointments

88

Company Coverage: Progress Rail

90

Metro Rail News industry Events Calendar

94

Live Tender

96

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70

72

90

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation claims it planted 24,000 trees, MD justifies 'destruction’

facility in flat 75 days. Accompanied by state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Modi launched the coach.

It can be noted that the financial capital is catching up with the national Capital after decades in modern public transport and is pumping in over Rs 1.2 lakh crore to build 14 metro corridors stretching 337-km over the next decade.

Facing flak from green activists for felling trees in part of Aarey Colony for a metro car shed, the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRCL) on Sunday posted a video claiming it had planted 24,000 trees across the city even as its MD Ashwini Bhide justified the "inevitable destruction", saying it paves the way for "new creation".

Bhide has re-tweeted a video released by the official handle of @MumbaiMetro3 claiming plantation of 24,000 trees across Mumbai.

"Promises kept Commitments delivered. #MMRC has planted around 24,000 trees across Mumbai including #AareyMilkColony and degraded areas of #SGNP. Sturdy native species like Behada, Kadamb, Karanj etc 6- 12-inch girth & 12 -15 ft height planted. 2 years efforts and results show up," reads the tweet posted on @MumbaiMetro3.

MumbaiMetro3 is the official handle of MMRCL which is executing ColabaBandra-SEEPZ line.

PM Modi launches BEML-built coach for Mumbai metro Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an indigenously-built metro coach to be used by the upcoming Mumbai metro network on September 7, 2019. The coach, the first in the list of 500 to be delivered to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation, has been built by Bharat Earth Movers (BEML) at its Bengaluru

In a freak accident, a 24-year-old woman was killed in Hyderabad after a concrete slab from the metro station fell on her on September 2019.

The incident happened at Ameerpet metro station of Hyderabad metro rail when the concrete slab from a surface wall of the station fell off on her, according to NVS Reddy, the MD of Hyderabad metro rail.

Metropolitan commissioner RA Rajeev was seen explaining how the new coach will enable commuters to travel along with their bicycles to the destinations, as is seen in the cities of the developed world.

During his visit, which comes ahead of the assembly polls, the dates for which is awaited anytime now, Modi will also be laying the foundation for three more metro lines entailing a length of over 42 km and to be built at an investment of over Rs 19,000 crore.

These three new lines take the total number of metro lines to 14 across the Mumbai metropolitan region. The new corridors are the 9.2-km Gaimukh-Shivaji Chowk (Mira Road) metro-10; the 12.8km Wadala-CST metro-11; and the 20.7km Kalyan-Taloja metro-12 corridor. Modi will also lay the foundation for the 32storey Metro Bhavan at the Aarey Colony, one of the two large green belts of the megapolis, against mounting public criticism. The metro headquarters will be the integrated operations and control centre for the proposed 14 metro lines in and around Mumbai.

Woman dies as concrete slab of Hyderabad metro rail falls on her

"The sharp edge of the piece fell on a young lady's head from about 9 meters height and she, unfortunately, succumbed to the head injury while she was being taken to a nearby hospital," said Reddy.

The victim has been identified as 24-yearold Monica, a resident of KPHB of Hyderabad. She was a housewife and her husband is a TCS employee.

The metro authority said it will pay adequate compensation to the victim's family. However, no comments were made by the metro authority over the poor maintenance of the station Another building collapses in Bowbazar due to Metro work, Mamata demands compensation Another building, the second one on Bowbazar Street in central Kolkata, came crumbling down on September 3, 2019.

The first house collapsed on August 31, 2019 night following the boring for the 16.6 km of East-West flank of the Metro.

The Metro will run underground for a stretch of 10 km, connecting twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata, before taking the surface.

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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS About 52 houses in the central part of the city developed cracks and 70 families had to be evacuated in the apprehension of further cave-ins. The condition of a dozen of houses is quite bad.

has started taking over of operation and maintenance of Gurgaon Rapid Metro from Monday, in accordance with the orders passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Mr. Nath performed the ‘bhumi pujan’ (ground-breaking ceremony) for the project near Gayatri Mandir on Hoshangabad Road here.

State Urban Development Minister Jaiwardhan Singh, veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and other state ministers were present on the occasion.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with Metro officials on September 3, 2019, and asked them to compensate each of the affected families with a minimum of Rs 5 lakh.

Though the Metro was non-committal on this, it agreed to bear the cost of relocation, rent of the affected people until some permanent arrangements are made.

By announcing the compensation package in front of Metro officials, the chief minister's objective was served. She was able to give the message that she has good intentions of helping people and now the ball is in the Ministry of Railways' court. Describing the incident of collapse as "unprecedented" in the history of metros in the country, Managing Director of Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) said experts from Singapore and Hong Kong will be coming to assess what went wrong. “We have conducted sample soil test of each layer of soil and water pockets. There was no problem with 250 meters of water-bearing layers also," he said.

Delhi Metro starts taking over the process of Gurgaon Rapid Metro from IL&FS Delhi Metro starts taking over the process of Gurgaon Rapid Metro from IL&FS The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC)

On September 20, the Punjab and Haryana High Court disposed of two petitions filed by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) on behalf of Haryana government, challenging a termination notice served to it in July by the IL&FS-led Rapid Metro Gurgaon Limited and Rapid Metro Gurgaon South Limited.

The Haryana government and the Gurgaon Rapid Metro operators are expected to resolve the ongoing dispute by arbitration in the coming weeks including the pending forensic audit of Rapid Metro and the taking over the process.

Officials said that both parties were able to arrive at a consensus on further proceedings, thus ensuring that the service of Gurgaon Rapid Metro will continue without any hindrances. The Haryana government has set a target to complete the handover process to DMRC latest by October 16, until which time IL&FS will operate the Rapid Metro as per their proposal, which was submitted to the High court earlier this week.

Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath lays the foundation for Bhopal Metro rail Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on September 26 laid the foundation stone of the Bhopal metro rail project to be set up at a cost of ? 6,941.4 crores.

“Two metro rail corridors will be built in the city, one 14.94-km-long, connecting Karond Circle to AIIMS, and the other 12.88-km-long, from Bhadbhada Chouraha to Ratnagiri Square,” Mr. Jaiwardhan Singh said.

The project, to be set up at a cost of Rs. 6,941.4 crores, will have a 26.08-km-long elevated section and a 1.79 km underground section, he said.

The project, to be set up at a cost of ? 6,941.4 crores, will have a 26.08-km-long elevated section and a 1.79 km underground section.

Around 28 metro stations, including two underground, will be built under the project. “The deadline for the first phase of the project is December 2022,” the Minister added.

DMRC to ‘mentor’ Indore, Bhopal metro projects The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has decided to ‘mentor’ construction of Bhopal and Indore Metro rail projects just like the ones at Lucknow and Kochi. In this regard, DMRC managing director Mangu Singh met chief minister Kamal Nath, urban development minister Jaivardhan Singh and top government officials on October 10, 2019. After the meeting, Singh said, “Let’s see how we can engage

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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS Singh said, “Let’s see how we can engage with DMRC”, leaving the options open for a larger role for DMRC. The corporation has already earned laurels for the development of Delhi Metro and set industry standards for metro development in India. Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) said that Thursday’s meeting with DMRC officials was ‘informal’ and a way to understand how things work out.

The meeting with DMRC came in the backdrop of delay in Metro construction as 10 months, out of 27 months, forcompletion of basic infra development for Metro rail in the state capital has already elapsed. There is not much progress to show so far. In a bid to ensure that Metro rail construction work gathers pace, DMRC officials reviewed the progress in Bhopal and Indore metro rail projects. Sharing best practices, organisation setup and improvements needed in moving forward were discussed during the meeting with DMRC MD Singh and others.

DMRC Training institute renamed as D e l h i M e t r o R a i l A c a d e m y, infrastructure to be upgraded The Delhi Metro Training Institute, functioning since 2002 at Shastri Park Depot, was on September 18, 2019, given a new name and logo. The institute will henceforth be known as the Delhi Metro Rail Academy (DMRA) which has so far imparted training to around 25,000 DMRC personnel and 2,000 personnel from other metros in India and neighbouring countries.

Dr Mangu Singh, Managing Director of DMRC who was present during the renaming ceremony said, “The Delhi Metro Rail Academy will further raise the bar in the quality of training in the field of Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS). The Academy will now be headed by a Dean and each department will be led by a P r o f e s s o r. T h e f a c u l t y w i l l b e strengthened by a team of full-time P r o f e s s o r s Associate/AssistantProfessors and Lecturers”.

DMRA is a premier institute in the country which is equipped with all modern facilities to impart customized training on every aspect of Project Planning, Implementation and Operations & Maintenance of MRTS. In its pursuit of excellence, the Academy will now be undertaking up-gradation of its facilities.

The makeover will include infrastructural, technological and academic upgradation. A new look website of the academy is also being developed to facilitate all its stakeholders.

Bihar inks Memorandum of Understanding with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for Patna Metro The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for the construction of the first phase of the Patna Metro Rail Project.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi. Chaitanya Prasad, Chief Secretary, Urban Development, was among the other

dignitaries who were present on the occasion.

The signing of MoU took place nearly three weeks after the Bihar Cabinet approved the allotment of Patna Metro Rail Project work to the DMRC. Earlier this month, the Bihar Cabinet had allotted the Patna Metro work to DMRC on nomination basis which will complete the work on "Deposit Work Method" at a project cost of Rs 482.87 crore.

"It is expected that the construction work of Patna Metro will begin by the end of this year by completing the tendering process," Sanjay Kumar, Cabinet Secretariat Department's Principal Secretary, had told reporters.

Kumar further said that the Patna metro rail envisages two corridors in the first phase. The entire metro project in the first phase will be completed within five years, he said.

Devendra Fadnavis flags off the trial run of Navi Mumbai Metro Line one Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on September 11, 2019, flagged off the trial run of the first Belapur to Pendhar Metro rail project in Navi Mumbai.

Out of the four lines proposed for Navi Mumbai Metro, Line one will have a total of 11 stations on the 11.10 km corridor being constructed at the cost of ?3,063 crores.

"Navi Mumbai Metro will make the commute easy for inhabitants residing at Kharghar, Taloja and Pendhar. At present, the travel time to reach Taloja from

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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS Belapur is 45 minutes

and operations in Phase 2.

"Once the metro becomes operational, this will reduce to 18 minutes, which will be a great relief for Navi Mumbaikars using the route," CIDCO said in a statement issued here.

The move is expected to help BMRCL reduce the burden of upfront capital investment, save time and operate additional trains at an increased frequency. It will also save maintenance costs during the 30-year life cycle of coaches For Agra, Kanpur metro rail projects Niti Aayog assures funding

Private firms may run Namma Metro trains on new corridors After Delhi Metro, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) is now thinking of leasing trains from private firms for the upcoming lines. The selected company will operate and maintain the trains.

BMRCL is planning to implement this PPP concept on Phase 2 corridors like RV Road-Bommasandra, GottigereNagawara, Silk Board-KR Puram and KR Puram-Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) besides the proposed Phase 3 corridors. However, other Phase 2 lines will not have this concept.

Phase 3 will connect places like Hebbal to JP Nagar, Magadi Road Toll Gate to Kadabagere, Gottigere to Basavapura, Nagawara to Aerospace Park, Kogilu Cross to Rajanukunte and Iblur to Carmelaram. BMRCL sources say the firm chosen through a tender will have to follow the specifications provided by the corporation. It will be paid on an hourly or per km basis. BMRCL is also planning to outsource manpower for maintenance 13

On August 31, 2019, The government think tank, Niti Aayog, assured the UP government to expedite the funding for construction of metro rail projects in Agra and Kanpur. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting between Niti Aayog vice-chairman, Rajiv Kumar and a delegation led by cabinet minister Siddharth Nath Singh, principal secretary (Micro, small and medium scale industry) Navneet Sehgal and managing director of Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation Kumar Keshav.

After the meeting, Singh said that the vice-chairman has assured to expedite the clearance process of the funding for the ambitious project in the two cities.

crores will have to be arranged by the local bodies. Earlier this month, the state government had transferred Rs 100 crores each to both the cities from the initial budgetary provision of Rs 175 crores.

BEML sets up bogie traction motor run test facility for Metro BEML on Friday opened a 'Bogie Traction Motor Run test facility' for Metro at its Metro manufacturing unit here. "The indigenously developed facility is one of its kind in India, and will help in improving Metro train ride quality and increases the reliability of coaches," said the Miniratna Government of India undertaking under Ministry of Defence.

The Aayog has assured the state government of forwarding its recommendation to the department of economic affairs very soon,� Sigh told.

Singh, who is also UP government’s spokesperson, said that the European Union investment Bank is keen to fund both the projects.

"This will run on electrical drive type for checking the drive from Traction Motors to Wheels," the company said in a statement. At a function held at BEML Bangalore Complex, the facility was inaugurated by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Managing Director Ajay Seth, in the presence of BEML Chairman and Managing Director Deepak Kumar Hota, and senior executives of BEML & BMRCL.

The estimated cost of the Kanpur metro rail project is Rs 16,975 crores of which the state government will provide Rs

BEML also noted that it had supplied 150 Metro cars to BMRCL which are running as 3-car train sets. In addition, against a contract of 192 cars, BEML so far supplied 105 cars for conversion into 6-car train sets and balance are being delivered progressively by June 2020. BEML also said it is currently supplying Metro cars to Kolkata and Mumbai in addition to cars already supplied to Bengaluru, Delhi and Jaipur. BEML claims a 48 per cent market share in the Indian Metro car segment.

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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS Delhi Metro Phase-IV may get Metrolite for 3 corridors The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs is planning to start the Metrolite system for three corridors of Delhi Metro Project Phase IV.

According to sources, a high-level meeting was held at the Ministry on September 26 to discuss the adoption of Metrolite standards for remaining 3 corridors of Delhi Metro Phase-IV project, which include Inderlok to Indraprastha, Lajpat Nagar to Saket G Block and Rithala-Bawana-Narela covering 42.28

km. A senior official of Delhi Metro, DDA and National Highways Authority of India attended the meeting.

Delhi Metro asked DDA to provide population details along the RithalaNarela corridor and also the estimated population increase in the next 30 years for assessing the traffic projection of the corridor, also the DDA was asked to fund the project.

The maximum operational speed of the Metrolite is 60 km per hour In any case, even with the failure of onboard signalling, the speed is restricted to 25 km per hour.

The train is to accommodate around 300 passengers sources said.

The Ministry has recently issued standard specifications of the Metrolite system which will be developed on the surface and elevated stretches with stainless steel or aluminium bogey. With three nonseparable coaches and low floor height of

about 300-350 mm & the train’s unit length should be of minimum 33 m.

According to ministry, the Metrolite with a dedicated path will also act as a feeder system to high capacity Metro. f the road width in the cities does not permit to have both lines, one line can be provided on a particular road and the line on a parallel road, adding that as an alternative, the entire road can be closed for road transport and the only train can be operated with pedestrian plazas, as per proposals made by the Central Government.

The Metrolite system will have shelter platforms but won’t have AFC gates, platform screen doors, X-ray and baggage scanner. Ticket validators could be installed inside the metrolite train and shelter with NCMC/other ticketing systems.

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COVER STORY

Privatization of Indian Railways

I

t is widely felt that the public sector in many developing

saying that Railway Board is having internal discussions over

countries is too large, and that privatization would benefit

privatization of both passenger trains and freight operations,

both the users of individual services and the economy in

and some concrete announcements can be made soon.

general. However, enthusiasm for private enterprise solutions is not always matched by the requisite financial and economic technology.

Several developed countries in the world, such as USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Japan etc. have a thriving

As per Girish, the main focus of these internal discussions are two questions: Whether the private players be allowed to fix fares of the routes they are managing? Or the fares should be in Govt. control.

private railways network. Trains, routes, passengers etc are

Should these private players be allowed to construct their own

fully handled by these private players, and the Govt. has no

terminals, wherein passengers can be charged for amenities

interference.

and services?

Can this model of private railways be implemented in India?

Girish said, “There have been many changes in the operation of

If we believe fresh reports coming in, then Railways Officials do want such privatization of Railways in India.

But the big question: Is it even feasible?

trains across the world and I believe that it is a time that India should discuss the option of allowing private operators in the operation of passenger trains” Is Privatization Feasible in India?

Railways Officials: Privatization of Passenger Trains is

Since January last year, talks and rumours were floating

Good

regarding the idea of privatization of railways.

During an event organized by Centre for Transportation, Research and Management recently, a Senior Railways Board

In 2017, Indian Railways allowed private players to construct a

member suggested privatization of passenger trains in India.

5-star railway station in Bhopal, which was hailed as India’s first

Girish Pillai, Railway Board member (Traffic) was quoted as 16

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private railway station.

COVER STORY As per various reports, more than 600 such private railway

‘private passenger train operators to provide world-class

stations will be built by private players in the coming years.

services’ under the government’s latest 100-day action plan.

In February this year, Railways Minister hinted that privatization of Railways can happen, and this surprised everyone.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal told the Lok Sabha that private trains would be operated on a PPP basis, with IR retaining responsibility for the infrastructure and providing traction to the

However, in July last year, Railways Minister Piyush Goel

new operators. Launch of the two Tejas Express services by the

backtracked and issued a statement that privatization of Indian

railway’s quasi-autonomous catering subsidiary is intended to

Railways will never happen, and it will always remain under

prove the concept before bids are invited next year for private

100% control of Govt.

operators to run on selected corridors.

He had categorically stated: “Let me make it very clear that

MoR says the private operators would be expected to provide

there are no plans to privatize railways, either now or ever,”

additional services rather than taking over existing IR trains. It

As of now, only a few aspects of Indian Rail operations are

has shortlisted 50 potential routes from an initial 150 proposals

partially privatized: Manufacturing of some good wagons,

for closer examination by the zonal railways to confirm the

under strict Govt. control, construction of railway stations

feasibility of introducing extra services. According to IR

(which is still underway), booking tickets via apps/websites,

Chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav, completion of the two

which use IRCTC’s main servers.

Dedicated Freight Corridors by December 2021 is expected to release capacity on the existing Mumbai – Delhi and Delhi –

Railway Employee unions have always been against

Kolkata main lines for more passenger services.

privatization of Railways (because it will induce more accountability?), and this is indeed a sensitive issue.

Leased rolling stock

It would be interesting to observe how the Railways Ministry

IRCTC has leased two rakes of air-conditioned LHB coaches to

responds to the issue of privatization now.

operate its Tejas Express services and will be responsible for managing ticket booking and on-train catering.

The company has been permitted to run 12-car trains, compared to IR’s standard 18-car formations, but will be able to lengthen them if business increases. Each train initially provides one 56-seat Executive Class coach and nine 78-seat Chair Cars, as well as baggage and generator vehicles. The company will pay leasing charges of Rs70m a year for each 12car rake, plus haulage charges of Rs 677 per train-km, including track access, and a daily charge of Rs146 000; these variable charges would rise proportionately for 18-car trains.

Dynamic pricing

The first step towards opening up the provision of intercity passenger services on the IR network began on October 4, with the launch at Lucknow Junction of a new Tejas Express service by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath.

Operating over the 500 km route between Lucknow and New Delhi six days a week, the Tejas Express is managed and marketed by Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corp, with IR providing traction under a haulage agreement. A second train linking Mumbai Central and Ahmedabad is due to start running in December.

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18

COVER STORY The independent operator is free to set its own fares and is

higher fares and allow sustainable operations for semi-luxury

expected to trial yield-managed dynamic pricing. It will also

and luxury trains.

offer compensation for late arrivals; against base fares of Rs2 300 in Executive Class and Rs1 200 for Chair Car, the compensation has been set at Rs100 for a delay of more than 1 h and Rs250 for more than 2 h. IRTC is initially operating a

Based on the success and economic feasibility of the plan, more routes would be identified for private train operations in the future.

shorter booking window, with tickets available 60 days in

"A five-member empowered group of secretaries (EGoS) has

advance, compared with the standard 120 days for IR trains.

been set up to examine the feasibility of the plan and get

With revenue services starting on October 5, the Tejas Express takes 6 h 15 min to cover the 500 km, with two intermediate

techno-economic feasibility of certain identified routes," said an official in the Ministry of Railways asking not to be named.

stops at Kanpur and Ghaziabad. The train leaves Lucknow at

"In addition, the group will also identify new routes where

06.10, arriving in New Delhi at 12.25. The return trip departs at

private train operations could be started. Once, EGoS finalises

16.30 and reaches Lucknow at 22.45. Services operate every

privatisation blueprint, it would invite bids and also approve the

day except Tuesdays, allowing time for maintenance.

successful bidder.”

The EGoS would include the Railway Board Chairman, Department of Economic Affairs Secretary, the Housing Secretary and Railways' Finance Commissioners.

Under the proposal, the Indian Railways will provide the technical support staff such as the driver apart from locomotives and rolling-stocks, whereas private players will manage the ticket, on-board entertainment, F&B and maintenance.

Enthused by Success of Privately Operated Tejas Express, Centre Mulling Corporate-Run Trains on Over 30 More Routes

The development comes after government think tank NITI Aayog asked the government to set up the EGoS.

The private trains are expected to tap into a growing market for

Government begins process of privatizing 150 trains, 50

faster and more comfortable premium services, as exemplified

railway stations

by IR’s 160 km/h Vande Bharat Express EMU launched on the Delhi – Varanasi route in February. Following the delivery of

The Narendra Modi government has initiated the process of

another EMU, IR was able to introduce a second Vande Bharat

privatizing operations of 150 trains and 50 railway stations and

Express on October 3, serving the 615 km route between New

is forming a task force to complete the process in a “time-

Delhi and Katra which carries passengers to the Vaishno Devi

bound” manner.

shrine.

Niti Aayog chief Amitabh Kant in a letter to Railway Board

The government has formed an Empowered Group of

chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav stated, “As you are already

Secretaries (EGoS), which has been tasked to prepare a

aware that the ministry of railways has also decided to bring in

feasibility plan which will include terms and conditions on

private train operators for passenger train operations and is

financial details and other requirements to operate such

contemplating to take up 150 trains in the first phase.”

operations.

The empowered group will consist of Secretary, Department of

The proposal envisages allowing corporate entities to bid to run

Economic Affairs and Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban

luxury and semi-luxury trains.

Affairs besides Amitabh Kant and Vinod Kumar.

Besides, the EGoS are also studying a survey conducted by the

Kant remarked that the Railways was required to upgrade 400

Indian Railways to fine-tune the process. The survey has

railway stations into world-class stations but very few have

identified heavy traffic-laden routes which can also support

been done so far. The process needs to be speeded up and the

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METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

COVER STORY target is to privatize at least 50 stations in the first phase, he

Mumbai, Delhi-Chennai, Delhi-Howrah which can be operated

added.

by private players in the near future.

A railway official has said that public response to this train has

The Indian Railways is doing a trial of eight months, in which it

been impressive with trains running on full capacity.

gave IRCTC to run Tejas Express on Lucknow-Delhi route. The

IRCTC has put in place several benefits for the passengers like combination meals, free insurance of up to Rs 25 lakh, and compensation in case of delays After IRCTC, SpiceJet and IndiGo to run Indian Railways trains; MakeMyTrip also inline

IRCTC began its train operations on 4th October successfully.

After 8-10 months, private players would be asked to bid for their preferred train route for operations.

Railway Unions Protest Against India’s First Private Train – Tejas Express

Railway unions on October 4, 2019, protested against the After the IRCTC got the Tejas Express operations in the Delhi-

IRCTC's Tejas Express, the country's first "private" train,

Lucknow route, it seems that the Indian Railways is fast running

flagged off by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in

towards privatization. Now, two aviation companies SpiceJet

Lucknow.

and IndiGo are all set to start train operations. Apart from this,

The All India Railway Men's Federation (AIRF) said it was

some of the e-commerce giants in the hospitality industry,

observing the day as 'virodh diwas' (protest day) across the

especially MakeMyTrip have also shown interest for the same.

network against the first "private" train Tejas and the railway

According to the sources in the Ministry of Railways, SpiceJet

board's decision to give another 150 trains to the private sector.

and IndiGo are the two private airline companies who have

Terming the launch of the Tejas Express on October 4, 2019, as

shown interest in train operations.

a "black day", members of the railway unions carrying banners

The source said that the Indian Railways has received inquiry in

and shouting slogans gathered in front of the divisional railway

regard to Indian Railways privatization.

manager's office here.

In fact, some travel portals have also shown interest in railway operations. On the condition of anonymity, a senior Indian Railways officer posted at the Ministry of Railways said that some travel portals of big repute want to join Indian Railways as private players. He only named MakeMyTrip though.

Receiving such a rave response from the private players, the Indian Railways is at Cloud-9. They have now started to find out the possible routes where private firms operated trains can be introduced. The railway official said that the Indian Railways has zeroed on 150 train routes for private operators. In long route trains, there are 9 such train routes, which include DelhiMETRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

20

FEATURED STORY

Dubai Metro 10th Anniversary: Dubai Metro a massive hit with 1.5 billion riders in 10 years

M

etro is credited to Sheikh Mohammed’s vision

stations (6 underground and 12 elevated). The Green Line runs

for world-class infrastructure in Dubai

between Etisalat Station in Al Qusais and Al Jaddaf near

The Dubai Metro on Shaikh Zayed road.

Dubai: UAE's most ambitious project, the Dubai Metro, turns 10 on Monday.

The first decade of Dubai Metro operation, launched on September 9, 2009 (9.9.9), has been marked by fabulous successes reflected by a massive number of more than 650,000 commuters currently using the service every day. In total, more than 1.5 billion riders have used the metro over the last 10 years.

Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) launched the metro journey at 09:09:09pm on a Wednesday, the 09.09.2009. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-

Business Bay Crossing.

The two lines intersect at the Union and Burjuman stations. It is the world’s largest automated driverless system. And a bona fide tourist attraction.

“Dubai Metro is a brainchild of Sheikh Mohammed as it reflects his prudent vision for developing world-class infrastructure capable of symbolising Dubai as a global hub for finance and business,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Al Tayer said that Dubai Metro’s concept was driven by Sheikh Mohammed's vision for the the urban development of the emirate.

President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai,

“Public transport contributed to the safe and smooth mobility,

inaugurated the Red Line of Metro spanning 52km and

improved business climate and enhanced the competitive edge

comprising of 29 stations (4 underground, 24 elevated and one

of Dubai in hosting mega-events”

at-grade). The red line runs between Jebel Ali and Rashidiya.

Exactly two years later, on 09.09.2011, Sheikh Mohammed launched the Green Line, extending 23km and comprising 18

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METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

FEATURED STORY The number of metro riders soared from about 39 million in 2010 to as much as 69 million the following year. With the launch of the Green Line in September 2011, the number of Metro riders rocketed to 109 million in 2012.

The ridership continued to grow and in 2015, it reached 179 million; by the end of 2018, it broke the two-hundred-million barrier; clocking 204 million riders.

- Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, RTA

“Sheikh Mohammed projected the metro system as the backbone of a transit system that connects hotspots in the emirate, providing safe and smooth mobility for all. To match that supreme vision, Sheikh Mohammed directed to construct metro facilities par excellence,” recalled Al Tayer.

Stand-out project Al Tayer noted that the news of the Metro's success have travelled far beyond the emirate.

Riders at a metro station.Image Credit: RTA

“The metro has embellished the global profile of Dubai as a splendid metropolis, business hub, and a destination for a fancy

“Currently, Dubai Metro serves about 650,000 commuters

living environment.

daily; a record that significantly surpasses the number forecasted in studies commissioned at the design phase of the

82million kilometres covered by Dubai Metro in 10 years

project,” confirmed Al Tayer.

Metro benefits

“The metro is a gorgeous addition to Dubai’s iconic landmarks

The successful operation of Dubai Metro resonates with RTA’s

and uses state-of-the-art technology of the rail industry. Also, it

strategic objective of raising the share of public transport used

has carved a niche for itself as the world’s longest driverless

in intra-emirate travel to 26 per cent by 2030.

metro network,” said Al Tayer.

Public transport shares started to make incremental growth Ridership on the go

starting at 6 per cent in 2006 and going up to 17.5 per cent in

RTA’s Director General was impressed by the growing metro

2018, recording a cumulative growth rate of about 9.3 per cent

ridership, which reveals that RTA’s plan for increasing the share

per annum.

of public transport riders is heading in the right direction.

1.5billion number of riders that have used Dubai Metro in 10 years

“The growing number of metro users reflects the evolution in

“The massive investments of Dubai Government in the public

the culture of using mass transport means in the community.

transport infrastructure proved a hit,” said Al Tayer, the man

People started grasping the benefits of using public transport

behind realising the dream of mass transit system in Dubai.

such as the peace of mind, physical relief, smooth mobility and reduced outlay on fuel and maintenance of vehicles,” he noted.

“It supported the flourishing development witnessed by the Emirate and provided a stimulant for business and tourism.

Massive ridership “Public transport contributed to the safe and smooth mobility, From the start of operations on 09.09.2009 until the end of

improved business climate and enhanced the competitive edge

August this year, Dubai Metro was used by about 1.5 billion

of Dubai in hosting mega-events. Expo 2020 is an example.

riders.

“The indirect benefits of public transport includes conserving METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

22

FEATURED STORY the environment, and cutting financial losses of traffic bottlenecks through deflecting the demand from private vehicles to public transit means,” Al Tayer explained.

An April 30, 2010 file photo of passengers at newly opened Ibn Battuta Station.Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News archives

Team effort Al Tayer did not let the occasion of the Metro's 10th anniversary go without commending the efforts of RTA’s strategic partners and their contribution to the successful operation of Dubai Metro.

“Above all comes Dubai Police, and Serco, the operator of the metro network,” he said.

He also thanked commuters who made the metro their ideal mobility choice and praised their compliance with the rules governing metro operation and facilities.

No vandalism Al Tayer said that it is amazing to note that in the past ten years, no act of vandalism that targeted metro facilities was reported.

Performance indicators of the Dubai Metro over the past decade reveal very high operational standards. The on-time departures of the metro service, from inception until August 2019, clocked in at 99.7 per cent.

Metro completes 81 million km The metro completed 2.348 million journeys and covered about 81.133 million km in the first 10 years.

Through the metro service, RTA aims to improve mobility within Dubai, especially in tourist areas and central business districts.

It also seeks to enhance the integration of mass transit modes in the emirate, provide a safe and smooth transit alternative, reduce carbon emissions and improve the living experience of people.

Six billion transactions 24

METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

From the start of the metro operation in September 2009 to the end of August 2019, about 6.298 billion transactions have been made using Nol cards.

Transactions covered entry/exit from metro stations, buses, taxis and marine transport as well as payment of parking fees, and card top-ups. The daily use of Nol cards is on the rise and has grown to 2.511 million transactions.

The total number of Nol cards and tickets amounted to 75.588 million.

What is an automated fare system?

RTA’s automated fare collection system, comprising of Nol cards and e-purse, is a key smart payment platform. It supports the government’s efforts to transform Dubai into the smartest and happiest city in the world. Nol card boasts of high safety features, thanks to the sophisticated technologies in use. It has scooped several awards including the best-prepaid card in the Middle East.

The e-purse is a prepaid online account for prepayment of RTA’s services. Companies can make deposits to the e-purse account instead of using cash or credit cards. About 1,700 processed through the purse are worth about Dh1.136 billion.

Metro extension: Route 2020 On June 29, 2016, Sheikh Mohammed okayed awarding the contract of the Route 2020 Project, for extending the Dubai Metro Red Line from Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station to the site of Expo 2020. The contract was awarded to Expolink Consortium comprising French, Spanish and Turkish companies at a cost of Dh10.6 billion.

FEATURED STORY On September 5 of the same year, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council, laid the cornerstone of Route 2020 Project signalling the start of construction works in the project.

the rest is an elevated track. A limited sector of the Red Line (about 3.3 km) runs above-ground.

Each metro train comprises of five fully air-conditioned cabins with a total capacity of 650 riders. All trains are driverless.

There are 79 trains available for the metro service in total.

Trains in service include 51 on the Red Line and 16 on the Green Line.

The design capacity of the metro network is 26,000 riders per hour per direction in both the Red and Green Lines. By 2020, the Dubai Metro is anticipated to serve about 700,000 riders per day and 255 million riders per annum.

Three multi-level Park-N-Ride terminals have been constructed with a capacity of 8,000 parking slots.

The interior design of the metro stations on both the Red and

Al Wugeisha breaking through the diaphragm wall at the Green Community Image Credit: RTA Route 2020 extends 15km (11.8km viaduct, and 3.2km underground). It has seven stations including a transfer station with the Red Line, a station at Expo site, three elevated stations and two underground stations.

It serves densely populated areas providing homes to more

Green Lines as well as Route 2020 features six symbolic design themes: Heritage: Culture and history of the UAE Earth: Durability of nature Air: Elation and continuity of life Fire: Source of energy and strength

than 270 thousand residents such as The Gardens, Discovery

Water: Source of life and inspiration

Gardens, Al Furjan, Jumeirah Golf Estates and the Dubai

Future Dubai symbolised in Expo Station

Investment Park.

Timeline The transit time from Dubai Marina Station to Expo Station is expected to be only 16 minutes. The capacity of Route 2020 is

October 24, 2005:

estimated as 46,000 riders per hour in both directions (23,000

Construction work on Dubai Metro Project starts at AlIttihad

riders per hour per direction).

Park in Deira.

According to RTA’s studies, the ridership of Route 2020 is

November 2005:

expected to reach 125,000 per day in 2020; and the number is set to rise to 275,000 riders per day by 2030. Studies also anticipated that about 35,000 riders would use the Expo Station per day during weekdays, and that number is poised to rise to 47,000 riders per day during weekends. This number accounts for about 20 per cent of the projected total number of daily visitors to Expo.

Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum issued a decree setting up Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, which have direct jurisdictions and responsibilities over Dubai Metro sector March 21, 2006: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, launched the construction work of Dubai Metro in an official

Quick facts

event held at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.

· Dubai Metro extends 75 km: 52km on the Green Line and

July 29, 2006:

23km on the Green Line.

• The metro route is partly underground (downtown areas), and

The first concrete pillar of the Dubai Metro viaduct, between the sixth and seventh interchanges on Shaikh Zayed Road, is cast.

METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

25

FEATURED STORY January 10, 2007: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad launches the drilling of Dubai

Dubai Metro surpasses the milestone as more than 100 million

Metro tunnels by pressing the operation button of the giant

2009.

passengers use the service since its launch on September 9,

Tunnel Boring Machine, Al Wugeisha, at the site of the Union Station in the direction of Burjuman Station.

June 13, 2015:

March 7, 2008:

The RTA unveils plans to extend the Metro tracks to 110km by 2020 and to 421km by 2030.

The first batch of Dubai Metro carriages (10 trains) arrives at Jebel Ali Port.

September 09, 2017:

Sept 20, 2008:

Dubai Metro crosses a billion-rider mark.

Shaikh Mohammad launches the technical trial run of Dubai Metro on the test track.

Sept 9, 2009: Shaikh Mohammad launches the commercial operation of the Red Line starting with ten stations.

Sept 9, 2011: Shaikh Mohammad launches the commercial operation of the Green Line of Dubai Metro.

November 7, 2011:

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METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

PROJECT OF THE MONTH

Bhopal Metro

T

he Bhopal Metro is an under-construction rapid transit system which for the city of Bhopal, India. It will

comprise two corridors of 27 km, the work will be done

in two phases. The first phase is targeted to be completed by 2022. This project will cost Rs. 80 billion approximately. There will be three types of run-on road, on bridges, and underground in some locations.

With its independent Research and Development, Matrix’s primary focus is to develop solutions equipped with cuttingedge technologies to deliver preventive security and higher

Square. The metro will cost 6941 crores 40 lakh.

The 28 stations of Bhopal Metro Be the elevated section of 26.08 km in the Bhopal metro project, in which a total of 28 stations will be built. The underground section will be 1.79 km, which will have 2 stations. The first part is targeted to be completed by December 2022. The schedule of the metro train in Bhopal will be like Delhi. The train will run every five minutes and there will be a 30 second stop at each station.

Two corridors have been proposed by DMRC. AIIMS to Karond Circle Ratnagiri Tiraha to Bhadbhada Square

On 1 May 2019, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) gave inprinciple approval to fund the Bhopal Metro project. The Union Government will stand as guarantor for the loan.

27 km of Journey of Bhopal Metro At present, 27.87 km of lines will be laid in the metro rail project in Bhopal. 2 corridors will be built in it. A corridor will be from Karond Circle to AIIMS with a length of 14.94 km. Another track of 12.88 km will be laid from Bhadbhada Chauraha to Ratnagiri

The train will be like Jaipur Metro The Bhopal Metro will be like the Jaipur Metro. It will have three coaches; Coaches will also be increased as the number of METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

27

PROJECT OF THE MONTH passengers increases. A 6.22 km route will be built in the first

Fare: Not yet fixed for metro – The fare of Jaipur Metro is five

phase. There will be 8 stations on this route and it will take 10

to 15 rupees. However, the fare of Bhopal Metro is yet to be

minutes to travel.

decided.

The journey from AIIMS to Subhash Nagar Gate will be

When will it run – the target of running the Bhopal Metro is

completed in 10 minutes. Subhash Nagar Underpass, Aayakar

2023? However, the Chief Minister has asked to complete the

Bhawan, DB City, Sargam, Habibganj Station, DRM Office,

work before the scheduled time.

Alkapuri and AIIMS Station have been placed on this route.

The big question: will the traffic bottleneck be less? – The population of Bhopal is around 25 lakh, while the number of vehicles in the city is 18 lakh 47 thousand. Such traffic pressure is high. Nearly two lakh vehicles pass through the peak hours of the morning and evening on this route, thus the introduction of Metro rail on this route will reduce the traffic load.

Project Timeline September2019: Laid Foundation of Bhopal Rail Project by What has happened so far: –

CM Kamalnath.

Tenders worth Rs 278 crore have been received for Bhopal

Oct 2018: DPR is approved by the central government.

Metro. Soil testing and design testing are done. Pile testing has also been successful for a load capacity in the ground. Pile

Nov 2018: Tendering starts in December.

testing was done at three locations below-ground. The

Dec 2018: Soil testing started.

technical background work of the metro has been completed.

Jan 2019: Construction of Elevated Viaduct Between

Speed: 80 km per hour – the speed limit will be up to 90 km / h

Shubash Nagar And AIIMS starts.

on the metra rail track. However, the Metro train will run at a maximum speed of 80 km / h.

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METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

Aug 2019: Construction works ongoing Metro to start by 2023.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Exclusive Interview of Railway Board Chairman

Shri Vinod Kumar Yadav on Privatisation of Railways

S

hri Vinod Kumar Yadav, Chairman Railway Board,

able to run trains according to demand. There will be no waiting

Ministry of Railways makes it amply clear that the

lists. But that will also mean that a large number of new trains

Indian Railways is readying bidding documents to

will be required. The role of the private trains comes in here.

bring in private train operators. In an interview, Chairman Railway Board explains why the railways need private trains, and how and where these will be rolled out. Here are edited excerpts: Why is the Indian railways planning to bring in private trains?

But the Indian railways can also manufacture more trains and fill the gap. Why do we need private trains?.

Mr. Yadav: Private operators are expected to bring in their own trainsets, state-of-the-art technology and innovative ways of providing passenger amenities and finding new luggagehandling solutions.Mr. Yadav: Private operators are expected

Mr. Yadav: By December 2021, we should be able to complete

to bring in their own trainsets, state-of-the-art technology and

our dedicated freight corridors (DFCs) connecting Delhi and

innovative ways of providing passenger amenities and finding

Mumbai, and Delhi and Howrah (Kolkata). At present, the

new luggage-handling solutions.

permissible maximum speed for freight trains is 60 km/h. But the DFCs are being developed for 100 km/h. All this would mean that 90% of freight traffic on these routes will shift to DFCs.

To prove the concept of private train operations works, we recently handed over two luxurious rakes called Tejas to our own company, IRCTC. It is an experiment before allowing pure private operators. Now, IRCTC has announced value additions

Meanwhile, the Union cabinet has approved nearly Rs 13,000

such as Rs 25 lakh insurance on every ticket, wheelchairs,

crore to upgrade the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Kolkata stretches

home pick-up and delivery of luggage, etc. IRCTC can even

for trains running at 160 km/hSo, in four to five years, we will be

pick you up from your home and drop you at the station. In Delhi METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

29

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW and Lucknow (to be connected by the IRCTC-run train by

But the railways has faced criticism for not being able to

October 4), passengers can also avail accommodation at

successfully run private container trains, which have been

retiring rooms.

around for 13 years.

How many private trains will there be? And where will they

Mr. Yadav: We regularly sit down with private container

run?

operators. Their problems are being sorted out. The operators

Mr. Yadav: The Indian railways will have 150 private trains to start with. We are still working on the routes that will go for

feel they are unable to compete with Container Corporation of India. It is a railway PSU and a big player.

bidding. We will run these trains in the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-

You have also decided to corporatise production units

Howrah corridors and also in other viable stretches.

despite opposition from workers. Why?

Will it be mandatory for private operators to manufacture

Mr. Yadav: The corporatisation of production units is essential

coaches and locos in India?

because we will need more coaches and locomotives fit for 160

Mr. Yadav: During bidding, we will give options — import, buy rakes from an Indian company or from us. They can get coaches on lease too. But our expectation is that new types of trainsets will arrive.

km/h. Once more autonomy is given, our production units will bring in new technology and produce rolling stocks for internal consumption and for export. There is a huge demand for rolling stocks from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Australia may also

How much investment are you expecting from private

show interest. It has already imported some coaches. show interest. It has already imported some coaches.

players? When will these trains start running?

We are debating whether we should have one holding company

Mr. Yadav: We can’t give the exact investment numbers as of

or two to club our eight production units. One argument is that

today. These are being worked out. We are hoping private

we should have two PSUs — one for locos and one for coaches.

trains should run by 2023-24. And for that to happen, the

But trade unions are opposed to private trains. How will

bidding process needs to be initiated soon.

you deal with that situation?

But who will be the arbitrator if the railways fail to honour

Mr. Yadav: Before taking a final decision, we will consult all

its commitments?

stakeholders, which include trade unions. We will ensure the

Mr. Yadav: When private train operators are brought in, we will

interests of railway employees are fully protected.

need a regulator. The regulator will take a call on disputes,

(This Interview first appears in ET)

including those on routes and fares.

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METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Exclusive interview of MMRC MD Ashwini Bhide

MRS. ASHWINI BHINDE MD, MMRC MMRC MD Ashwini Bhide, who heads the 'ambitious' and 'intricate' Metro rail

overcrowded city like Mumbai, where you find old dilapidated

network in Mumbai, opens up on the challenges of executing the project. She

buildings and heritage structures on one side and high rises on

talks about dealing with different perceptions and objections while trying to preserve the character of the city's infrastructure, its outdoor and green spaces

M

the other, without disturbing the city life, while controlling cost and time. There are engineering obstacles, social and environmental ones and those related to perception. Handling

rs. Ashwini Bhide, Managing Director of Mumbai

all of these is the opportunity of a lifetime for me and my team. It

Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), Who has the

is a difficult but important task to make people comprehend the

responsibility of constructing Mumbai's first

enormity of this project. Resolving issues such as rehabilitation,

underground Metro rail network of 33.5 KMs long Colaba-

acquiring land, obtaining permission from Forests department;

Bandra-Seepz, also known as Mumbai Metro 3.

CRZ and other clearances become a big part of the exercise.

She talks about dealing with different perceptions and

The last four years have been like a rollercoaster ride but we

objections while trying to preserve the character of the city’s

always found a way. There is a sense of achievement.

infrastructure, its outdoor and green spaces. She is not only

Have there been any studies done on the change of

dealing with the engineering challenges posed by this

transportation patterns as this is the only Metro line that

humongous multi-crore project but also the hubbub of acquiring

will cut across both western and central railways on a

Aarey Colony land and chopping almost 2,700 trees for the

parallel route? How much of a drop-in commuter would the

metro car depot for the 33-km long Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ

suburban system witness? Or do you think only vehicle-

(Mumbai Metro 3) line.

users will use the Metro?

How does it feel to be part of the first underground mass

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: This study was done in DPR of Mumbai

transit project? What has been the experience till now?

Metro 3 where we worked out the Internal Rate of Returns (IRR)

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: As far as my personal involvement is

on investment which is divided into financial and economic IRR.

concerned, its a matter of privilege to lead this very, very

The financial IRR sees how much money is invested and how

challenging project. It has been considered as India’s most-

much is earned as farebox collection. Economic IRR studies

challenging project by Metroman Dr. E. Shreedharan himself. I

damages such as displacement of people, social impact and

joined the (Mumbai Metro 3) project in 2015 when the Mumbai

environmental impact such as chopping of trees. This project’s

Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRC) was separated from

economic IRR is almost 18%. Location of business districts,

the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority

housing, and residential patterns, commuting patterns are

(MMRDA).

considered while planning the project. There is no direct

We have had to execute this mass transit project in an

connectivity to areas such as Fort, Colaba, Worli, BKC, Marol.

The Mumbai Metro 3 corridor will ensure a major shift from vehicular traffic as it is not parallel to the suburban system.

Whereas, Metro lines 2 and 7 would run parallel to the suburban METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

32

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW corridor, so the excess crowd will get divided. As far as line 3 is

environmental impact. The plot at Aarey is best-suited as it has

concerned, the nodal shift would be around 15-20%.

access from three sides and is easily accessible from JVLR.

There is a lot of confusion about how much Aarey Colony

Another major concern raised by environmentalists is also

land will be taken up for the Metro project.

the flooding that can occur in neighbouring areas due to

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: We are in possession of 30 hectares of

concretisation. What is your take on this?

land at Aarey for the Metro car depot. This land is not in its

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: On what basis are people raising these

entirety occupied by trees. There are around 3,000 trees but

questions? It’s nothing but misinformation to mislead people.

they are scattered only on 17% of the land. We were asked by

Only a seven-hectare area of the metro car depot will be

the Tree Authority to retain a large chunk of trees, which is

concretized and 75% of the land will remain unpaved. The said

concentrated on one particular piece in the middle. So we have

area is not the Mithi River’s floodplain but the catchment area

decided to retain that green cover in a five-hectare area. So the

from where the water goes to Mithi. Plus there is a huge

metro car depot will come up in the 25-hectare area. It was a

gradient so water does not spread but goes down. In addition,

major challenge for us to design a metro car depot for 31 metro

there is already the presence of natural channels that have old

trains with eight coaches each in just 25 hectares, but we

stormwater drains (SWD). As part of the land development, we

decided to curtail some of the stabling lines and created

have already shifted some of the old SWDs outside the

additional space elsewhere near the station. Two trains each

boundary by a proper drain as per BRIMSTOWAD requirement

can be stabled in the facility created at BKC and Cuffe Parade.

and this has been approved by the BMC.

Why can’t the Metro car depot be shifted to Kanjurmarg as

What would be your message to Mumbaikars who are

per the larger public demand?

confused about this project?

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: The land at Kanjurmarg was not available

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: The Mumbai Metro 3 project only means

even in December 2016, while we had been trying to acquire it

to improve the city’s environment, reduce pollution, improve

since September 2015. By then, tenders had been awarded so

connectivity and commutability. We have to save lives which

we had to finalise a place for the depot before going ahead with

are being lost on railway tracks, we have to improve the quality

the work and making any investment. In December 2016, the

of travel on the suburban rail network and on the roads, save

Government gave us permission to start the depot work at

time and make the city more sustainable. The environmental

Aarey and now that 50% of our work has been done, there is

benefits of this project are far richer and wider than the

again a demand to shift the carshed to Kanjurmarg. Is the land

temporary environment damages, so every citizen must

available at Kanjurmarg? No. And if at all it were available, it

support it and own it.

would take three years to just develop it as some of it is marshy.

How can we wait when huge investments have already been made and we have to commission Metro 3 by December 2021?

Was the feasibility of having a Metro car depot examined at other sites too?

What about the allegations of commercial use of Aarey?

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: There were claims that funds were going to be raised through the commercialisation of the Aarey land, when in fact the government is funding it. Had they studied the financial structuring of the project, which was available online,

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: The metro car depot is not just a parking

only Rs 1,000 crore, of the project cost is to be raised through

area like the ones you have for buses or like the stabling lines

our resources, while the rest is to be provided by the

you have for local trains. This is where all maintenance work will

government. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) is a

take place. All the recommended locations including Kalina

new company (formed to implement the Mumbai Metro 3) the

university, BKC, Mahalaxmi racecourse were studied and were

Metro is yet to begin operations. We don’t have separate

found unsuitable due to various reasons. Kalina was

resources of our own yet. Hence, when we got cabinet

inadequate and even the University had future expansion

approvals for this 30-hectare plot. They also gave us another

plans. A detailed study was done for the racecourse to see if an

3.5-hectare plot next to JVLR. This land is already being used

underground depot was possible but then we would have had to

commercially for RMC plants.

keep it airconditioned round the clock, which would have a huge

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW What fare structure has the MMRC decided on?

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: There won’t be any difference in the fare structure for different Metros, whether they are underground or elevated. A common fare policy of the government will be adopted by Mumbai Metro 3 because they don’t expect to recover the capital investment through farebox collection.

Whatever we would like to get from farebox collection is basically the operation and maintenance cost.

Kalbadevi, has started. Their progression is varied depending on when land became available. Overall, we have completed almost 48% of the work, around 34 km of tunneling out of the 56 km is completed. By the end of this year, we intend to complete almost 70 to 80% of our tunneling work. We intend to commission this project in two phases — Aarey to BKC and from BKC to Cuffe Parade. Phase 1 has reached a muchadvanced stage with 90% of tunneling done and 60% work on stations done. As far as timelines are concerned, if the Aarey

Union Road Transport & Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari

Metro car depot issue is resolved soon, we are pretty sure that

commented that protests against projects raise the project

we will complete in time. We cannot move the trains without the

cost and cause delays. With the ongoing fight for Aarey

metro car depot.

Colony, how will these two factors be affected?

The 26/7 floods lead to over 1,000 deaths. Despite you

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: When the tenders were received, we had

citing the need for the project, how can you assure that the

to factor in the market-appreciated cost. The cost-escalation

project will not have any environmental impacts?

from 2011 to 2021, or beyond, will also be another burden to consider.

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: Why should there be any environmental impacts? A public transport project has the capacity to take so

Apart from what Mr Gadkari said, which is absolutely right if the

many vehicles off the road and most importantly move people

Mumbai Metro 3 project is not completed on time, Mumbaikars

from one area to another with ease. Should this be

will be deprived of a much-needed facility which was thought of

environmentally dangerous? Open spaces that we have

all the way back in the 1961 Development Plan. The 15%

covered during construction are very limited. As far as open

decongestion of trains won’t happen without it. In addition,

spaces are concerned, this project temporarily needs 76

without this project, the chance to have a healthier and

hectares of land. The requirement of permanent land is 4-5

smoother commute will be gone too.

hectare scattered all over the 33-km alignment. Secondly, we

For Mumbaikars, public transport is second nature. Do you

have a lot of roadside trees in Mumbai, unlike many cities in

think this can make public transport attractive for

Europe and America. Around 65% of the 3,000 trees that were

Mumbaikars?

disturbed have been transplanted.

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: Some people use roadways due to lack of

For those that didn’t survive, we compensated by planting three

connectivity, some ditch trains as they are overcrowded. In

times more trees. We have also given an undertaking to Tree

some cases, both factors play out together. According to

Authority to plant more trees once the project is completed.

MMRDA’s comprehensive transport study this year, the 350-km

Three nurseries are engaged in that project. In addition, we are

network will be used by around 45 lakh people. By, 2041 when

also planting 21,000 trees in degraded forest lands of Sanjay

the Metro network reaches a mature stage, over one crore

Gandhi National park. Out of the 2,659 trees that will make way

passengers will use it. While the suburban rail network will still

for the Aarey carshed, around 450 will be replanted in the

exist, the vehicular traffic will remain static. Parking restrictions

vicinity of Aarey. We are looking for more spaces and may

and other regulations will make it better. This will also give the

collaborate with the BMC to compensate for the rest.

railway network some breathing space to improve. Mumbai’s

On the other hand, the underground Metro (Mumbai Metro 3),

advantage is that it is public transport friendly. People here like

both tunnel and stations, are made watertight. There is a

using public transport and hence, it won’t struggle like other

national building code. We follow NMP 130,131 which are the

cities.

US building guidelines. Even in our National building code,

In terms of deadline, how is the work progressing?

there are certain stringent norms included. Mitigation plans for flood and fire are all in place. When tunnel-boring machines drill

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: Work on all stations, including Girgaon-

tunnels and immediately cover them with a concrete lining, no scope is left for the rock to get exposed. If the rock is exposed,

METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

34

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW then groundwater will seep in. Besides the concrete lining,

people. Who are those 80,000 people? So these 300-400

there are rubber gaskets and grouting. Today, there is no water

people got the replies to their objections. We made our factual

in the 34-km tunnel that we have built. This shows that the

position clear.

tunnel itself is watertight. Similarly, we have elevated the entries and exits of the station to prevent flooding.

The government has to see long-term benefits and then take holistic decisions. The government cannot get swayed or

The Metro car depot issue has seen a Twitter war like never

influenced by certain flared emotions. So when you approach

before. On one side are environmentalists and on the other

an institutional mechanism to raise issues, you get a fair

is the government machinery. How successful have you

hearing and committees are appointed to investigate. In 2015 it

been in convincing people?

was possible for us to think about the land in Kanjurmarg but

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: There are two kinds of levels in this. One is the battle which takes place in the administrative and judicial sphere, where it is fought with reason, facts, and legal documents. There we have been fighting for the past four years and the same issue is being challenged again and again in

today it is not. Suppose it takes 10 years to get the Kanjurmarg land, would it be prudent for the government to let go of the investment made? We cannot get emotional. Those with a grouse approached the court and the court has already given its verdict.

different courts under different disguises. But all those cases

This is the first time when a government body and an

we have won on the basis of facts presented in the court. Now

officer have been so outspoken on Twitter. What is your

we are facing court cases on the same issues that were settled

take on this?

in court before.

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: We have always been active on Twitter.

It is relatively easy to go back to court, show the earlier verdicts

This project has a long gestation period and plus it is an

and win the case. The only issue is, how much time will it take?

underground project. In an elevated project, you can see the

As far as the perception war in the social media sphere is

piers and girders coming up, but in an underground project, you

concerned, it works both ways. If you want to counter the flurry

cannot take people down there to show the work. How do you

of misinformation every time, I am myself not very sure about it.

show them then that things are moving? Which is why as part of

Because whatever you say, that is countered. At the same time,

our PR strategy, we present everything on social media. When

those who support the project, they are not a cohesive group

people criticize us or raise queries, we answer those.

but huge in number.

They want us to present facts on social media so that they can understand them too and are not influenced by misinformation or propaganda. And for their sake, we keep sharing the facts.

Do you personally handle your Twitter account?

Mrs. Ashwini Bhide: Yes, I personally handle it. I don’t have someone else doing it on my behalf.

So, it may look like a war or a battle, but the whole point is that

When it comes to development and infra projects, it is argued

because the wrong information is being spread as real

that open spaces are readily grabbed as opposed to built-up

information, with authority, it is necessary to counter that.

Policy decisions cannot be taken on Twitter or on the basis of

spaces. Is there going to be a comprehensive policy to utilize built-up spaces instead?

the opinion of 80,000 people. Because it is the opinion of only

Mrs. Bhide: It does not work that way. In fact, we have utilized

this group, while we do not know the say of lakhs of other

built-up spaces. In Girgaon-Kalbadevi, we have acquired 30

Mumbaikars, who may or may not be on social media. Even if

buildings. But sometimes the alignment requires that you take

you want a referendum, there is a need for a mechanism for

that space. In fact, if you take the example of Metro Metro 3,

that, which is not available.

why it is underground? Because there is no open space. You

We had a mechanism for suggestions, objections, public hearing. For the tree-cutting issue, we did that. Twice, even when it was not required, the matter was kept open for suggestions and objections. Eighty thousand suggestions and objections were raised but for hearing there were only 300-400

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUG 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

cannot touch some old or heritage buildings and that is why it had to go underground. So as a policy, yes, one would go for easily-available government lands. Because they are relatively easily available for construction.

(This article first appeared in DNA Newsmaker)

INTERVIEW

Implementation of the Make in India Policy by the Govt has brought positive changes in the Indian Industry: Mr. Neelesh Dixit

M

Mr. Neelesh Dixit MD, RENMAKCH

r. Neelesh Dixit, Managing Director of RENMAKCH

users. Sense of responsibility towards the National Property

India Pvt. Ltd., is a Mechanical Engineer and an

now prevails. Thanks to Metro Railways for bringing this

Expert in the field of Machinery & Plants having

change in travel standards of the Indian Citizens.

experience of over 23 Years in the Indian Industry. He has been promoting State-of-the-Art Technology in Indian Railways since 1996 and in Metro Segment since 2007, covering the entire range of Equipment required for Maintenance, Testing, Condition Monitoring and Research of Railway Rolling Stock and Components including Training & After Sales Services.

Ridership is increasing day by day making the induction of Metro Systems in most of the cities economically viable.

Number of coaches per rake are also being increased in proportion to the increased ridership in many cities. Starting with 3 Car Trains, the numbers have now gone up to 6 or 8 Car Trains in most of the main cities. This has brought confidence at

Having the core technical knowledge of all aspects of Rolling

all levels in planning and introducing Metro Systems in all the

Stock Design & Manufacturing and with strong association &

main cities of India. Moreover, the Make in India Policy has

backing of Rolling Stock Design & Research Leaders from

been very effective in bringing down the overall costs of Metro

different parts of the world, he has emerged as a very strong

Systems to a great extent. Considering the future prospects

support to the Railway & Metro Industry in this specialised field.

and huge requirements of Metro Train Sets, IRLY Production

He has also been very successful in associating with various

Units like ICF, MCF and Metro Organisations like MAHA

reputed foreign manufacturers for Developing & Manufacturing

METRO have also planned to join the league of Manufacturers

the State-of-the-Art Workshop Equipment in India under the

of Metro Railway Rolling Stock in India. ICF & MCF have also

Make in India Policy of Govt. of India, thereby bringing some of

started working on Train Sets as an alternative against Loco-

the world’s best quality equipment within the economic reach of

hauled trains to meet the international standards and reduce

the Indian clients.

the maintenance time & costs. Export opportunities are also

What is your value proposition for Metro Rail?

being explored and welcomed in a great way. This revolutionary change will certainly help to strengthen the Indian

Public Transport was always either neglected, or

Manufacturing Industry and keep on creating opportunities for

underestimated, or mismanaged and misused all over the

employment and growth of the Indian Industry. India is all set to

country. Metro Rail has revolutionised public transportation in

emerge as the largest producer, as well as user, of Rolling

India, bringing the most modern and comfortable travel within

Stock in the whole world.

the crowded cities at affordable and reasonable price. The Modern Metro Rail System has posed a challenge and set a

What are the new trends in Workshop Equipment?

benchmark to the other public transport modes in the cities to

Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety (RAMS) of the

an extent, that the quality of other modes of transport is rapidly

Rolling Stock are the key parameters and performance

improving and setting higher standards in terms of comfort,

indicators for any Metro or Railway Organisation and this calls

quality, safety and discipline amongst the operators and the

for highest possible quality standards at all levels and induction METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

37

INTERVIEW of State-of-the-Art Workshop Infrastructure for Maintenance of

departments.

Trains in shortest possible time. As per our RENMAKCH Standards, we have classified the Workshop Equipment into three main categories; Workshop Equipment for Maintenance of Rolling Stock, Workshop Equipment for Testing of Rolling Stock and Workshop Equipment for Condition Monitoring of Rolling Stock. This simple categorisation/classification makes the planning of any Maintenance Workshop / Depot very practical, easy and cost-effective.

Workshop Equipment for Maintenance of Rolling Stock covers all the Maintenance aspects of the Train during the routine and periodic maintenance schedules. These Equipment are customised for facilitating their respective maintenance activities during various types of schedules, taking into consideration that maintenance activities are to be carried out in minimum downtime, minimum manpower, minimum efforts and with best in class safety standards.

Selection and induction of the right Workshop Equipment play a major role in the effectiveness and time-bound maintenance of the Rolling Stock with minimum manpower. As these Maintenance Equipment are always customised as per specific needs, it is advisable to seek expert advice from the Industry Professionals, for right selection and integration with the associated services and other related equipment for correct positioning in the workshop as per the professionally planned layouts.

Tell us about recently developed solutions of your company.

Implementation of the Make in India Policy by the Govt. of India has brought positive changes in the Indian Industry.

RENMAKCH has entered into Joint Ventures with reputed leading European Manufacturers of Metro & Railway Workshop

Workshop Equipment for Testing of Rolling Stock takes care of the Testing of each and every critical assembly / component of the train, before putting into service, which is in the interest of achieving highest possible quality, safety & performance standards and for ensuring that, no assembly/component is

Equipment, for Manufacturing of Metro & Railway Workshop Equipment at RENMAKCH Factories in India near Mumbai.

These Joint Ventures are made with Transfer of Technology and will cater to the Indian Market as well as for Exports from India.

leaving the Workshop without passing the quality &

So far, we have successfully manufactured State-of-the-Art;

performance tests.

Mobile Lifting Jacks, Bogie Turn Tables, Roof Hanging Type

Workshop Equipment for Condition Monitoring of Rolling Stock facilitates Inspection of critical and specific parameters of the Rolling Stock with maximum possible reliability, consistency and accuracy. Condition Monitoring Equipment plays a major role in condition based maintenance and predictive maintenance. RFID tagging of the Rolling Stock becomes an important requirement while inducting way-side Condition Monitoring Equipment, for train wise data management and traceability for further analysis and action by the respective

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METRO RAIL NEWS | AUG 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

Multi-Purpose Working Platforms, Coil Spring Load Deflection Testing Machine, Damper Testing Machine and General Workshop Equipment like; Coach Body Stands, Storage System for Bogie Components, Different Types of Train Access Systems, Work Benches, etc. Manufacturing of Battery Operated Rail Cum Road Shunters, Bogie Testing Machines, Automatic Train Wash Plants, Bogie Manipulator and other workshop equipment are in line.

It is important to mention that LINDAPTER is also an Innovative

INTERVIEW echnology being promoted exclusively by RENMAKCH in the

overcome over a period of time, by adapting and implementing

Railway & Metro segments. It is a proven and certified

whatever was necessary, without any hesitation, in the interest

technology offering various patented solutions for steel to steel

and support of our industry.

connections in various structural applications like Bridges, Station Buildings, Depot Constructions, Electrical & Traction Installations, Underslung Installations, etc. Use of LINDAPTER Technology reduces the overall Time and Cost of Construction / Assembly / Refurbishment / Strengthening, as it eliminates the need for on-site welding during work on secondary connections.

Some of the external challenges which we continue to face from some of the responsible decision-makers of the industry (customer side) are; reluctance in framing the Eligibility / Qualifying Criteria in support of

the advanced technology

solutions, reluctance in relaxation of Eligibility / Qualifying Criteria to Indian Manufacturers having JV with Foreign Companies under TOT under “Make in India”,

lack of

awareness of the latest technologies, giving preference to copy-paste technology while framing procurement specifications, etc., which finally favours inductance of outdated technologies and poor quality equipment in the system, most of the times. Overcoming such challenges is not very difficult with the responsible decision-makers having positive mindset and who understand the technological advantages and present needs of the industry. However, with decision-makers who are not willing to understand what is right and what is wrong, or are not willing to take the necessary decisions & risks involved in proper planning & effective Similarly, Special Maintenance and Testing Equipment like; Dismantling & Assembly facilitating Systems from NORBAR (mainly for LHB Bogies) and Electrical Testing & Measuring Systems from MEGGER are also offered by RENMAKCH under package supplies for Railway & Metro Workshops / Depots.

What was the most challenging part you faced in your recent work? How did you overcome those challenges?

There were many technical challenges while implementing the Make in India initiative for the European Equipment. It started with convincing the Foreign Principals for having an alternate Manufacturing Base in India, followed by other in-house technical challenges like; finding Indian Alternatives in Raw Material & Bought out Items to fit in the European Designs (mainly for reduction in cost & manufacturing timeline), development of necessary, Manufacturing & Testing Facilities in-house, matching the European Welding & Painting standards, arranging highly skilled Manpower with positive mindset (which still remains a big challenge), developing and implementing strict Inspection & Quality Control system, arranging Finances and managing Cash Flows during such projects having long lead time (which is the biggest and everlasting challenge). Most of these challenges were

transformation, we try our level best to educate them, This normally helps in many ways to change their mindsets and perception. But in the extreme cases where the decisionmakers show absolute resistance and hesitation, we prefer to leave them to their destiny, in the interest of avoiding any conflicts or misunderstandings, thinking that they too are the part of this industry and knowing the fact that someday they will also understand.

Currently, how many Metro Projects are you serving?

Presently we have many ongoing projects in the Metro Segment. We have Supplied & Commissioned; 2 Sets of Mobile Lifting Jacks for 3 Car Train Lifting to GMRC for their both depots in Apparel Park & Gyaspur, 2 Sets of Under Floor Lifting System for 3 Car Train have been delivered and are under commissioning, 1 Set (4 Nos) of Mobile Lifting Jacks to NMRCL, 2 Sets of Under Floor Lifting System & 2 Sets of MultiPurpose Work Station for 3 Car Train have been delivered to NMRCL for their Mihan & Hingna Depots and are under commissioning, 1 Set of Under Floor Lifting System for 3 Car Train and 2 Nos. Battery Operated Rail Cum Road Shunters are supplied, commissioned and are under warranty period at KMRCL’s Central Park Depot, 1 Nos. Under Floor Wheel Lathe is under manufacturing for KMRCL and will be delivered by beginning of next year, 3 Sets of Under Floor Lifting System and METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

39

INTERVIEW 2 Nos. of Battery Operated Rail Cum Road Shunters have been

focus and undertaking responsibilities of planning &

supplied, commissioned and are under Warranty Period at

implementing the Metro Systems in their cities. This is a very

DMRC, 2 Nos. of Under Floor Wheel Lathes are under AMC at

positive and responsible step in the direction of speedy

LTMRL, 2 Sets of Under Floor Lifting System, 2 Sets of Mobile

implementation of the Metro Systems.

Lifting Jacks and 2 Nos. of Battery Operated Shunters are under AMC at BMRCL. In addition to these supplies, there are participated / live tenders at various Metros like MMRC, MMRDA, KMRL, etc.

Do you serve any other industry apart from the metro rail?

Yes, we are largely serving the Indian Railways for over two decades. We mainly started our career with Maintenance Services for Under Floor Wheel Lathes and other similar Workshop Equipment and continue to serve the industry with best in class services for Maintenance. We have served the Indian Railways with some of the prestigious & challenging projects; Reconditioning & AMCs of Under Floor Wheel Lathes of Hegenscheidt & HYT makes, Troubleshooting &

It is challenging but important, for every Metro Organisation to plan and implement the right strategies and suitable modern technologies, for the effective functioning of the Metro Systems. Framing the necessary requirements and selection of correct technologies, play a very important role in the effective Operations and Maintenance of the Metro Systems and their associated support equipment/systems. Due to lack of awareness and insufficient knowledge about the latest trends/technologies in the world, there is always a tendency of replicating what some other Metro organisation is doing, this kind of careless approach can cause disasters in some cases, because a mistake can also be replicated endlessly and can have similar cascading effects.

Development work related to frequently occurring issues on EMU rakes in CRLY in the past, Retrofitting of EMU Rakes for Conversion from DC to AC/DC, Consultancy work related to High Speed SPART Trains, Consultancy work related to Pit Line Examination to explore the possibilities of reducing the maintenance downtime, Framework & Proposal for Modernisation of Independent Shops in various Workshops, Framework & Proposal for O&M Contracts, Framework & Proposal for Wet Leasing of specific M&Ps, etc.

We have also supplied State-of-the-Art workshop equipment to Indian Railways at various locations. These equipment include; Bogie Drop Table (Hydraulic Lifting), Coil Spring Load Deflection Testing Machines for LHB Springs, Coil Spring Testing Machine for standard springs, Damper Testing

What is your opinion about Metro Rail News?

Metro Rail News has created a significant presence and

Machine, Bogie Turn Tables, Component Storage Systems,

reputation in the Metro Railway Industry since the past

etc.

few years of its launch. Its activeness at all levels and

Our association with LINDAPTER has opened opportunities for us in other Industry segments like; Infrastructure Planning, Construction, Steel, Offshore Projects, Shipping, Airports, etc.

What are your views on the upcoming Metro Projects?

coverage of all the important and interesting news from all the Metro Organisations is remarkable. The Editorial Advisory Board of Metro Rail News is driven by reputed and experienced intellectuals serving the Railway & metro Industry. The Quality and coverage of the news are

Metro Trains are the need of every city today and there is a rapid

highly professional and so is the quality of the publication.

growth of Metro Systems in India. Initially, the implementation &

We are happy to be associated with Metro Rail News and

execution of Metro Projects in every state/city, were planned

wish them good success in their innovative and continual

under the consultancy of Delhi Metro. But with the growing trends and demands, most of the state Governments are taking decision to form their own special bodies, for having dedicated

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METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

progress.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

An Exclusive Interview of

Mr. Ganesh Jivani, Managing Director, Matrix Comsec

M

r. Jivani, tell us about your career and experience in Metro & Railways industry. What are your present roles in Matrix Comsec?

Mr. Ganesh Jivani : I am an engineering graduate in Computer Science from The M. S. University, Vadodara. I worked for about 4 years as an R&D Engineer before establishing Matrix. I am the first-generation entrepreneur and currently manage Matrix as its CEO and MD. My areas of interests include product management, marketing and systems.

Please provide a brief overview of the company and what kind of products and services the company provides to its clients?

productivity.

Matrix solutions cater to large and small enterprises across various industries including Manufacturing, Logistics, BFSI, Healthcare, Hospitality, Education, Government, Defence, etc.

We offer our products in Asia, Europe, North America, South

Mr. Ganesh Jivani : Established in 1991, Matrix is a leader in

America and Africa through an extensive network of more than

Security and Telecom solutions for the modern organization.

2,500 channel partners. Matrix has gained trust and admiration

Matrix offers a comprehensive range of solutions for IP Video

of customers representing the entire spectrum of industries.

Surveillance, Access Control, Time-Attendance and Telecom

We have won many international awards for our innovative

applications. All these solutions are specifically designed for

products.

large and multi-location enterprises, SME and SMB organizations.

Matrix is a serious-minded professional organization. We take our work very seriously. Matrix offers exciting opportunities but

As an innovative, technology-driven and customer-focused

demanding profiles to its people. Our infrastructure, equipment,

organization, Matrix is committed to keeping pace with the

tools and processes are world-class. Our culture is open,

revolutions in the Security and Telecom industries. With around

collaborative and meritocratic. We value our people but at the

40% of its human resources dedicated to the development of

same time, we also expect them to bring right competence,

new products, Matrix has launched cutting-edge products such

skills and mindset to work. I believe today’s youth focuses on

as IP Video Surveillance Systems, Video Management

their career and growth. They like the excitement of working on

System, Network Video Recorders and IP Cameras, Access

challenging projects and learning’s if the organization offers

Control and Time-Attendance Systems as well as Telecom

freedom and values their expertise and commitment.

Solutions such as Unified Communications, IP-PBX, Universal Media Gateways, VoIP and GSM Gateways and Communication Endpoints. These solutions are feature-rich, reliable and conform to the international standards.

With its independent Research and Development, Matrix’s primary focus is to develop solutions equipped with cuttingedge technologies to deliver preventive security and higher

What inspired you to build the solutions for Metro & Railways infrastructure projects?

Mr. Ganesh Jivani : First and foremost, Railways is a very large industry no serious technology company can afford to ignore. Second, Railways is also an early adaptor of cuttingedge technologies. Having said this, Matrix builds enterprise-

METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

41

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW grade infrastructure solutions which are industry-agnostic and

our differentiators. Modern customers demand high-quality

therefore deployable in wide range of industries including

solutions at optimum cost in shortest time. Delivering these

Railways. Of course, all industries have their own industry-

depend on harnessing people, products and processes. I

specific applications and requirements and Railways is no

spend my maximum time on these dimensions.

different. Matrix is focused on designing product variants to

Kindly brief us about your strategies to tackle the

meet railway-specific requirements.

competition in your sector. What steps are you taking to

What is your value proposition for Metro Railway &

ensure that you continue to grow and develop?

Railway Industry?

Mr. Ganesh Jivani : Differentiation is the primary business

Mr. Ganesh Jivani : Matrix offers world-class solutions in

strategy of Matrix. Therefore, our marketing strategy also

three domains: IP Video Surveillance, Access Control and

revolves around differentiation. We work hard to create

Time-Attendance and Telecom. Modern railways infrastructure

differentiation in everything we do – product design,

is technology-enabled and driven. Therefore, Railway Industry

manufacturing, marketing, sales and support.

in general, and Metro Railway, in particular, can benefit from

Specifically, on marketing strategy, Matrix identifies, and builds

these Matrix solutions.

differentiated products; positions and communicates these

What was the most challenging part of your journey till

differences; offers these solutions at optimized costs;

now? How did you overcome those challenges?

Mr. Ganesh Jivani : So far it has been a very thrilling and

thoroughly trains sales and technical resources to offer prompt and sincere support.

fulfilling journey. We all learn from our own experiences and

Our go-to-market strategy is to reach out to organizations and

from other people. In my opinion, the customer is the best

businesses in the target market to meet their Telephony, Access

teacher and marketplace is the best school. We remind

Control, Time-Attendance and Video Surveillance needs at

ourselves to remain customer-focused by creating more

optimized costs. We promote our products through trade fairs,

opportunities to increase customer face time.

exhibitions, road-shows and advertisements. Matrix always

The technology business is all about People, Products and Processes. These three are the primary business drivers and

operates through a well-defined and trained channel network consisting of consultants, resellers, system integrators and distributors.

What are the benefits gained by your clients while doing business with you?

Mr. Ganesh Jivani : Matrix is a technology leader ensuring customers get cutting-edge technologies. Next, Matrix products and solutions are comprehensive and highlydifferentiated. Understanding the importance of solution designing in infrastructure products, Matrix solution team starts customer engagement right from the requirement phase to understand requirements and design optimum solution meeting exact customer needs. These solutions are featurerich, flexible, scalable and reliable. Further, Matrix products integrate well with existing applications protecting customer’s existing and future investments. Matrix customers are also assured of continuity of future upgrades and support from Matrix’s indigenous R&D and manufacturing. Lastly, Matrix offers 24x7x365 technical support centre for prompt and sincere after-sales services.

What can be expected from your company in the upcoming years? Brief us about the future vision of the company.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Mr. Ganesh Jivani : Matrix mission is to offer cutting-edge, high-performance Security and Telecom solutions to modern organizations. Matrix business is driven by mainly two prime movers: cutting-edge products and market reach. With this simple understanding, we are focusing on creating world-class products in all three domains. We are innovating and building cutting-edge, world-class products by investing in R&D. Simultaneously, we are also building a channel network to expand market reach and take Matrix to all targeted markets by investing in marketing, sales and support.

IP Video Surveillance and People Mobility Management markets are growing rapidly, and Matrix is a relatively new player with plenty of headroom to grow. Second, we are also introducing cutting-edge, well-differentiated new products this year. Third, we are expanding our channel network by appointing system integrators in all the important markets in India and overseas. Last, we are working closely with customers to increase visibility and trust in Matrix products and services.

What are your latest innovations for Metro & Railway sector?

R&D 1 Front.

Mr. Ganesh Jivani : Matrix COSEC for Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) is the latest solution

for the Railway sector. Matrix COSEC is the first embedded Linux based device registered on AEBAS Server. It offers unique advantages in terms of connectivity, technology, durability, security and ease of use. This device supports fingerprint and Mifare RF card as credentials.

Matrix PARAM series of Network Video Recorders (NVR), NETRA series of IP Cameras and SAMAS Centralized Video Management System (VMS) are enterprise-grade, highperformance IP Video Surveillance solutions.

Matrix IP-PBXs are being deployed in many long-distance and metro railway stations. These communication work-horses offer robust communication backbone by networking multiple stations over fibre, copper, satellite, radio or PSTN infrastructure.

Matrix has also designed and implemented communication system between railway control stations and crossings using Matrix ETETNITY PE and SIMADO GFX offering dependable communication over GSM/3G/4G even when railway’s primary communication is affected for any reason such as damaged cables, etc.

Matrix Factory

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43

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

M

r. Ghosh tell us about your career and experience in Railways & Metro Industry.

I am an ex Indian Railway Electrical officer (IRSEE) and had the privilege to be keenly associated with Railway Technology as a young probationer in Railway Staff College, Baroda and later in IREEN, Nashik.

I was fortunate to evolve my real deep technology moorings from being one of the key leaders responsible for the Technology Transfer (TOT) of the ABB/Bombardier Transportation (BT) Locomotives in CLW, Chittaranjan, and through being a part of various System trainings and Sub System Testing’s in BT, Oerlikon, Switzerland.

All though it was a TOT project but very few subsystem design documents were available in English and had very less information for an equivalent development in India which challenged us to go for deeper research to localize and develop an indigenous Indian supply ecosystem which helped us to localize and indigenously develop the imported components at a fraction of the TOT cost and make the production of these locomotives financially viable within around 5/6 years from the import of these Locomotives.

Being deeply involved in the Railway industry for more than 25 44

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Exclusive Interview of

Mr. Dipankar Ghosh, Chief Executive Officer, ESCORTS Railway Division

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW years and a keen technology evangelist for many different Defence Offsets programmes I personally feel that this ABB Loco TOT project in CLW and IR is one of the best examples of successful TOT from an MNC to a Govt Organisation in the whole country in comparison to so many not so successful TOTs with Govt in defence and many other different industries.

I left Indian Railways in 2003 end to start the country’s first Railway Engineering Services for Bombardier Transportation, in another great company called Infotech Enterprises Ltd (now called Cyient Ltd). In Infotech we started a Railway Design COE (Centre of Excellence) with a handful of 6 engineers for giving Engineering Design Support to Bombardier Transportation worldwide which grew to more than 500 Engineers within a span of 5 years, supporting different Bombardier sites worldwide for high-end Engineering Design, Engineering Design Calculations, Complex optimizations through Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Embedded systems design. Our Indian team successfully worked and co-designed with our international peers on several marquee international Railway projects like the London Underground Upgradation, South African Gautrain project and China Beijing to Lhasa, Tibet train Project besides myriad design projects for different European Metros, and Metros in Canada, US and Australia for different types of rolling stock design.

After spending few years away from the Railway domain, in Heavy industrial equipment design through leading the Caterpillar India Design Centre, Chennai and then briefly heading the John Deere Tech Centre in Pune, I came back to my favourite Railway domain by taking over as a CEO with Escorts Ltd. Railway Division in end 2012.

What are your present roles in ESCORTS Railway Division?

My journey with ESCORTS as the CEO of the Rail Division has been very enriching with belief and empowerment from our promoters both present CMD Mr Nikhil Nanda and the late Chairman Mr Rajan Nanda we have built not only a substantial manufacturing infrastructure but also a phenomenal R&D team with many having deep domain expertise from their previous international assignments with the Railway OEMS like Bombardier, Siemens and Alstom Transportation.

We have been able to focus on new product introduction through a combination of deep in-house R&D and strategic Technology Collaborations with many Global Technology majors.

We have also strategically put in selective capex to build some of the country’s best High-End Testing and Validation Labs in ESCORTS to support and test our New Product Development aspirations both for the domestic IR and Metro market and soon for the Global markets.

Our relentless focus on cost reduction through Value Engineering, Design Optimization and shorter time to market using PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) Tools and effective utilisation of all available Operational resources even those which were not previously ever leveraged has helped us to improve both our bottom line and our top line significantly.

It has been a very rewarding and a learning experience as we develop new products, go through the rigorous and tough Railway approval process we have been able to grow our business at a CAGR of more than 25% through challenging and winning against the best of the Global Railway MNC competition.

This sublime winning spirit has helped to instil in us an overall sense of can-do attitude and belief in our capabilities which I think would be one of the biggest catalysts for our future transformation to “Be Global”.

What is your value proposition for Railway & Metro Industry?

Our primary value proposition is that we will bring in high-end technology related to safety and comfort available in most globally acclaimed railways and metros worldwide like the EU Rail , Metro and LRT ecosystem to India at Indian price points through a combination of our in-house R&D and strategic collaborations or develop similar technology with the same international safety and quality standards through our own inhouse R&D and through selective and strategic M&A. Our aspirations are to provide the country with the world class railway safety and comfort systems through frugal and value engineering so that it is also affordable to the Indian taxpayer.

We are proud and feel privileged to work with Indian railways not only to bring the best of technologies available globally at the Indian price but also to build the much-required competence for high-end technology assimilation and absorption in India for the future by systemically building deep domain and systems knowledge within the country.

What kind of products and services the company provides to its clients?

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ESCORTS, Railway Equipment Division (RED) is involved in Design, Manufacture, Supply, Installation and service of wide range of products like Brake Systems, Couplers, Suspension systems and Rubber & Friction Products for the last 50 to 60 years besides new high-tech products like Locomotive Brake Electronics, Loco Dampers, Axle Mounted Disc Brakes, Brake Disc and LHB Dampers.

Escorts RED has presence in almost all the rolling stock segments of Passenger Coach, Locomotive, Wagons, EMUs in Indian Railways and is a RDSO approved source in Indian Railways for a) Different type of Air Brakes Systems for passenger coaches, EP brakes for EMUs & DEMUs, Bogie Mounted Brake Systems for Freight cars/ Wagons. b) Axle mounted Disc brakes and Brake Discs for the LHB Alstom coaches, which are the main stay of the Indian Railways regional and long-distance trains. c) Couplers, different types of Draft gear for all type of passenger coaches, EMUs & DEMUs and Locomotives, d)Suspension Systems, Hydraulic Dampers/Shock absorbers, various rubber components and friction products like Composite Brake Blocks and Brake Pads for both passenger and freight trains, EMUs & DEMUs, and Locomotives. e) Computerized and Semi-Automatic test rigs for testing the various Air Brake, EP Brake components and assemblies of Rolling stock to Indian Railways besides various customized Test Jigs for different Brake Components.

Escorts Railway Products is ISO 9001:2015 and IRIS certified and our products conform to all Indian Railways standards such as RDSO, different Indian Railway Production Units like RCF, MCF, ICF and the Loco factories like CLW, DLW as well as international standards such as UIC and AAR. We are presently in the phase of introducing new products for the Metros like Air Springs, Doors and Metro Brake systems through both inhouse R&D and Technology collaborations with Japanese, European and Korean Railway Technology majors.

What was the most challenging part of your journey till now?

How did you overcome those challenges?

The most challenging part of our journey has been convincing the IR and Metro customer and changing the age-old mindset 47

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that high-end design and clean sheet engineering can also be done by Indians and by Indian Companies through Best-inClass design resources and with a world class manufacturing setup and validated to the toughest international standards through Testing and Validation Labs.

Most of the Indian customers are reluctant to technically take a deep dive and accommodate Indian Suppliers who have built the required domain expertise to develop products of international Quality and support the future growth of both Indian railways and the upcoming Metro Segment.

We are showcasing our manufacturing and Testing infrastructure to most customers to help change the mindset that we can partner with them to support import substitution and save many precious dollars for the Indian economy.

We need to also build a strong Made in India ecosystem actively supported by Railways and an enabling University & Industry collaboration facilitated by Railways to help in creating in-country Domain knowledge. Parallely we need support from Railways and Metros to make it easier for hiring Railway experts from EU and Japan to develop different critical subsystems within the country not only for the present rolling stock but also for all future trainsets and imported subsystems.

What can be expected from your company in the upcoming years? Brief us about the future vision of the company.

We have a clear roadmap for our 2022/2027 plans. We plan to achieve our target of a multi-fold increase in our business by employing a strategic blend of conventional products and new high-end products for the Indian Railways as well as its Metro segment.

The growth in the Railway Equipment Division will be fuelled by many factors: Firstly, the product development for the home market as well as for the export market in Africa and South East Asia will be primarily through our in-house R&D. Secondly, we have collaborated with Global Technology majors for many critical technologies and would under the GOI’s Make in India initiative bring in new products for the Indian Market and parallely help our collaborators succeed in their home markets through our frugal and value engineering and tap new markets where we do not currently meet eligibility criteria for Government procurement.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Finally, in areas where we wish to diversify and offer a complete packaged solution – like the Metro segment and the HighSpeed segment - we are in active consideration for M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions).

So, this three-pronged strategy buttressed by a strong R&D team and excellent manufacturing setup and a phenomenal Testing and Validation setup would help us to offer the best to the Indian Railway and the Metro segment in the coming future.

What is your opinion about Metro Rail News Magazine?

I personally feel that the Metro Rail News Magazine has been doing a yeoman service by capturing many disparate news from the metro segment to give the readers a very holistic and knowledgeable insight in to the different developments and opportunities in the huge upcoming metro segment in India. I would take this opportunity to thank the Metro News magazine team for excellent and thoughtful way of pioneering the Metro segment.

Do you serve any other industry apart from the Metro & Railway?

As an ESCORTS Group, we are one of the largest Tractor Manufacturers of the country (India now being the largest Tractor market in the world) and we also serve a substantial portion of the construction equipment industry through our Construction Equipment Division besides our Railway equipment Division for the Indian Railway and Metro Segments.

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PRODUCT INSIGHTS

Highly reliable axle counters for Indian railways Based on its flexible software interface theFrauscher Advanced Counter FAdC can be implemented into higher-level systems simply and quick

T

he Indian railway market is characterised by manifold

axle counters as a reliable and cost-effective train detection

factors: Infrastructure components, such as axle

system today. Apart from maximum availability, they are

counters, have to deal with a broad range of influences,

capable of providing additional information beyond just train

including floods or extreme temperatures. Due to safety

detection. Innovative solutions, such as the FAdC also include

requirements, a maximum availability of these systems must be

additional functionalities and guarantee for low life cycle costs.

guaranteed. The Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdC has

Maximum flexibility allows for individual solutions, according to

proven its related capabilities all over the globe – and in India.

on-site requirements of each project.

A global trend

To adapt to various conditions, all Frauscher axle counters are highly modular and scalable. They can be quickly and easily configured, commissioned, maintained and adapted by both, system integrators and operators. Since Frauscher set foot in India in 2013, their axle counters have proven to provide most reliable solutions for the Indian market. They have worked in the scorching heat of Rajasthan to every year floods in Mumbai.

Highly reliable components The FAdC consists of highly robust trackside components and innovative indoor electronics. The combination of both

Based on global experience, the proven Frauscher Wheel Sensor RSR180 has been optimised

generates highly valuable information, which can be transferred via flexible interfaces. Thereby, these solutions

The technological shift from track circuits to axle counters accelerates continuously. Rail operators across the world use 50

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become essential parts of various railway applications.

PRODUCT INSIGHTS The system’s specific design does not require any electronics

As an independent provider of wheel detection systems and

to be installed on track. Thereby, any possibility of interference

axle counters, it is of strategic importance to Frauscher to be

from overhead and on-board traction components or other

able to communicate signalling data with all system

external electrical interferences are drastically reduced. No

manufacturers and integrators via software interfaces in a safe

electronics also means reduced maintenance activity on track.

and reliable manner. Therefore, the company has developed a

Additionally, most of the measurements and adjustments can

safe protocol, which fulfils the communication requirements

be done via the indoor equipment. All the system components

between axle counters and the higher-level signalling system.

are installed in a pre-wired cubicle. This results in high quality

This protocol is called Frauscher Safe Ethernet FSE. This freely

workmanship in wiring, terminations, testing and installation of

available protocol has been developed especially for a very

electronic components.

wide range of applications in the field of wheel detection and axle counting. It enables communication between various systems, without excluding the option to transmit additional information.

FSE provides a series of significant benefits for system integrators without their own standard protocol, when it comes to realising a variety of projects. In addition to the basic requirements relating to safety (SIL 4) and availability, these include: Simple and quick implementation

Inductive wheel sensors have to work highly reliably, even when completely under water

FSE simulator for implementation support Flexible and free definition of the file contents to be

Outdoor Equipment: The outdoor equipment’s core is the

transferred

wheel sensor. In India, the globally proven Frauscher Wheel

Simple, redundant and network-compatible point-to-point

Sensor RSR180 is in use in many installations. Using the

connection

patented rail claw, Frauscher wheel sensors are mounted on

Can be used universally for

the foot of one of the running rails easily, quickly and safely.

There is no need for laborious drilling work, meaning that the time spent in the hazardous area is reduced to a minimum. Of course this also speeds up the demounting significantly.

Enabling the use of welded rail joints, axle counters support the track’s robustness additionally. Using a robust cable, they are

All wheel detection and axle counting applications Any other application in which data are to be exchanged between two systems in a fail-safe manner Pre-wired Cubicles for Axle counting system Networked Diagnostics

connected to the trackside connection box.

Indoor Equipment: The sensor signals are transmitted to the indoor equipment. At this point, of the FAdC system architecture, the Advanced Evaluation Board AEB transforms these signals into data. Via the communication board, these are provided to higher-level systems, using various interfaces.

Interfaces: The FAdC can be integrated into any infrastructure simply and quick, using either hardware interfaces, such as optocoupler or relays, or a serial Ethernet interface. For transfer of data via this software interface, customer specific protocols can be implemented.

Fail-safe Data interface with Interlocking

The Frauscher Diagnostic System FDS supports pro active maintenance strategies

The Frauscher Diagnostic System FDS can be installed anywhere on the axle counting system network to provide METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

51

PRODUCT INSIGHTS centralised diagnostics and maintenance information. This is

RDSO for deployment over all parts of Indian Railways.

especially useful for applications like Automatic Block Section

Therefore, the company looks forward to more fascinating

(ABS) and Intermediate Block Section (IBS) where axle

projects to be realised in collaboration with innovative

counting components are installed at multiple locations along

customers.

the track and all these components can be monitored centrally

by FDS system.

The FAdC enables a hot standby to be established.

The FAdC enables a hot standby to be established. All configuration and communication processes are conducted via one indoor component, the COM board, which can be duplicated. The redundant boards keep communicating with each other through a hot link. If one of them has a malfunction, the other board still ensures the system’s full availability. All other components that are common to multiple track sections are also duplicated. These include power supplies, CAN bus and even network elements. This intelligent use of component redundancy guarantees maximum availability of the system.

Increasing awareness In 2019, Frauscher’s axle counting systems are already in use in many projects throughout India. Two of the latest entries to the list of these are the Eastern and the Western Dedicated Freight Corridors (EDFC and WDFC) by the Indian Railways.

Frauscher axle counters are also used by multiple metro systems like the Delhi Metro, Noida Metro, Kochi Metro, Lucknow Metro, MEGA Metro, Navi Mumbai Metro and Kolkata Metro.

Ten zonal railways have already adopted FAdC in the last few years and it is being used in various applications. These include automatic block signalling, intermediate block signalling, block proving by axle counter, level crossing protection as well as yard and station applications. Since 2018, the Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdC has unrestricted approval from 52

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MARKET RESEARCH

Global Autonomous Trains Technology Market Expected to Exceed Area Coverage of 22 Thousand Kilometers by 2025: TMR Railway transportation is considered as a highly reliable mode

killed or seriously injured. The numbers were 6% higher than

of transport, as it is least affected by different weather

that recorded in 2015. According to the International Union of

conditions. Railway transport is the least polluting mode, as

Railways (UIC), in 2016, 52% of total train accidents were

compared to all the modes of transportation and hence,

caused due to trespassing on railway infrastructure. 24% of

governing bodies prefer it. Autonomous cars are trending in the

accidents occurred at level crossings, and only 13% accidents

market, which are proving to be effective in reducing the

were attributed to internal, technical, or organizational failure.

number of accidents and fatal injuries owing to the incorrect

Governing bodies are focusing on enhancing the level of

decisions taken by the driver. Autonomous trains run and

automation and deployment of advanced safety technologies

operate their components autonomously, based on the

such as CBTC (Communication Based Train Control), ERTMS

surrounding conditions and the data gathered from different

(European Railway Traffic Management System), and PTC

servers. Currently, most autonomous trains functioning globally

(Positive Train Control) owing to the significant increase in

are only automatic; they are not completely autonomous. In

number of train accidents. This, in turn, is driving the

these automatic trains, some operations such as train start

autonomous trains market. Implementation of advanced

stop, door operation, and emergency brakes function

technologies such as CBTC and ERTMS, allows real-time train

automatically under the surveillance of the train driver or

management and route planning, operating staff information,

attendant. Completely autonomous trains are unattended

on board component status, and communication between

trains that function by themselves in coordination with data from

trains running in parallel. Train accidents can be avoided by

servers and communication between trains running in parallel.

integrating these data with the train control module. Therefore,

Railway transport is a well-managed mode of transport; however, the time required varies according to the traffic on the rail track. The number of train accidents has increased significantly in the last few years. In 2016, in Europe only, 1,787 train accidents occurred in which around 1,742 persons were

increased concern about passenger safety is driving the autonomous trains market. Demand for well-managed, punctual, and secure mode of transportation is increasing owing to rapid increase in urbanization and globalization. There has been a consistent rise in the number of passengers due to

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53

MARKET RESEARCH increased commutation for work. Additionally, trains being a

adoption of autonomous trains across the country. Several new

time-saving and inexpensive mode of transport is fuelling the

autonomous train projects are in progress and several are

demand for autonomous trains, which effectively reduces the

expected to be planned during the forecast period. India has

travelling time and ensures the safety of passengers boarding

also adopted autonomous trains and have begun numerous

the train.

projects. Recent autonomous train testing positions India on

High cost of infrastructure installation, components, and technologies is a key factor restraining the autonomous train market. The rail industry being the lifeline in populated countries such as China, India, and Japan, have witnessed significant development in the field of automatic railways, thereby boosting the market in these countries.

the world map for significant development in the automated rail industry.

Considering the increasing demand from Pacific

countries, India, and ASEAN countries, Asia Pacific is expected to maintain its leading position in the global market during the forecast period. Asia Pacific is followed by Europe in terms of global market share. Countries in Europe are technologically advanced and witness a higher rate of adoption of advanced

Presently, completely autonomous trains are very few in

technology. Consequently, Europe accounted for a major share

numbers. Based on grade of automation, the GoA1 and GoA2

of the global autonomous trains market.

level segment dominates the autonomous trains market. GoA1 level trains comprise automatic train protection operation with driver, while the GoA2 level trains consist of automatic train protection, automatic train operation with driver, and automatic train cruising and stopping. Considering passenger safety, most high speed trains are implemented with GoA1 and GoA2 automation level. Metros are a fast and reliable mode of transportation. Automation in metro trains is increasing rapidly owing to the high volume of passengers transported by them.

Infrastructure for monorails is being developed across the globe. Governing bodies are preferring to implement infrastructure with automation technologies. Therefore, the monorail segment of the autonomous trains market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of more than 23% during the forecast period.

An autonomous train generally comprises a RADAR module, optical sensors and cameras, odometers, antennas, LiDAR modules, infrared cameras, and other components. LiDAR modules are more expensive than all other components.

Therefore, it accounted for major share, in terms of revenue, of the autonomous trains market in 2016. The LiDAR module segment is expected to account for comparatively smaller share of the market, in terms of revenue, by 2025, owing to the projected decline of its price.

Japan and China have a significant number of high speed automatic trains. The rail industry in Japan has witnessed significant achievements and implementation of notable projects. Asia Pacific accounts for a prominent share of the global market primarily due to the presence of technologically advanced countries having strong foothold in the rail technology. The Government of China is focused on the in

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Key players operating in the global autonomous trains market include, Alstom S.A., Hitachi Ltd., Bombardier Transportation, Thales Group, Siemens, Mitsubishi Electric, Ansaldo STS and CRRC Corporation Limited. Global players are emphasizing on the development of advanced technologies such as CBTC and PTC with the help of regional players and autonomous technology suppliers. These advanced technologies are rapidly changing the outlook of the autonomous trains industry.

Bombardier Transportation and Thales Groups hold a prominent share of the autonomous trains market. Global players are focusing on research and development activities in order to advance toward more reliable and accurate technology and cater to the increasing demand for higher level of train automation and passenger safety.

These insights are based on a report on Autonomous Trains Technology Market

by Transparency Market Research.

PRE EVENT COVERAGE

Tackling rapid population growth at global rail event in New Delhi from 20-22 November 2019 Global population is expected to grow by 2 billion to almost 10

Through a 2-day conference programme, sector leaders and

billion by 2050, according to the United Nations’ World

innovators will debate and discuss the implications of this

Populations Prospects 2019 report. Up to 14% of this increase

question for rail and for wider society..

is expected in India (273 million), with much of Asia also set to experience above-average growth rates. The growing demand this implies is likely to intensify pressure on railway operations and infrastructure, requiring the sector to work harder to maintain, and raise, standards.

A flexible long-term planning strategy should be the foundation for a railway system’s response to change. In this light, the conference will open by discussing what the next generation of transport planning will look like. Elisabeth Werner, Director Land Transport, Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport

Within this context, what are rail-sector buyers most interested

(DG MOVE), European Commission (EC), will deliver a

in learning about?

keynote speech and François Davenne, Director General of the

Data collected over the past 5 years by International Railway

UIC, will send a special address.

Summit through its buyer-expert matchmaking portal show that

A subsequent panel discussion will hear from representatives

rail operators and rolling stock manufacturers are most

of the kinds of organisation who are vital in realising a

interested in learning about improving ‘safety’ (58% of

successful plan: national governments, banks, and operators.

respondents), ‘operational efficiency’ (58%) and ‘the

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Japanese

passenger/customer experience’ (55%). It is precisely in these

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism (MLIT),

areas where congested networks threaten to place strain.

and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality will take part.

The 8th International Railway Summit in New Delhi, partnered

High-speed networks are amongst the largest, and most

with the International Union of Railways (UIC), is focussed

controversial, projects for railway planners. All over the world,

therefore on one big question:

high-speed rail lines are now being constructed, mothballed, or

‘How can rail transport best keep pace with rapid population growth?’

abandoned. Is high-speed rail worth it? Do the apparent benefits, such as spreading wealth or reducing congestion,

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55

PRE EVENT COVERAGE outweigh the great cost involved?

On the morning of Thursday 21 November, MP Singh, CEO &

Psychologist Dr Ulla Metzger of Deutsche Bahn will share her insights on the relationship between man and machine.

CTO of the High Speed Rail Corporation of India, will make a

With so many railway networks in public hands, and so few

keynote speech outlining the decision process for the ongoing

making profits, the question of public-private partnerships is of

Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR project. Joining Mr Singh in debate

great importance. With rapid population growth set to squeeze

will be Carlo Borghini, Executive Director of Shift2Rail, and

the bottom line still further, when and how should rail attract

Gerald Ollivier, Chief Transport Specialist at the World Bank.

private investment?

How can we best manage the growing pressure on

The Indian Government is currently considering the

capacity? The overwhelming majority of the additional 2 billion

privatisation of certain rail routes. In conjunction with the

population will be concentrated in urban areas. From

Government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, this step would mark a

multimodal collaboration to new train carriages, from

significant opening of the country’s market to new revenue

expanding networks to upgrading signalling, the railway family

streams and expertise. Can rail devise a win-win strategy,

must decide how to cope with growing demand.

whereby investors and investees alike can benefit financially?

William Sabandar, President & CEO, MRT Jakarta, represents

The railway sector cannot rest from pursuing fresh ideas and

the perspective of a new market entrant operating in one of the

new technologies. In addition to the main conference

world’s most densely populated cities. Tilak Raj Seth, Executive

programme, the International Railway Summit offers

Vice President & CEO - Mobility Division, Siemens India, will

opportunities to showcase pioneering projects and niche

elaborate on advances in signalling, automation, and rolling

solutions, within technical reviews, innovation spotlights, and

stock design.

30-minute special presentations.

A good passenger experience means reliability and comfort,

In February 2016 in Vienna, delegates heard from Hyperloop

and comfort often means space. With space at a premium, how

when it was still in its infancy. In February 2018 in Prague,

can operators, rolling stock manufacturers, and station owners

Deutsche Bahn walked attendees through their ‘Idea Train’,

improve passenger experience and increase capacity at the

while the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

same time?

introduced the extraordinary Clip-Air concept.

Kumar Keshav, Managing Director, Lucknow Metro Rail

Dedicated networking time

Corporation Ltd (LMRCL), will share his organisation’s efforts

When facing sector-wide challenges, companies must seek

and incentives, alongside digital bag as a service experts

collaboration wherever they can and break out of conservative

dgBirds.

mindsets. The International Railway Summit focusses on

Safety must remain the core priority of the railways, informing

meeting, making friends, and building new and prosperous

every minor adjustment or major revolution. With more people

alliances.

using the network, rail must heighten its awareness of the

Key to this is absorbing local knowledge, taking lessons from

dangers to passengers.

every country and culture you encounter. The summit begins

Human error is the leading cause of accidents on the railways,

with technical visits to railway facilities in the host city.

whether as a result of fatigue, mismanagement, or

Attendees will interact with local experts, inspect new projects,

misbehaviour. Understanding human factors in rail safety

and experience best practice behind-the-scenes of Indian rail.

through technology and psychology is vital to protect and save

A welcome reception and dinner on the opening evening, an

lives.

offsite dinner at a restaurant in central New Delhi, coffee

What is the balance that must be struck between operations

breaks, and buffet lunches offer 10 hours of time especially

and maintenance conducted by people, and reliance on

dedicated to networking, with the five-star luxury Hyatt

sensors and artificial intelligence? How far can we improve

Regency the perfect stress-free setting

safety records by understanding the way people think and

Making the right connections

behave?

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PRE EVENT COVERAGE The 8th International Railway Summit offers a bespoke

the fifth time in New Delhi. The 2-day programme will be chaired

schedule of pre-arranged meetings far from the brief and

throughout by Christian Chavanel, the UIC’s Director of Rail

disordered encounters that can define many trade shows.

Systems.

‘Buyers’ looking for solutions to their project requirements meet the ‘experts’ who can provide precisely what they need.

Before the summit, buyer and expert companies choose who they meet based on their profiles and expertise. This leads to 30-minute meetings between decision-makers and product innovators at the summit.

About the 8th International Railway Summit The International Railway Summit is a unique 3-day networking

Attendance information Organisations and individuals interested in learning more about the International Railway Summit and about how they can participate in this event can visit www.irits.org or contact the organisers, IRITS Events.

Readers of Metro Rail News can enjoy a special discount of 24% until 15 November. Visit www.irits.org/mrn-offer to receive the discount code.

event for the railway sector. Besides a full conference programme, the summit features a range of formal and informal networking functions, including dinners and technical visits, and bespoke meetings between ‘buyer’ and ‘expert’ companies. The event will be hosted in India for the first time from 20-22 November 2019, with senior figures from around the globe gathering at the Hyatt Regency hotel in New Delhi.

In continued recognition of the summit’s success and reach, the International Union of Railways (UIC) will partner the summit for

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PRE EVENT COVERAGE

12th

Urban Mobility India Conference & Expo 2019, 15-17 Nov, Lucknow India.

W W W. M E T R O R A I L N E W S . I N

Organized By

Dear Readers, The Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference and Expo is an annual flagship event of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. The genesis of UMI is from the National Urban Transport Policy of the Government of India, issued in the year 2006, which lays a very strong emphasis on building capabilities at the State and city level to address the problems associated with urban transport and undertakes the task of developing sustainable urban transport systems. The primary objective of the UMI is to disseminate information to the cities, whose officials attend the conference, and to help them keep up-to-date with the best urban transport practices. The event brings together technology and service providers in urban transport from India and abroad as well as policymakers, practitioners and officials under one roof.

Starting with 2008, eleven such events have been successfully organized. More than 900 delegates attended the last event (11th UMI) held in 2018 in Nagpur which saw representation from 23 States and Union Territories in India and international experts from 23 countries.

Few Highlights of 11th UMI, 2018 are as follows: Attended by 900 delegates from India & abroad.

19 sponsors participated Inaugurated by Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

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Supported By

Official Media Partner

Keynote Address by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Govt. of India Address by Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Hon’ble Minister of State (I/C) for Housing and Urban Affairs 9 technical sessions, 9 round table discussions, 3 plenary sessions, 1 special session and 4 research symposium sessions Awards for Excellence in best practice urban transport projects are given to 8 State / City level organizations.

15 exhibitors showcased their best practices.

The 12th UMI 2019 is scheduled to be held from 15 - 17 November 2019 at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Lucknow.

The theme selected for the Conference is “Accessible and Liveable Cities”. It will be a major international event, which will be organised by the Institute of Urban Transport (India), Delhi, a professional body set up under the purview of this Ministry.

Topics to be covered in the conference are as follows: Conclave on “Public Transport for All” Walk the Talk on Walkability Policy Problems for Small and Medium Towns & Introduction of Public Transport Systems Impact of Shared Mobility on Public Transport

PRE EVENT COVERAGE Metro, MetroLite and Metro Neo

Academicians

Role of State Government in Improving City Bus Service

Students

How Women can be Empowered through Public Transport?

Private Companies

Panel Discussion on Child-Friendly Mobility

International participation

Avenues for Increased Revenue and cost-cutting Methods in Metro Rail System The target audience comprises of the following: Ministers of States / Uts

For more details you may please visit the Conference website www.urbanmobilityindia.in or get in touch with the concerned official whose contact details are given below:

Central and State Govts. Participation Chief Secretaries Principal Secretaries (Transport) Principal Secretaries (Urban Development) Municipal Commissioners Heads of Development Authorities Managing Directors of Metro Rail Corporations Heads of State Transport Undertakings Urban Transport Experts

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Ms. Reena Arora Srivastava Manager (UMI) Institute of Urban Transport (India) M: (91) 88007 94100 (UMI Secretariat) E-mail: umi@iutindia.org Metro Rail is an official media partner for this event.

ARTICLE

First and Last Mile Connectivity : Overcoming a stumbling block

Jhanavi J.

A

s cities across the world invest billions of dollars in mass transit, they increasingly worry about ridership to justify large expenditure. A private operator too may be concerned if their revenue or the wider project viability is linked to footfall. Modern metro systems with high ridership and stable revenue streams require fewer subsidies. A healthy transport system is an economic contributor allowing politicians to pledge more resources to its growth and maintenance.

So why do we stumble so often when it comes to filling carriages and providing a convenient end-to-end journey? One reason is that a disproportionately large amount of planning and design time is put towards the main mode itself, which is the big-ticket item. Pubic agencies remain overwhelmed by decisions related to land acquisition, alignment and construction schedules. Little thought is given to how this expensive asset, once built, will be accessed and optimally utilised. The outcome could be a ‘white elephant’ where the asset is ready but does not witness expected demand.

Global Experience of Feeder Modes Feeder connectivity is often seen as an after-thought rather than an essential element of the project. A change in approach is necessary. While there is no easy quick-fix solution, a few basic principles will help operators and authorities maximise the ridership and socio-economic benefits.

Here we identify five mode-groups to address first and last mile

Walking

Para-Transit

Cycles

Bus

Future Mobility

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ARTICLE each city’s unique characteristics.

also possible.

Global best practice: Para-transit modes

Walking Some of the most successful mass transit systems worldwide ensure that pedestrians are given the highest priority of all. In a tropical country, a typical walk catchment would be within 1 km.

It may seem obvious but there are far-reaching benefits of walking. It is the most carbon-neutral option. A high pedestrian share means less need for parking spaces and feeder pick up / drop points. In addition there are potential health benefits to individuals.

Global best practice: Walking Prepare a local pedestrian plan for each station catchment Create safe, well-lighted walking paths to encourage existing as well as new users Provide tiled pavements, adequate and safe crossings Approve a design that minimises pedestrian/ vehicular conflict.

Be sensitive to local climate, i.e. provide shade, protection from rain etc.

Para-transit modes From the Ojek (motorcycle-taxis) in Indonesia and the shared Song Thaew in Thailand to the ubiquitous rickshaws whether manual, electric or CNG across India, para-transit modes play a critical role in urban mobility.

Some cities shy away from registering specific numbers believing that, if left on their own, market forces will create equilibrium in any zone. However, market forces take time to react to new situations and external economic factors are difficult to control. Meanwhile there is chaos. Either there will be too few vehicles or too many. Station approaches become clogged, safety is compromised and an element of uncertainty is added to a mass transit journey. This discourages mode shift and makes for poor transit experience.

Regulation is anathema to politicians who worry about employment and votes. Yet, the economic returns of a wellresearched, professionally executed para-transit policy with soft regulation may work in everyone’s favour. Passenger surveys could easily determine a base demand level for paratransit modes. This will allow a minimum number of these modes to be licensed in each station or administrative zone.

Incremental licenses could be granted over time allowing some flexibility for latent market forces. Other innovative models are 62

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Identify existing pools of para-transit mode in station catchment Undertake studies to assess a baseline user demand ‘Light-touch’ regulation such as vehicle safety checks, issuing zonal/ city-region based licenses following safety checks Ensure licensees have basic traffic know-how or provide training at subsidised cost Station design must have adequate pick up/ drop points.

Enforcement, at least in peak hours, to meet local traffic laws Potential future integration with smart ticketing.

City Buses Typically when a metro, tram or monorail is introduced in a city, the planning stage involves large-scale discussions with bus operators. Bus routes are rationalised to act as feeder modes to large metro/ tram stations. This ‘non-compete’ approach is beneficial to all stakeholders. Passengers benefit from a seamless connection. The operators, instead of eating into each other’s revenue stream can actually increase their own revenues as more trips are generated. In some cities, where low income passengers are price sensitive, some overlapping bus routes may still be required to ensure equitable social mobility.

Admittedly, route rationalisation is a big task for a large city that may have a number of bus operators and vehicles. Yet the earlier they start collaborating, the smoother will be the transition for all. In addition, bespoke mini-bus routes could be introduced at busy stations to meet specific first and last-mile connectivity needs.

Global best practice: Bus

Mass transit agencies should work closely with existing bus operators right from the project planning stage Agree a route rationalisation plan Synchronize route rationalisation with opening of transit lines New bus/ mini-bus routes can be introduced in zones with high demand or large catchment Integrate smart ticketing High quality depot and maintenance practices to

ARTICLE Cycling Cycling aficionados may wonder why this green option is not higher in the list. In many cities across the globe, particularly northern Europe, cycling is a highly popular feeder mode and growing in size. However, it is important to acknowledge the ground realities of many tropical cities in emerging economies.

This includes a mix of social conditioning, climatic factors, competing demand for limited road space and heterogeneous traffic that makes a safe cycling network difficult to achieve even for small zones.

In specific localities where the station is near school or university catchments, extensive and well-designed cycling paths are highly recommended. New townships will also have the opportunity to integrate cycling networks in their design.

Indeed, a limited bike-share or cycle parking should be present in all stations.

Picture: Singapore Metro displays excellent pedestrian access and feeder buses

Global best practice: Cycling Undertake a demand assessment around each station catchment to determine target customer segments for cycling Identify zones where cycling paths will complement pedestrian walkways Create secure cycle parking or develop bike-share schemes Promote cycling for younger users who will be more open to green solutions.

Photo: Auto-rickshaws in India are a popular access mode.

CNG and diesel is being replaced rapidly by e-rickshaws.

What does the future hold?

Technology is changing faster than one the blink of an eye. In less than a decade, shared mobility and taxi aggregators have gained popularity across much of the world. The new show in town is on-demand transport. This is essentially a form of public transport vehicle that routes itself dynamically based on passenger destinations in a specific zone. Trials are currently being run in dozens of cities including London, Singapore, Auckland, Boston and New York. Vehicles are typically 8 to 12seaters operated by registered individuals or existing bus operators. Japan has taken the concept further and is currently testing advanced AI-based on-demand transport. Many of these technologies aspire to be zero emission through use of battery-electric vehicles or hydrogen fuel cells.

Photo: In Copenhagen (above) and many parts of northern Europe cycling is an important access mode.

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ARTICLE

FUTURE MOBILITY: How can we get ready?

Create space for adoption or retro-fitting of electric charging infrastructure Undertake trials for on-demand transport Develop capabilities to identify benefits and challenges of automation.

As always, the future is difficult to predict. Clarity of thought and expertise in the planning stages helps to avoid pitfalls later. As cities around the world race to meet the demand of growing populations, the cost of retrospective interventions will become higher. Let’s develop seamless solutions right form the start.

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******** The author is a domain expert in transport finance and PPPs. Over the last 18 years, she has worked across Europe, Asia and Latin America advising bidders, investors and city authorities. For feedback, contact ira.ixom@outlook.com.

ARTICLE While metro rail networks may ease road traffic woes to some extent, the efficiency of investments in them remains a matter of debate. Even in Delhi, which received generous central assistance and low-interest foreign funding, together amounting to ?70,000 crores between 2010 and 2018 to build its impressive network, more than half of its population still remain beyond easy reach of the network (beyond a 1 km radius from any metro station).

India’s public transport challenge Among the several services that haven’t been able to keep up with the exponential growth of Indian cities is public transportation. As transit is integral to living in cities, residents have resorted to purchasing private vehicles to get around, adding to an already-severe congestion crisis in our cities.

The solution to this challenge has been largely centred around metro rail networks, which have had a mixed record across cities so far. Currently, there are 630 kilometers of metro rail in 13 cities, with more than half of it in Delhi (343 km) and several hundred kilometers being planned in the next few years.

“

An effective mass transit system for India's large urban agglomerations can flourish only with adequate financing of buses, metros, and suburban rail

Other metropolitan regions are unlikely to build such large networks in the next decade or so given that they are facing financial constraints and the Union government framed new guidelines in 2017 which among other things, insist on participation from private firms in metro projects. While state and city authorities feel that the new guidelines impose onerous conditions, Union government officials argue that local authorities make plans in thin air, without thinking through the financial implications. The upshot of all this: most cities will have large shares of their population away from a high-speed mode of transit for the foreseeable future.

More than 80 per cent of Kolkata and Bengaluru are a kilometer away from a metro station.

The feasibility question mark on India’s metro plans arises from the relatively low ridership. To understand how underutilised Delhi metro currently is, we can compare it with Shenzhen in China.

“

India's biggest metropolitan cities are a contrast in terms of metro access.

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ARTICLE

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ARTICLE More than 80 per cent of Kolkata and Bengaluru are a kilometer away from a metro station.

The feasibility question mark on India’s metro plans arises from the relatively low ridership. To understand how underutilised Delhi metro currently is, we can compare it with Shenzhen in China.

Both cities have started their metro networks around the same time and have near similar track-lengths. Shenzhen carried approximately 10,000 more people per kilometer than Delhi in the 2017-18 period (based on their respective official reports), which translates to around 730 million people more per annum.

The single-line systems in other cities (such as in Kolkata and Mumbai) have high average ridership currently but that’s a statistical artefact, which will correct once the metro network expands.

boost profits would be to raise rail fares. But as the economist R Nagaraj argued in a 2015 Economic and Political Weekly article, urban masses have violently opposed rail fare hikes, which has led to low fares and low profits.

This argument can be extended to public buses too. Across all these cities, bus ridership numbers have either stagnated or fallen. Bus operators, across these cities, have not been able to increase their fleet size in the last few years.

Mumbai's single line carries the most passengers per kilometer in India.

Policy focus on metro networks has meant that not enough attention has been paid to other important networks: suburban rail and buses. Suburban rails in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad take advantage of existing railway infrastructure and provide peri-urban areas with low-cost access to cities and their markets.

Investments in the suburban rail network have not been a priority because even the busiest of the networks, the Mumbai local trains, don’t make profits for the railways. One way to

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ARTICLE Bus ridership in these cities have either stagnated or fallen.

CAGR for bus fleet sizes between 2009-10 and 2015-16 (in%).

Most funds allocated to the purchasing of new buses have been used to repair ageing fleets. Bus operators also rarely get the same access to credit that metro rail projects have got.

In the years 2014-17, ?1,236 crores were allocated under AMRUT scheme for procurement of buses for all states across the country. In the same time period, the MoHUA allocated ?26,377 crores for metro projects nationwide.

Research suggests that both buses and suburban rail have the potential to deliver high-quality frequent service akin to the metro at lower costs. It might be more sustainable to fund these systems with easier credit norms, and by levying a combination of fuel and congestion charges. Investments in a broader range of public transit systems that ensure last-mile connectivity could make our cities more equitable for everyone.

(This article has first appeared on livemint)

S. No.

Organizaon

Description

Last Date

1.

Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL)

Executive Engineer-01 Post

06/09/2019

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Limited

Dy. General Manager (Environment) 01 Post

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)

Section Engineer

2.

3.

General Manager Civil -01 Post

Assistant Manager (Environment) 02 – Posts 30/09/2019

Station Controller Store Supervisor Total no of posts: 1053

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04/09/2019

E - MOBILITY

Set to Solve Last-mile Connectivity Problem for DMRC Commuters, Yulu Bikes Launch Operations in Delhi

D

elhi’s every day degrading air has placed the national

“Our Public Bike Sharing (PBS) initiative with YULU will provide

capital among the most polluted cities globally. A

much needed first and last-mile connectivity to our users. It is

recent report by the environment think tank, Centre for

one of its kind collaborations to make mobility seamless &

Science and Environment (CSE) claimed that the city will need

sustainable” said Dr Singh.

to cut its pollution levels by 65 per cent to meet the air standards.

Despite the ongoing efforts to control pollution that has lowered the high PM2.5 levels, it will take combined efforts from all stakeholders of India’s economy to meet clean air quality standards. In an effort to promote eco-friendly commute options in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru-based micro-mobility provider, Yulu bikes has launched operations in Delhi.

First & Last Mile Connectivity The Mobility as a Service (MaaS) startup has entered a collaboration with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Yulu services will be available at around 9 metro stations in Delhi including Mandi House, Dilli Haat, Jahawarlal Nehru stadium and Rajiv Chowk among others.

Dr Manju Singh Leading the Fleet for First Ride on Yulu-Miracle in Delhi

Yulu Miracle is a unique battery operated, lightweight, easy to

A Solution for Pollution?

ride, small two-wheeler requiring no vehicle registration or

Yulu Bikes CEO, Amit Gupta stated that DMRC and Yulu share

driving license. The vehicle had a successful run in Bengaluru,

a common vision that is of better first and last-mile connectivity

Mumbai, Pune & Bhubaneswar. It now aims at transforming the

for reducing congestion and improving air quality. The startup

way people commute in Delhi.

will be deploying 5000 YULU Miracles across metro stations by

Sustainable Transportation Offering Delhi residents an affordable and sustainable mode of mass transport, DMRC is the 5th largest metro network in the world. Dr Mangu Singh, Managing Director- DMRC launched the operations today have Mandi House Metro station.

the end of December 2019 and plans to expand the services in the NCR region by early 2020.

Talking at the launch event, Gupta shared that the startup is promoting eco-friendly commute options in all Indian cities to reduce pollution and congestion, adding, “We are providing a green commute option to the residents of Delhi.”

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NEW DEVELOPMENT

Grey Line connecting Dwarka-Najafgarh corridor of Delhi Metro Inaugurated

H

on’ble Union Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri,

Kumar Garg had accorded the mandatory approval for

Hon’ble Delhi CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal & Delhi

starting passenger operations after inspecting the corridor

Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot flags off The 4.29

for safety last week.

kilometre-long Dwarka-Najafgarh corridor of Delhi Metro’s Grey Line today at Metro Bhavan. Passenger services on the section commence from 5 pm on Oct 4, 2019.

The Grey Line section has three stations Dwarka, Nangli and Najafgarh. While Dwarka and Nangli are elevated stations, Najafgarh is underground.

The opening of the stretch has put Najafgarh for the first time on the Delhi Metro map, which will be now connected with the rest of the network.

The section has an interchange at the Dwarka station, where commuters can change to Blue Line, which connects Dwarka Sector-21 to Noida Electronic City and Vaishali in Ghaziabad.

Here is all you need to know about the Delhi Metro grey line connecting Dwarka-Najafgarh corridor:

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3) A peak hour frequency of 7 minutes and 30 seconds shall be maintained on this stretch said, Anuj Dayal.

4) The total travel time on this section shall be 6 minutes and 20 seconds and three trains shall ply on this section and a fourth train has been planned, he said.

5) An 80 metre passageway connects the old Dwarka station of the Dwarka Sector 21 - Noida Electronic City/ Vaishali corridor or the Blue Line with the new station on the Grey Line, which has come up as part of the extension to Najafgarh PM Modi and Mauritian PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth launch phase-I of L&T-built metro train in Mauritius Designed and constructed by L&T, this integrated light railbased Urban Transit System will initially operate for 13 km from

1) The over 4.2 km Dwarka-Najafgarh corridor consists of

the capital city of Port Louis to Rose Hill. The company had

three stations— Dwarka, Nangli and Najafgarh. After the

bagged the contract from the Government of Mauritius in 2017

Dwarka Sector 21 station, now Dwarka will become the

for Rs 3,375 crore. "The Prime Ministers of both the countries

second interchange facility in the Dwarka sub-city.

jointly inaugurated the project via video link," L&T said in a

2) Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) Janak

statement.

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NEW DEVELOPMENT L&T CEO and Managing Director S N Subrahmanyan said that starting from a green field to the current status in a record span of two years, the Mauritius Metro Express has been one of the fastest-executed transit systems by the company. He added that this project marks a new high in Indo-Mauritian relations that will definitely bring huge economic advantages and offer opportunities in engineering and technical skill development for the island nation.

Engineering and construction giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on October 4, 2019, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Mauritian PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth inaugurated the phase-I of the Metro Express in Mauritius through video-conferencing.

Funded by the Indian government, the Mauritius Metro Express features world-class rolling stock, multiple track forms for bestin-class urban design to mitigate noise and vibration, energyefficient traction power supply systems, advanced signalling systems, and a state-of-the-art operation control centre, the statement said.

"The successful launch of phase-I of the Mauritius Metro demonstrates L&T's design and engineering capabilities by leveraging our global experience and establishes our credentials in the railways business overseas," said Rajeev Jyoti, Chief Executive (Railways Strategic Business Unit), L&T Construction.

Vardhan, Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State of Railways, Shri Suresh C. Angadi. Chairman, Railway Board, Shri Vinod Kumar Yadav, other Members of Railway Board and General Manager, Northern Railway were also present on the occasion.

This is the second ‘Vande Bharat’ express after the New Delhi – Varanasi semi-high speed train flagged off by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi in February this year. The coaches of this train are indigenously manufactured at the Chennai Rail coach factory.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Amit Shah congratulated the Ministry of Railways for giving a big gift to the people of the country, in this Navratras. He said that religious tourism has a very important role in the development and progress of JammuKashmir.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal said that “Today, Vande Bharat is going to be launched between New Delhi to Katra on the auspicious occasion of Navratri in the presence of Hon’ble Home Minister of India, Shri Amit Shah.

The 26-km route will connect Curepipe to Immigration Square in Port Louis with 19 stations, two of which will be state-of-theart elevated stations. The alignment will connect three major bus interchanges enabling a multi-modal urban transit solution.

Amit Shah flags off New Delhi – Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra ‘Vande Bharat’ Express Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah flagged off the New Delhi-Katra ‘Vande Bharat’ Express in New Delhi on Oct 3, 2019 in presence of Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh METRO RAIL NEWS OCT | 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

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NEW DEVELOPMENT Important Information

Return Journey (Down)

Train Number 22439: New Delhi – Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Katra (Up) 22440: Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra – New Delhi (Down)

Katra (Departure): 3.00 pm

|

Delhi (Arrival): 11.00 pm

Jammu Tawi (A/D): 04.13 pm / 04.15 pm Ludhiana (A/D): 07.32 am / 07.34 pm Ambala Kant (A/D): 08.48 pm / 08.50 pm

The train will depart from Katra at around 3.00 pm in the afternoon. The train will reach Jammu station at 4.13 pm and after two minutes halt the train will reach the Ludhiana railway station at 7.32 pm and thereafter reach Delhi at 11.00 pm.

Composition of Train The train will have a total of 16 coaches as per the following composition.

Driver Car: 02 Executive Chair Car: 02 Chair Car: 12

Journey Hours This train will complete the journey between New Delhi and Katra and vice-versa in 8 (eight) hours at the speed of 130 km/h.

However, the maximum operating speed of the train is 160 km/h. The Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express will start its first commercial run from New Delhi to Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Katra on October 5, 2019 Train Fare Minimum: Rs.1630.00 Maximum: Rs.3014.00

UP CM Yogi Adityanath flags off India’s first private train Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express

Train Schedule Day of Run: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday Station on the route: Delhi, Ambala, Ludhiana, Jammu, Katra Onward journey (Up) Delhi (Departure): 06.00 am

|

Katra (Arrival): 2.00 pm

Ambala Kant (A/D): 08.10 am / 08.12 am Ludhiana (A/D): 09.19 am / 09.21 am Jammu Tawi (A/D): 12.38 pm / 12.40 pm

According to the order issued by the Railway Board, Vande Bhavan Express will depart from Delhi Railway Station at 6.00 am and reach Ambala railway station at 8.10 am. After two minutes of stay here, the train will arrive at Ludhiana at 9.19 am.

It will arrive at Jammu Railway Station at 12.38 pm. After that, at Katra railway station it will arrive at 2.00 pm.

India’s first Private train of Indian Railways, Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express, began its operations from Lucknow to New Delhi on October 4, 2019, after it was flagged off by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath along with Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal from Lucknow Railway Station.

“State government is ready to provide land if the Railway board is willing to create more such services in the state. He said that it would be of extreme use to the people of UP if railways can run a semi bullet train from Agra to Varanasi via Lucknow” Said UP CM Shri Yogi Adityanath while inaugurating.

He further added that the state government will bear the cost of land if Railway Board decides to come forward on this,” said the chief minister. There is ample scope for providing similar services between Lucknow-Prayagraj and LucknowGorakhpur.

The state government has set its focus on eco-tourism, IRCTC has opportunities to run toy trains in Katarniaghat and other

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NEW DEVELOPMENT parts of the state, he said.

The Lucknow junction station bore a vibrant look on Friday morning with saffron-coloured Tejas adorned with matching marigold flowers adding to the hue.

The police band played the tunes of hit songs of yesteryears.

“Pujaris” blew the conch shells and passengers jostled to make their way to their reserved coach. CM entered the train and had a word with few passengers before he took to the stage and congratulated the passengers on their maiden journey onboard Tejas.

The train, on its inaugural run, had 389 `paid’ passengers onboard. The crew, most of them being women and trained in hospitality by air hostesses, welcomed passengers with rose flowers and put a `tilak’.

The train, on an inaugural day, did not operate on the scheduled time but was flagged off at around 9.45 am.

A glimpse of Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express inauguration

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NEW DEVELOPMENT Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express Journey The Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express will cover the distance between Lucknow and Delhi in 6 hours and 15 minutes. The train will have halts at two railway stations namely – Kanpur and Ghaziabad.

Fares (Ticket Price) New Delhi (A/D): 04.30 pm Ghaziabad (A/D): 05.10 pm/05.12 pm Kanpur Central (A/D): 09.30 pm/09.35 pm Lucknow (A/D): 10.45 pm

Schedule (Time-Table) From Lucknow to New Delhi Day of Run: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday

Lucknow – New Delhi:

Train No. 12585: Lucknow – New Delhi Tejas Express

Rs. 1,125/- for AC Chair Car and Rs. 2,310/- for Executive Car

Lucknow (A/D): 06.10 am

Lucknow – Kanpur:

Kanpur Central (A/D): 07.20 am 07.25 am

Rs. 320/- for AC Chair Car and Rs. 630/- for Executive Car Lucknow – Ghaziabad:

Train No.12586: New Delhi -Lucknow Tejas Express The Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will start its journey from Lucknow at 6.10 am and reach Delhi at 12.25 pm. On its return journey, the train will depart from New Delhi at 4.30 pm and will reach Lucknow at 10.45 pm.

Rs. 1,125/- for AC Chair Car and Rs. 2,310/- for Executive Car

From New Delhi to Lucknow New Delhi – Lucknow: Rs. 1,280/- for AC Chair Car and Rs. 2,450/- for Executive Car Delhi – Kanpur: Rs. 1,155/- for AC Chair Car and Rs. 2,155/- for Executive Car

However, the fares may vary along all sections since this train will also operate on the Flexi-fare scheme.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Prama Hikvision inaugurates India’s first and largest integrated world-class security & surveillance facility Dr V.K. Saraswat (Member, Niti Aayog) and Dr. Neeraj Sinha (Adviser, Science & Technology) during the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Prama Hikvision’s Manufacturing Facility on Tuesday in Vasai.

In continuation of the company’s firm commitment to “Make in

With this new facility, which is part of an investment

India for a Safer India”

commitment of INR 500 crores, Prama Hikvision will not only be

With a total investment commitment of 500 crores, the plant

able to cater to a fast expanding domestic market but also

will fulfill over 35% of the domestic market demand on a

overseas market in a phased manner. Employing over 2000

monthly basis

skilled and semi-skilled employees, the brown-field facility is

Dr V.K. Saraswat (Member, Niti Aayog) and Dr. Neeraj Sinha (Adviser, Science & Technology) inaugurated the facility

M

spread over 12 acres of land comprising end-to-end production capabilities, which will also support a localization target of 50%

umbai, October 01, 2019: Prama Hikvision, India’s market leader in video surveillance products and solutions, today inaugurated India’s largest and first

world-class manufacturing facility located at Vasai near Mumbai. Dr. V.K. Saraswat (Member, Niti Aayog and former Director General of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and former Chief Scientific Advisor to the Indian Minister of Defence) and Dr Neeraj Sinha (Adviser, Science & Technology) inaugurated the new facility.

Dr V.K. Saraswat (Member, Niti Aayog) and Dr. Neeraj Sinha (Adviser, Science & Technology) during inaugural function at the Prama Hikvision’s Manufacturing Facility in Vasai with Ashish P. Dhakan , MD & CEO , Prama Hikvision India , Hemal P.Dhakan, COO, Prama Hikvision India

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INDUSTRY NEWS initially and gradually transitioning to 100% localization in the

(PMP) goals.

next 18 months. An ISO 9001:2015 certified facility, the new

With an installed capacity of 1.5 million cameras per month, the

factory has the capability to manufacture over 850 product

facility has a potential to grow at 30% year-on-year. With this

models.

kind of a capacity, Prama Hikvision is already enjoying a market

Ashish P. Dhakan, MD and CEO, Prama Hikvision India Pvt.

penetration above 35% in India.

Ltd., said, "This new integrated state-of-the-art manufacturing

Driving the future of surveillance in India with an intuitive

facility is an expression of our full commitment to the

integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its cutting-edge

Government of India’s flagship ‘Make in India’ program. We

products and solutions, Prama Hikvision has established itself

remain committed as a long-term partner of the country and

as a market leader by setting new benchmarks in the security

continue to pursue our vision of ‘Make in India for a Safer India’

and surveillance industry. As a true market leader, the company

with manifold commitments. We have so far invested Rs 500 Cr

also has a call center for technical support, R&D center and 17 RMA centers.

About Prama Hikvision India Prama Hikvision India is a joint venture with the world’s leading security and surveillance product manufacturer, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology. The endeavor is to provide superior pre-sales and post-sales service through collaboration with local distributors and its allied partners.

Building on a growing global footprint, Prama Hikvision India is

L-R , Ashish P. Dhakan , MD & CEO , Prama Hikvision India , Dr V.K. Saraswat(Member, Niti Aayog) and Dr. Neeraj Sinha (Adviser, Science & Technology) inaugurated the Prama Hikvision’s Manufacturing Facility on Tuesday in Vasai.

committed to provide high quality products with agile technical support serving a large network of dealers and system integrators across India, through its 51+ branches and a motivated workforce of 2000 employees. It has a ‘Make in India’

in this new plant with further investment commitments in the

manufacturing facility near Mumbai.

pipeline to ramp up productions, local R&D, skilling and giving

please visit us at www.hikvisionindia.com.

back to the communities. This new unit has an installed capacity to make 1.5 million cameras per month. It has nine lines that does surface mount technology level manufacturing and enables us to make electronic chips and cameras locally instead of importing them. To upskill a significant part of the workers in this factory, many of them being unemployed before joining us, we have developed in-house training programs comprising world-class modules thus bringing them into the mainstream socio-economic fold”.

A first-generation entrepreneur and having built Prama Hikvision from a humble start since its inception in 2005, Ashish P. Dhakan is today a leader of the Indian security and surveillance industry and is credited for setting gold standards now acknowledged the world over.

The new facility will make Prama Hikvision the only video surveillance products and solutions brand that is truly made in India. Prama Hikvision has been progressively using printed circuit boards (PCBs) at this new facility to ensure full alignment with the Government of India’s Phased Manufacturing Program 78

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For more information,

SPOTLIGHT COMPANY

RPC Technologies Australia Sets up Indian Capability with Triovision To Address Growing Demand in Rail Projects Alstom visit to TrioVision facility in Kadapa

R

PC Technologies, an Australian-based Advanced

quality service and ethics, and these are the factors we insist

Composites (GRP) engineering and manufacturing

on in our business relationships. Combined with RPC’s

company, has engaged with Indian-based company,

engineering and manufacturing experience in Advanced

TrioVision Composites Technologies, to manufacture GRP

Composites in the Rail sector, we are confident that we will

parts for the growing Rail manufacturing sector for the both the

deliver an outstanding product to several rail customers in

local and international market.

India,” Said Tony Caristo, Managing Director of RPC

RPC Technologies and TrioVision Composite Technologies can

Technologies.

provide procurement, manufacturing and delivery of Composite Components for train including parts such as Front Masks, Cab Lining, Window Panels, End Walls, Gangways, Electrical Cubicles, Door Pillars, Toilet Modules and Seats.

RPC selected TrioVison for its in-country partner due to their reputation and experience in composites, their location in the same State as Alstom India, and their proven track-record in the Transport sector.

“Rather than establish a new plant in India, we searched for a local solution and found a like-minded organisation in TrioVision Composites Technologies. We immediately felt that TrioVision has the commitment to excellence, and high-

L to R: Nandan Reddy (Corporate Director, TrioVision), Tony Caristo (Managing Director,RPC), Sunil Yallapragada (Managing Director, TrioVision), Glenn Clifford (Business Development Manager, RPC)

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79

INDUSTRY NEWS RPC has assisted TrioVision in setting up a manufacturing

with Alstom; Vlocity, Melbourne Trams with Bombardier

facility in par with international standards to meet the most

Transport Australia; Waratah and Millennium trains with

exacting needs both in terms of quality and on time delivery.

Downer, and OSCAR trains with UGL.

Customers can also benefit from RPC’s Indonesian

RPC provides end-to-end solutions from design engineering to

manufacturing facility in Batam Island which can support

component manufacture and assembly, along with

TrioVision for quick production ramp up support.

maintenance, refresh and refurbishment for a vast range of

The contracts that are being discussed currently will see

passenger transport systems.

additional jobs created at Triovision with the first deliveries to be

For Further Details:

starting from January 2020 and the project being spread across to three years.

Glenn Clifford This is a unique opportunity for an Australian manufacturer

Business Development Manager

commented Mr Caristo. “It’s great that within a short time we

RPC Technologies Pty Ltd

could establish a plant with the proven RPC knowhow and

M: +61 466 319 788

quality to support projects for the manufacture of Rail projects with international excellence in India. We are very excited to be working in India as the upcoming projects provides the

E: Glenn.Clifford@rpctechnologies.com W: www.rpctechnologies.com

opportunity to potentially work on GRP composite components for the Metro Trains worldwide rather than just for Australian trains. We look forward to a valuable exchange of ideas, technology and innovation.”

RPC has proudly delivered transport solutions for Australian

Ramakrishna Reddy Business Development Manager TrioVision Composite Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

and international customers for more than 30 years. They have

M: +91 9493734656

played an important part in many of Australia’s most successful

E: ramakrishna@triovision.in

passenger rail systems including X’Trapolis and Sydney Metro

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W: www.triovision.in

CONTRACT & AWARD

J M

Kumar Infra bags Rs 1998 cr contract for Mumbai Metro Rail Project

umbai-based construction company, J Kumar

J Kumar Infraprojects is engaged in construction business

Infraprojects on September 13, 2019, announced

which includes design and construction of roads, bridges,

that it has received a Letter of Acceptance (LoA)

flyovers, subways, over bridges, skywalks and railway

from Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority

terminus/stations, among others.

(MMRDA) for Rs 1998 crore work related to Mumbai Metro Rail

IL&FS Engg announces the revival of the contract with

Project which includes design and construction of elevated

Gujarat Metro Rail Corp

viaduct and nine elevated stations including two flyovers, underground twin tunnel, cut and cover, ramp and one underground station for corridor of Mumbai Metro Line 9.

The company, in a detailed statement, said that it has received Letter of Acceptance (LoA) from Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) for the contract of design and construction of Elevated Viaduct and Nine Elevated Stations.

The LoA is excluding architectural finishes and PEB Roof Structure. Also, the stated LoA is including two flyovers and underground twin tunnel, Cut and Cover, Ramp and one Underground Station which includes Architectural Finishes and PEB Structures, for Corridor of Mumbai Metro Line 9 i.e. extension of Line 7 from Dahisar (East) to Mira Bhayandar and

IL&FS Engineering and Construction Company Limited

Andheri to CSIA of Mumbai Metro Rail Project of MMRDA for

(IECCL) has received approval from Gujarat Metro Rail

Rs. 1,998 crore.

Corporation (GMRC) Limited for the revival of the contract in

The company boasts the order book of Rs. 10,372.4 crore as on FY19, which gives strong revenue visibility for the company in the long term.

respect of the construction of viaduct corridor from interface point with Gyaspur Depot.

This involves abutment of Depot to APMC Metro Station to Shreyas Metro Rail Station to all-inclusive of the elevated METRO RAIL NEWS |OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

81

CONTRACT & AWARD portion from Chainage (-) 1374.50 to (+) 3246.50 m and

Km (approx.) of Banglore Metro rail Project Phase-2, Reach 6.

Elevated Metro stations (Four) viz. APMC, Jivraj, Raj iv Nagar

However, ITD Cementation has quoted Rs. 1771.25 crores to

and Shreyas for Package-l of North-South corridor for

work on this project.

Ahmedabad Metro Project, Phase 1.

The brief terms for revival of the contract are 1) Period: To complete the balance work within a time period of 15 months without any change in financial terms of original contract 2) Commencement: The Work shall recommence by September 12, 2019 3) Contract Value: Rs382.22cr 4) Works done: Rs213.24cr 5) Value of balance work: Rs168.98cr.

The GMRC terminated this contract on January 19, 2019, and now the Company IECCL and GMRC agreed to revive the contract and treat the intervening period from the date of termination as suspension of work without any extra claims

Bid Opening for Bangalore Metro Underground Contract RT-04

except payment under price variation.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) has opened

BEML bags Rs. 729 cr orders from Delhi Metro

the Financial Bid for 4.591 km of Namma Metro Phase II, Reach 6 contract on September 26, 2019, at 02.00 pm, where 3 bidders were found technically qualified out of 5 for the contract.

These are ITD Cementation, Afcons Infrastructure, Larsen & Toubro Limited. The Afcons and L&T were found L2, L3 respectively. The technical bid was submitted on May 28, 2019.

Five bidders are:Afcons : Rs. 1783.76 cr. L2 L&T: Rs. 1790.05 cr. L3 ITD: Rs. 1771.25 cr. L1 Patel-SMU JV: Disqualified

BEML Limited, a Bengaluru-based public sector undertaking, has bagged Rs. 729 crore Rolling Stock orders from Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC).

HCC-GULERMARK JV: Disqualified Scope of works Design & Construction of Underground structures (Tunnels &

The order is for RS15 – design, manufacture, supply, testing

Stations) of length 4.591 Km (approx.) from South of Tannery

and Commissioning of 80 numbers broad gauge intermediate

Road station to North Ramp (Ch. 16822.521 m to Ch.

cars compatible with existing RS1 type trains for the conversion

21413.298 m) including allied works and 4 Nos. of UG Metro

of the 6-car train set to the 8-car train set which is running in

Stations viz., Tannery Road, Venkateshpura, Arabic College

Delhi Metro‘s Line 1, Line 2 and Line 3. BEML Limited emerged

and Nagawara in Reach-6 line of Bangalore Metro Rail Project,

as the lowest bidder (L1) as it has quoted Rs. 729 crores.

Phase-2

ITD Cementation bags Rs. 1549 cr contract from BMRCL

CSL Bags Construction Of 23 Metro Boats

Mumbai headquartered ITD Cementation, on Thursday

Cochin Shipyard has received a Letter of Acceptance (LOA)

informed in a press release that the company has received

from Kochi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRL) for building

Letter of Award (LoA) from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation

23 No boats for the Kochi Water.

(BMRCL) as it has emerged as the lowest bidder (L1) for the Rs. 1549.42 Cr crore contract for Design & Construction of Underground structures (Tunnels & Stations) of length 4.591

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These boats are to be built by Cochin Shipyard Limited. These boats will provide inland transportation using electric/ hybrid technology. On the whole Kochi Metro has a requirement of

CONTRACT & AWARD around 78 high-quality boats of international standards. Out of this 25 boats having a capacity of 1OO pax was tendered by KMRL in which CSL also participated.

These boats offered by CSL are designed with in house expertise. These boats with a capacity of 100 pax would be

Name of the Bidders 1. Afcons : Rs. 1526.33 cr. L1 2. L&T: Rs. 1624.50 cr. L2 3. ITD: Rs. 1684.36 cr. L3

around 24 Mtr long and will be powered using electric

4. Patel-SMU JV: Disqualified

propulsion system equipped with high quality lithium Titanium

5. HCC-GULERMARK JV: Disqualified

Oxide battery to run for one hour and then can be charged at the charging stations at various jetties using fast-changing

Scope of work

technology within 15 minutes thus providing uninterrupted

Contract BMRCL/PHASE-2/REACH-6/(R-6-CC02)-

service to the customers. For emergency purpose aid for

RT01/2019/41: Construction of Underground Structure

achieving top 5peed, the propulsion system of boats shall also

(Tunnels & station) from south ramp (including) to Vellara

be connected through a hybrid system using power from diesel

Junction station (excluding) (Cha. 7521.161) m to 11176.615

generators.

m) including allied work and 3 No. of UG metro station Viz, Dairy

Afcons Infra bags Rs. 1262 cr contract from BMRCL

circle, MICO Industries and Langford town in Reach -6 Line of Banglore Metro rail Project, Phase-2.

The Indian major infrastructure company, AFCONS Infrastructure Limited has emerged as the lowest bidder (L1) for the Rs. 1262.33 Cr crore contract for construction of Underground Structure (Tunnels & station) from the south ramp (including) to Vellara Junction station (excluding) along with allied work and 3 No. of UG metro station in Reach -6 Line of Banglore Metro rail Project, Phase-2. However, Afcons has quoted Rs. 1526.33 crores to work on this project.

Bid Opening for Bangalore Metro Underground Contract RT-01 The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) has opened the Financial Bid for 3.655 km of Namma Metro Phase II, Reach 6 contract on September 26, 2019, at 11.00, where 3 bidders were found technically qualified out of 5 for the contract. These are AFCONS Infrastructure, Larsen & Toubro Limited, ITD. The L&T, ITD were found L2, L3 respectively.

The technical bid was submitted on May 28, 2019.

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PRODUCT WATCH

Fluid Controls® Connectors Designed & Manufactured from First Principle Engineering Comprehensive Connector Solutions for Rail & Metro Brake Piping

Fluid Controls® Manufacturing and Supply Services Fluid Controls® partners with customers to be a single source

Fluid Controls® Private Limited was established in 1974 by Dr.

supplier for various connectors required for rail and metro

Y.E. Moochhala, a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, the

applications. The 120,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility is

USA with a vision to deliver high quality & high-performance

located at Chakhan, outside Pune, India.

products which delight customers.

Fluid Controls® has over 40 years of experience in engineering fittings and connections for rail & metro brake piping assemblies. We offer customers end-to-end “Make in India” solutions for locomotive and coach brake piping arrangements – from design & engineering services to supply of highperformance connectors and installation services.

Fluid Controls® offers design services for brake piping arrangements and conversion engineering, including 3D modelling, FEA and prototyping via ANSYS and Solidworks.

Our engineers work closely with customers to understand their requirements and develop effective solutions for them.

Our engineering and design strengths have ensured that millions of Fluid Controls® connectors have been successfully installed on electric and diesel locomotives, motorized and mainline coaches and metro cars, providing “fit and forget” assurance to customers.

Our products include: Double Ferrule Fittings with multiple sealing points and high vibration resistance which have been design validated by ABS and performance validated to ASTM F1387-99 (2012) DIN Single Ferrule Connectors for metro and rail applications BulkheadTM and Threaded Adaptors FlexiGripTM Connectors for misaligned pipe connections Quick Release Connectors Customised Connectors designed to client requirements Isolating cocks and clamping accessories (DIN and customised)

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PRODUCT WATCH Today, Fluid Controls® has over 4 decades of experience

facility and the pre-piped assembly is shipped to the

supplying more than 15 million connectors to over 60

customer site. If required, Fluid Controls® team provides

customers in the Rail & Metro Industry. We are approved by all

on-site fitment of these assemblies as well. These pre-

Indian Locomotive and Coach OEM’s, Bombardier

piped assemblies facilitate customer inventory

Transportation, Alstom Transport for Metro and E-Loco, and GE

management and ensure faster turnarounds.

Transportation. We are also approved by brake equipment and other suppliers to the Rail & Metro industry.

Fluid Controls® Engineered Installation Solutions To cater to a growing need for comprehensive solutions, Fluid Controls® has recently introduced engineered installation services. This service provides our customers with an end-toend solution as they have a single source vendor for connectors supply and fitment.

Traditionally, the Indian Railways has sourced brake piping parts from individual suppliers, and the installation of the piping was carried out at the site by separate vendors. With the expansion in manufacture of carriage and locomotive rolling stock, it is imperative that the railways have zero-defect, leakfree connections in the pneumatic brake piping system as this is a critical safety item which requires superior materials and precise expert installation.

With our composite expertise of manufacturing connectors, our understanding of tube and end connector performance and our decades of experience of swaging and accurate tube bending, Fluid Controls® offers customers a complete end-to-end engineered supply and installation solution. Today, Fluid Controls® is executing “Supply & Apply” contracts for over 750 coaches in India.

Our services are offered by experienced professionals and include:

Fluid Controls® Engineering and R&D Fluid Controls® is approved as an “In-House R&D Unit” by the

Supply of zero-defect end connectors and pipes

Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR),

On-site connector fitment services: our expert resident

Government of India.

team provides swaging services and ensures proper fitment of ferrules and performance of the connector End-to-End installation services: include on-site installation of brake pipelines on the shell underframe and

Our state-of-the-art R&D center is located at Pune, Western India, where we offer clients customized solutions based on analytical formulations, 3D Modelling, and FEA.

bogie, including tube formation, connector fitment,

All Fluid Controls® products are designed from FIRST

mounting of piping and leakage testing

PRINCIPLES

Pre-piped assemblies: This begins with engineering

2D and 3D model creation and Virtual Design Validation

support during the designing of the brake piping layouts

(VDV) using Finite Element Analysis

supported by 3D modelling and FEA. The tube formation,

Connector ferrules are case hardened by a patented

end formation and swaging of connectors is done at our

process to ensure superior performance METRO RAIL NEWS |OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

85

PRODUCT WATCH Rigorous design and performance certification program

supplementary vibration and corrosion tests

conducted by external agencies

DIN Clamps are design validated as per DIN 3015

Total material traceability and a corporate policy of

All validation and testing can be offered by us to customers (if

continuous improvement

required) at our test laboratory in Pune, where we have equipment which caters to the following: Hydrostatic pressure up to 58,000psi. Pneumatic testing up to 20,000psi In-house metallurgy via Spectro SCADA Multi Test bench for Hydraulic Impulse and Vibration test, Temperature cycling, Corrosion Resistance of plating as per ASTM B840:2002 by salt spray method ASTM B117 Stress Corrosion test as per ASTM F1387, Flexure Fatigue, Rotary Flexure and Tensile Pull Test Vacuum and Cryogenic Test Ups In-house UTS, PMI and Rockwell & Vickers hardness testing Fluid Controls®: A Single Source for Brake Piping Connections At Fluid Controls®, we believe our products should have integrity and reliability and be innovative. With this ethos, we offer our customers unparalleled products and services to ensure a leak-free, reliable, “Fit and Forget” brake piping system.

Fluid Controls® connectors are manufactured to the highest standards and our ferrule fittings are design validated and certified to international design and performance standards: System certifications of ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 Double Ferrule Fittings are design validated by American Bureau of Shipping. These connectors are performance validated as per ASTM F1387-99 (2012). Additional tests include vibration as per BS EN 61373, Salt Mist tests, seismic and non-seismic tests to nuclear standards DIN Single Ferrule Connectors are design validated to DIN 2353 and ISO 8434 standards. They are performance tested as per ISO 19879 with 86

METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

APPOINTMENT

Ravinder Gupta is new GM of RCF Kapurthala

Ravinder Gupta General Manager RCF Kapurthala

Ravinder Gupta General Manager RCF Kapurthala

R

avinder Gupta, an Indian Railway Services officer

high-capacity parcel van, which is the main stay of parcel

of Mechanical Engineers has taken over the

earnings of the Indian Railways and refrigerated parcel vans.

charge of General Manager of Rail Coach Factory,

He also developed new wagon design of high-speed and high-

Kapurthala.

capacity wagons for coal and bulk, besides Auto Car Wagons

With its independent Research and Development, Matrix’s

with highest carrying capacity in the world.

primary focus is to develop solutions equipped with cuttingedge technologies to deliver preventive security and higher.

Prior to this, he was working as the Principal Executive Director, Mechanical Engineering/Workshop, at Railway Board, New Delhi. Gupta joined the Indian Railways in 1984. He has served the Indian Railways in various capacities. He served as Divisional Rail Manager at Malda in Eastern Railway.

He was Chief Administrative Officer in Indian Railways Organisation of Alternate Fuels in 2016-17 and later served as Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer in Eastern Railway Kolkata.

He has made a significant contribution in the Indian Railways and is credited for creating CTS (Clean Train Station) scheme which was implemented nationwide for improving cleanliness in running trains.

He also created designs of coaches for Jan Shatabdi trains,

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APPOINTMENT

Alkesh Kumar Sharma appointed as new Managing Director of Kochi Metro

he Kerala Government has announced the appointment

He also developed new wagon design of high-speed and high-

of DMICDC CEO Alkesh Kumar Sharma as new

capacity wagons for coal and bulk, besides Auto Car Wagons

Managing Director of Kochi Metro Rail Limited vice

with highest carrying capacity in the world.

T

Mohammad Hanish who was recently questioned by the

Sharma is 1990 batch IAS officer and worked for nearly 18

Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in connection with

years in Kerala as the Managing Director of Kerala State Civil

the Palarivattom flyover case.

Supplies Corporation, Kerala Tourism Development

Sharma takes charge of new MD of Kochi Metro on Friday. He

Corporation, Kerala State Industrial Development

will also function as the Chief Executive Officer of Smart City

Corporation, Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited, Malabar

Kochi Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. and Principal Secretary for Kochi-

Cement Limited and Kerala State Electronics Development

Bengaluru Industrial Corridor.

Corporation. He also worked as Director of Tourism and as

Prior to joining as Managing Director of Kochi Metro Rail Limited, he was MD & CEO of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial

Secretary, Industries and Investment Promotion in Government of Kerala, India

Corridor Development Corporation Limited (DMICDCL). The

Sharma joined the United Nations Development Programme

Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) is being developed by

(UNDP) as National Project Director, Urban Development and

the Central Government as a global manufacturing and

Poverty Alleviation and served there for three years.

investment destination supported by the world-class

He was the pioneer in branding and promoting Kerala Tourism

infrastructure and enabling policy framework.

as ‘God’s Own Country’ and was part of the core team of the

Prior to joining DMICDC, he worked as Joint Secretary, Ministry

Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM)

of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India where

launched by the Prime Minister of India in December 2005.

he looked after matters relating to land acquisition, forest, and

Sharma had published the first India Urban Poverty Report

environment clearances, review, and monitoring of National

2009, first City Human Development Report 2009 Mumbai and

Highways and all matter related to toll and toll policy on the

policy papers on Poverty Alleviation, Tourism Development,

national highways.

Habitat Development, and Industrial investment promotion.

high-capacity parcel van, which is the main stay of parcel earnings of the Indian Railways and refrigerated parcel vans.

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89

COMPANY COVERAGE

INNOVATIONS TO ENHANCE GLOBAL RAIL SAFETY

A

round the world, railroads continue to serve as a

meet customer needs. The company also offers a state-of-the

primary solution for effective hauling. While today’s rail

art grade crossing obstacle detection system, where through

industry priorities have become even more attuned to

the use of radar, the system can detect objects in the

maximizing productivity and availability, safety remains a key

intersection of road and track, and alert the operator, or in some

factor. Through fleet modernizations, track structure

cases, stop the train automatically.

improvements and technology advancements, such as asset protection and predictive maintenance tools, railroads are taking efficiency, safety and reliability to the next level.

In addition to wayside products, PowerView is a nextgeneration, crash-hardened Locomotive Event and Video Recorder. It provides synchronized recording and playback of

As a Caterpillar company, Progress Rail remains committed to

multiple data sources and can replace multiple locomotive

our customers — having built a legacy on delivering superior

recorders into a single unit. It is also a complete processing

value in a cost effective manner. Our team works hard to create

platform that supports edge computing for local analytics,

lifelong relationships, supplying comprehensive rolling stock

alarming and other applications. PowerView integrates across

and infrastructure solutions for the global rail industry and

most OEM locomotive types, as well as various third- party

setting the standard for excellence.

systems.

Throughout our history, our iconic product portfolio has been at the forefront of railroad innovation. Our powerful data analytics platform, energy management suite, infrastructure inspection solutions and other technologies contribute not only to reducing the railroads’ total cost of ownership, but also making great strides toward improving overall safety.

Progress Rail offers a broad range of innovations to enhance global railway safety.

ASSET PROTECTION Our train inspection systems have a wide range of trackmounted equipment to aid in defect detection, diagnostics and monitoring. From protecting the ties and track to high value assets, Progress Rail can design an asset protection solution to 90

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Power View

COMPANY COVERAGE REAL-TIME DATA FROM CAB TO CABOOSE Progress Rail End-Of-Train (EOT) device Progress Rail’s End-Of-Train (EOT) devices transmit real-time,

Progress Rail offers a wide range of options to meet customer needs for modernizations or rebuilds. These options include improving emissions, increasing horsepower, implementing advanced electronics or fuel saving technologies, improving

vital information from the end of the train to the locomotive cab

tractive effort and enhancing safety performance, as well as

by way of a locomotive head of train device or locomotive

other solutions. Our goal is to customize a package to meet the

control unit. This technology contributes to improved

individual customer’s needs and budget. Many customers

operational safety, accident investigation, security and

determine rebuild/modernizations create the best life cycle cost

vandalism prevention. Compared to other products available

scenario to meet their fleet needs.

today, Progress Rail EOT devices offer a more modern design with improved reliability, ergonomics, lighter weight and advanced power management. The end of train coupler mount makes an EOT faster and safer to apply — a characteristic train operators can appreciate.

As an example, for railroads that wish to modernize, we are able to implement the latest technologies. We offer complete Energy Management solutions to assist with fuel economy, or predictive analytics through our PR Uptime® Suite to ensure mission reliability and less downtime, as well as safety enhancements – for instance, through our Fatigue and Distraction Monitoring technology.

TRACKWORK

LOCOMOTIVE REMANUFACTURING Progress provides a full range of locomotive options, from PowerRail View new freight and passenger locomotives to remanufactured, modernized or overhaul options. The company is an industry

Narrow Flash Butt Welder

leader in locomotive rebuilds and modernizations, having rebuilt or modernized many models in the last 10 years.

Progress Rail has the ability to modernize an extensive line of locomotives, from switchers to line haul locomotives, and in recent years, has witnessed interest in rebuilding locomotives of all sizes. Progress Rail performs overhaul work at its Patterson, Georgia; Mayfield, Kentucky; Muncie, Indiana; and Tacoma, Washington, facilities in North America and at other locations around the world, including facilities in Europe. One of the company’s key differentiators is that Progress Rail serves an integrated locomotive manufacturer with the largest range of engines available for the rail market – spanning from two- to four- cycle options with anywhere from 750 to 6,000 Special trackwork

horsepower.

What exactly is done to the locomotive?

Capabilities that Progress Rail offers for global rail infrastructure METRO RAIL NEWS |OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

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COMPANY COVERAGE Progress Rail has the most globally diverse shared knowledge

System) Micro Hot Bearing Detector

base of track designs, technologies and innovations in the

Progress Rail’s Asset Protection and Condition Monitoring

world – with design and manufacturing facilities in Europe, America and Australia. Progress Rail can customize and manufacture turnouts and track components to suit customer requirements, site specific conditions or network parameters as required. Progress Rail is an industry leader in track and track components, including proven experience with global railways, ranging from lighter networks to supporting some of the heaviest axle loads in the world. Progress Rail has one of most

systems are in use on multiple global rail lines. From software systems that gather information, raise alerts based on preconfigured parameters and monitor wayside system health, to actual monitoring equipment such as Hot Wheel and Hot Bearing Detection, Dragging Equipment Detection and Acoustic Bearing Monitoring, the company offers multiple innovations to help keep assets secure.

extensive infrastructure product and service portfolios

Progress Rail’s equipment and software are in use on many

available globally. Our facilities offer products including

railways, and the company directly interfaces with other signal

fasteners, ties, anchors, direct fixation components, buffer

providers ranging from Positive Train Control to the asset

stops, turnouts, switches and crossings – all customizable to meet customer needs and

protection systems. Progress Rail also has experience with

requirements. Progress Rail also manufactures Kershaw®

most major contracting companies and has a reputation for

Maintenance-of-Way equipment, such as Ballast Regulators,

delivering quality product on time and on budget.

Progress Rail can provide full turnkey packages for the Asset

tie replacers and vegetation management machines, along

Protection and Condition Monitoring systems. This can include,

with Flash Butt Welding machines to maintain rail

but it not limited to:

infrastructure. Progress Rail is a leader in Flash Butt Welding technology, with replacement rail welding

Design Procurement

Progress Rail Signaling Asset Protection and Condition

Supply

Monitoring technologies components also available.

Installation

Progress Rail Signaling Asset Protection and Condition Monitoring technologies

Interface with third party systems Final testing and commissioning Complete after sales service and support Progress Rail is a major supplier of rail focused tag reading systems, and can design, supply, install, integrate and maintain the complete RFID tag system for global rail customers.

FUES (Hot Axle Hot Wheel Detection

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METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

ARTICLE EVENT

Metro and Railway Industry Events Calender

Dates

Event Name

Venue

Aug. 29-30, 2019

Rail India Conference & Expo 2019

Hotel The Lalit, New Delhi, India

Aug. 30 - Sep. 02, 2019

Expo1520 Conference & Exhibition

Moscow, Russia

Sep. 12-14, 2019

nextRail 2019 Conference

Zurich, Switzerland

Sep. 18-19, 2019

Smart Rail Conference

Malaysia, Kulalumpur

Sep. 11-13, 2019

Rail NZ 2019 – Light Vs Heavy Rail

Auckland, NZ

Sep. 17, 2019

UK Rail Industry Forum

London, Britain

Sep. 20-22, 2019

CWE Expo 2019

Bombay Exhibition Center, Mumbai, India

Oct. 01-03, 2019

Expo Ferroviaria

Milan, Italy

Oct. 01-02, 2019

6th Railway Forum

Berlin, Germany

Oct. 08 - 09, 2019

Nordic Rail Exhibition

Jönköping, Sweden

Oct. 09 -11, 2019

5th World Congress on Rail Training “Unite-Inspire-Connect”

Rabat, Morocco

Oct. 10, 2019

Acelerate: Rail Infrastructure Conference

London, Britain

Oct. 13-18, 2019

International Railway Safety Council Conference

Perth, Australia

Oct. 15 -16, 2019

Africa Ports and Rail Evolution Conference

Durban, South Africa

Oct. 15-17, 2019

ERTMS Control Command and Railway Communication Conference (CCRCC) 2019

Valenciennes, France

Oct. 22-24, 2019

13th International Railway Equipment Exhibition (IREE) 2019

Aerocity, New Delhi, India

October 21-24, 2019

The Year in Infrastructure 2019 Conference

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Oct. 22-24, 2019

ASPECT Conference 2019

Delft, Netherlands

Oct. 24-25, 2019

The Philippine Railway Modernization & Expansion Summit

Manila, Philippines

Oct. 28-Nov 01, 2019

12th World Congress on Railway Research

Tokyo, Japan

Oct. 27-31, 2019

Wheel-Rail Interaction EU 2019 Conference

Vienna, Austria

Oct. 31, 2019

Alpine Rail Optimisation Conference

Vienna, Austria

Nov. 11-13, 2019

UIC Nextstation 2019 Conference

Tehran, Iran

Nov. 12-14, 2019

Rail + Metro China Exhibition

Shanghai, China

Nov 12-14, 2019

InnoRail 2019

Budapest, Hungar

Nov. 15-17, 2019

Urban Mobility India Conference & Expo 2019

Lucknow, India

Nov. 19-21, 2019

Expo Rail China, Conference & Exhibition

Chengdu, China

Nov. 20-22, 2019

8th International Railway Summit

New Delhi, India

Nov. 27-29,2019

Mass-Trans Innovation

Chiba, Japan

Dec. 03-05, 2019

World Rail Festival 2019

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Dec. 03-05, 2019

AusRAIL Plus 2019 Conference & Exhibition

Sydney, Australia

Feb. 25-26, 2020

Middle East Rail Conference & Exhibition

Dubai, UAE

Mar. 03-05, 2020

IT Trans Conference & Exhibition

Karlsruhe, Germany

Mar. 25-26, 2020

Rail Industry Meetings

Valenciennes, France

Mar. 31- April 01, 2020

Rail Live Conference & Exhibition

Madrid, Spain

July 10 - 13, 2020

Asian Machine Tool Exhibition (AMTEX)

Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

Sep. 22-25, 2020

InnoTrans Conference & Exhibition

Berlin, Germany

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METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

LIVE TENDER DATE

SUMMARY

DEADLINE

10/16/2019

detailed Design Consultant (ddc) For Viaduct & Stations (excluding U-girder System Of Superstructure) From Central Silk Board Junction To Hbr Layout Along Outer Ring Road (section-1) For Bangalore Metro Rail Project, Phase-2a & 2b

11/2/2019

10/16/2019

Detailed Design Consultant (ddc) For Viaduct & Stations (excluding U-girder System Of Superstructure) From Hbr Layout To Kempegowda International Airport (section-2) For Bangalore Metro Rail Project, Phase-2a & 2b Improvement And Renovation Of Bituminous And Concrete Surface Of Parking And Circulating Area From Udyog Bhawan Metro Station To Huda City Centre Station Of Line-2.

11/4/2019

10/16/2019

10/16/2019

Estimated Cost: INR 32,711,000 Improvement And Renovation Of Bituminous & Concrete Surface Of Parking And Circulating Area From Udyog Bhawan Metro Station To Huda City Centre Station Of Line-2.

11/15/2019

11/15/2019

Estimated Cost: INR 32,711,000 10/15/2019

Badli (near Metro Station Second Entry): E-tender For Allotm......

11/11/2019

10/14/2019

Implementing Bengaluru Metro Rail Project, Phase-2a & 2b ( the Project).

10/14/2020

10/12/2019

Ex-post Evaluation Of Bangalore I And Kochi Metro Projects, And Elaboration Of An Ex-ante Baseline For 11/15/2019 Nagpur, Pune And Bangalore Ii Metro Projects Sitc And Shifting/modification, Of Electrical Utilities 11kv ,transformer, Rmu, Lt Line Etc. To Clear The 11/11/2019 Electrical Infringement From Section Existing Maujpur Metro Viaduct To Yamuna Bank Of The Majl

10/11/2019

Estimated Cost: INR 47,200,000 10/11/2019

Sitc And Shifting/modification, Of Street Lighting Pole And High Mast To Clear The Electrical Infringement From Section Existing Maujpur Metro Viaduct To Yamuna Bank Of The Majlis Park To Maujpur Sect

11/11/2019

Estimated Cost: INR 32,000,000 10/11/2019

M/o Completed Scheme Under North Zone (nazul A/c-ii). Sh- M/o Street Lighting At 656 Mig Flats (metro Apartment) Jahangirpuri.

10/18/2019

Estimated Cost: INR 242,814 10/11/2019

M/o Completed Scheme Under North Zone (nazul A/c-ii). Sh- M/o Street Lighting At 656 Mig Flats (metro Apartment) Jahangirpuri.

10/18/2019

Estimated Cost: INR 242,814 10/11/2019

Sitc And Shifting/modification, Of Street Lighting Pole And High Mast To Clear The Electrical Infringement From Section Existing Maujpur Metro Viaduct To Yamuna Bank Of The Majlis Park To Maujpur Sect Estimated Cost: INR 32,000,000

11/11/2019

10/10/2019

Procurement Of Plant Design,prototype Testing,supply,installation,testing,commissioning,training,operational Acceptance And Technical/maintenance Support Of Platform Screen Doors System For Chennai Me

11/22/2019

10/9/2019

Survey Around Five Metro Stations In Delhi Ncr

10/24/2019

10/9/2019

Construction Of Secant Piling, Slope Protection And Excavation Works For Shunting Tracks Area At Ramp Of Car Depot For Mumbai Metro Line-3 (colaba-bandra-seepz) Project.

Licensing Of Parking Rights At Nawada, Dwarka Mor And Dwarka Sec-14 Metro Stations Of Line -3 Of Dmrc Estimated Cost: INR 8,983,000

10/18/2019

10/4/2019

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METRO RAIL NEWS | OCT 2019 | WWW.METRORAILNEWS.IN

11/4/2019

LIVE TENDER 10/4/2019 10/4/2019

Licensing Of Parking Rights At Nawada, Dwarka Mor & Dwarka Sec-14 Metro Stations Of Line -3 Of Dmrc 11/4/2019 .

Licensing Of Parking Rights At Inderlok Metro Station Of Line -1 Of Dmrc.

11/4/2019 Estimated Cost: INR 9,821,000

10/4/2019

Licensing Of Parking Rights At Inderlok Metro Station Of Line -1 Of Dmrc

11/4/2019

Estimated Cost: INR 9,821,000 9/30/2019

Construction Of Elevated Viaduct Of Length 288.381m (from Ch.39079.567m To 39367.949m) Between 10/21/2019 Trilokpuri And Mayur Vihar Pkt.1 Metro Station Of Line-7 Of Mukundpur - Shiv Vihar Corridor Of Phaseiii Estimated Cost: INR 260,300,000

9/30/2019

Construction Of Elevated Viaduct Of Length 288.381m (from Ch.39079.567m To 39367.949m) Between 10/21/2019 Trilokpuri And Mayur Vihar Pkt.1 Metro Station Of Line-7 Of Mukundpur - Shiv Vihar Corridor Of Phaseiii Estimated Cost: INR 260,300,000

9/28/2019

Arrangement For Supply Of Foreign Exchange To The Executives Of The Shipping Corporation Of India Ltd. As Per The Tender Document

10/18/2019

Estimated Cost: INR 19,900,000 9/27/2019 9/27/2019 9/25/2019

Implementation Of Ropeway Corridor-1 Between Mahavir Nagar Metro Station (link Road) - Pagoda Gorai Vilage, Mumbai On Design, Finance, Build, Operate, And Transfer (dfbot) Basis Implementation Of Ropeway Corridor-2 Between Charkop Metro Station (link Road) To Marve, Mumbai On Design, Finance, Build, Operate, And Transfer (dfbot) Basis Licensing Of Parking Rights At Jhilmil, Dilshad Garden And Mansarovar Park Metro Stations Of Line -1 Of Dmrc Estimated Cost: INR 19,852,000

12/9/2019 11/25/2019 10/30/2019

9/25/2019

Licensing Of Parking Rights At Netaji Subhash Place, Kohat Enclave And Keshav Puram Metro Stations Of Line -1 Of Dmrc Estimated Cost: INR 18,332,000

10/30/2019

9/25/2019

Licensing Of Parking Rights At Jhilmil, Dilshad Garden And Mansarovar Park Metro Stations Of Line -1 Of Dmrc.

Estimated Cost: INR 19,852,000

10/30/2019

9/25/2019

Licensing Of Parking Rights At Netaji Subhash Place, Kohat Enclave And Keshav Puram Metro Stations Of Line -1 Of Dmrc.

Estimated Cost: INR 18,332,000

10/30/2019

Licensing Of Parking Rights At Dwarka Sec-11 And Dwarka Metro Stations Of Line-3 Of Dmrc.

10/23/2019

9/23/2019

Estimated Cost: INR 15,191,000 9/23/2019

Licensing Of Parking Rights At Indraprastha, Pragati Maidan Of Line- 3 And Karkardooma Metro Stations Of Line- 4 Of Dmrc.

Estimated Cost: INR 11,537,000

10/23/2019

9/23/2019

Licensing Of Parking Rights At Tughlakabad, Badarpur Border And Harkesh Nagar Okhla Metro Stations 10/17/2019 Of Line-6 Of Dmrc.

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