Metro Rail Today June 2021 by Urban Transport News

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VOLUME 01 | ISSUE 03 | JUNE 2021 | COVER PRICE INR 250.00

METRO RAIL TODAY NEWS, INSIGHTS, ANALYSIS, PROJECTS AND BUSINESS UPDATES FOR RAIL AND METRO INDUSTRY

5G Technology How 5G will transform Rail Transport?

Magrail Technology Magarail Technology can be an opportunity to transform Railways

Green Rail Coradia iLint: World’s first Hydrogen Fuel Cell powered Train

Project Study From Delhi to Meerut: A Journey of Connectivity

30 YEARS OF ICE HIGH SPEED RAIL IN GERMANY Published by Scan from here to read online

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From All The Information Sources That You Trust …

METRO RAIL TODAY | JUNE 2021 | ISSUE 03

REGULAR COLUMNS

Editorial Advisory Board

Subscription Form

Editor’s Note

Round Up

Construction Updates

Tender Watch

Urban Rail Progress - India

INTERVIEW

Editorial Calendar and Rate Card

Steve Jones

Ashok Menghani

Ling Fang

Sales Director, MIDEL, Singapore

Business Leader, Schneider Electric, Singapore

President, Alstom Transport (Asia Pacific)

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

20 EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE 20 40

30 Years of High Speed Railways in Germany

By Klaus Ebeling, Secretary General, European Intermodal Association

Coradia iLint: World’s first hydrogen fuel cell powered Train

By Alain Spohr, Managing Director, Alstom Transport (India & South Asia)

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

2nd Rail Infra and Mobility Business Awards 2021 By Urban Transport News

3-day Webinar on Rail & Metro Infrastructure 2021 (June 28-30, 2021) By Urban Transport News

Mega Virtual Exhibition on Urban Rail and Equipment Business 2021 (June 1 – July 31, 2021) By Urban Transport News

You can submit your article, case studies, editorial and advertorial for our next issue by JUNE 25, 2021 WWW.METRORAILTODAY.COM

51 ARTICLES/OPINION

Key aspects revamping the growth trajectory in infrastructure

By Shashank Agrawal, Managing Director, Salasar Techno Engineering

Why traveling by Train is Environmentally Friendly?

By Rachel Shalom, Sr. Data Scientist, Dell Technologies

TECHNOLOGY TALK

How 5G will transform Rail Transport By Shaun Newton, Head – Products, BAI Communications

Magrail technology can be an opportunity to transform railways By Vinod Shah, Head-Communications, Urban Transport News

INFRA FINANCING 43

Development Financial Institution (DFI): Setting up of the National Bank for Financing and Development (NaBFID) By Debashish Mallick, MD & CEO, IDBI Asset Management

PROJECT STUDY 49

From Delhi to Meerut: A Journey of Connectivity

By Amit Kumar, Sr. Investment Operations Specialist, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

EVENTS

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Industry Event Calendar 2021

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

METRO RAIL TODAY MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Our distinguished advisory board has been assembled to guide Metro Rail Today Magazine to become even more representative of rail, metro and urban transport industry. Members have been invited from the highest levels of the industry and academic/research institutions to ensure high quality content so that the magazine can continue on its path of success.

Karuna Gopal Smart Cities Advisor Foundation for Futuristic Cities, Hyderabad

Dr. Richa Chowdhary Associate Professor University of Delhi, New Delhi

Dr. Surabhi Singh Associate Professor Institute of Management Studies (IMS), Ghaziabad

Ar. Priyanka Kumar Urban Planner Regional Centre for Urban & Environmental Studies, Lucknow

Dr. Vivek Vaidyanathan Sudhanshu Mani, IRSME Urban Transport Scientist Urban Rail Expert Center for Study of Science, Ex-GM/ICF, Indian Railways Technology & Policy (CSTEP), Bangalore

Rajesh Agrawal Corporate Consultant, Former Member (Rolling Stock), Railway Board

MC Chauhan, IRSEE Railway Expert Ex. Chairman –KMRC, Ex. GM/NCR, Indian Railways

Keshav Mishra Dr. Valavan Amudhan Rail & Transit Infra Expert, Public Transport Expert Vice President, GR Infraprojects Executive Director-TECHSACS

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VOL. I / ISSUE 03

JUNE 2021

Mamta Shah Managing Editor Vinod Shah Head - Marketing Anushka Khare Associate Editor Naomi Pandya Associate Editor Surya Prakash Head of Design Vandana Shukla Production Manager Himani Gupta Marketing Manager Metro Rail Today Magazine is being published monthly by:

Urban Transport News F-35, First Floor, Pankaj Grand Plaza, Mayur Vihar Phase-I, New Delhi-110091 Tel: 011-4248 4505, +91-9716 4545 05 E-mail: editor@urbantransportnews.com Web: www.urbantransportnews.com Subscriptions: Metro Rail News Magazine is sent without obligation to professionals and key opinion leaders working in urban transport industry in India and other countries. However, publisher reserves the right to limit the number of copies. Cover Price: Print ₹ 250.00, Digital- ₹100.00 Annual: Print ₹ 3000.00, Digital: ₹ 1000.00 All subscriptions payable in advance. Print circulation available in India only. © Urban Transport News | All rights reserved. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. For reprint, circulation in outside India, please contact: editor@urbantransportnews.com Edited and published by Mrs. Mamta Shah, Managing Editor from F-35, Pankaj Grand Plaza, Mayur Vihar Phase I, New Delhi – 110091, India. Disclaimer: The facts and opinions expressed by the authors/contributors here do not reflect the views of editorial team or editorial board of Urban Transport News or Metro Rail Today Magazine.

Dear Readers, Serving over 8 billion passengers annually, the Indian railroad network is one of the largest and most intricate in the world. But moving billions of people over tens of thousands of kilometers of rail every year is no small feat – it requires enormous amounts of energy, even though passenger-mile emissions are much lower than vehicle traffic. India’s transport sector contributes to 12% of the country’s GHG emissions, with railways accounting for about 4 per cent of that. To reduce overall emissions from transportation, India committed to increase the amount of freight moved by Indian Railways from about 35 per cent in 2015 to 45 per cent by 2030. In this edition, we have featured the developments of high speed railways in Germany to mark 30th Anniversary of ICE High Speed Trains. Alain Spohr, Managing Director of Alstom Transport (India & South Asia) has discussed about future of hydrogen fuel cell powered trains and its impact on climate change. Under technology talk, experts also discussed on use of 5G technology in Rail Transport, and future of Magrail technology. A special coverage has been also given on infrastructure financing. We have covered the interviews of Mr. Ashok Menghani, Business Leader, Schneider Electric Singapore; Mr. Steve Jones, Sales Director, MIDEL, Singapore and Ms.Ling Fang, President, Alstom Transport Asia Pacific. These leaders have shared their experience and success stories in their respective fields. Please keep sharing your valuable feedback on the content of Metro Rail Today so that we can improve and provide more useful information in our future issues. Stay Safe and Stay Happy! Mamta Shah Managing Editor editor@urbantransportnews.com

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METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

ROUND UP

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH held on April 26, 2021. Prior to assuming the present position, Shri Banerjee was Director (Rail & Metro).

Wabtec to provide major rolling stock components for Delhi-Meerut RRTS Train Wabtec Corporation on May 4, 2021, announced that it will support the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transport Systems (RRTS) with critical component orders valued at about $15 million for new rolling stock. The company will supply advanced technology brake systems, pantographs, roof disconnector switches and fully integrated passenger information systems to Alstom, which is building the coaches for the project.

Sanjay K Mohanty appointed as new Member (Operations & Business Development) Railway Board The Ministry of Railway, Govt. of India has appointed Sanjay Kumar Mohanty, a 1984 batch of Indian Railways Traffic Service (IRTS), on the post of Member (Operations & Business Development) Railway Board (Ministry of Railways) and Ex. Officio Secretary to the Government of India. Shri Mohanty has taken over the charge of new Member (Operations & Business Development) Railway Board and Ex. Officio Secretary to the Government of India today from Shri P. S. Mishra, IRTS. Shri Mohanty was General Manager, South Eastern Railway (SER) prior to his elevation to the post of Railway Board Member.

Govt of India, EIB sign €150 million loan agreement for Pune Metro Rail Project The Government of India and European Investment Bank (EIB) signed the loan agreement for the second tranche of Euro 150 million for the Pune Metro Rail project through a virtual signing ceremony. The signing ceremony was held in the presence of H.E. Mr. Francisco Andre, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Portugal and Werner Hoyer, President EIB on May 7, 2021.

Amit Banerjee appointed as new Chairman-cumManaging Director of BEML Limited Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), an Indian Public Sector Undertakings, has appointed Amit Banerjee as Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) with effect from May 1, 2021. His selection was announced by Public Enterprise Selection Board (PSEB) in the board meeting

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

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ROUND UP

CIDCO conducts trial run test for Navi Mumbai Metro Project

UP Metro Rail Corporation in search of Managing Director

The City & Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (CIDCO) on May 6, 2021, announced that it has carried out a trial test run of a metro train on the approach route to and the test track at Taloja metro depot. The corporation claimed that it was “successful in all respects”. It has been noted that CIDCO has promised to launch the services between Kharghar and Taloja stations by December this year and the test was done on the line stretching around 850 meters with a speed limit of below 65 km per hour.

The Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (UPMRC) on May 19, 2021, has issued notification for the appointment of Managing Director on the pay-scale of Rs 2,00,000 - 3,70,000/- (IDA) along with other perks and allowances. The extended tenure of present Managing Director Shri Kumar Keshav will be ended on August 18, 2021.

MMRDA appoints consultant for taking over of Mumbai Metro Line 1 RITES submits final report on Guwahati Metro Rail Project The Indian Railways consultancy firm RITES Limited has submitted the final Comprehensive Mobility Plan & Alternative Analysis report on the Guwahati Metro Rail project for Guwahati to the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). The firm has suggested Metro Neo system as low-cost MRT System for the City. The Guwahati Metro Rail project has been enlisted by the Govt. of India as a planning stage project. In January 2016, RITES Ltd. had completed the Feasibility Report and the detailed project report (DPR) of Phase-I for the Rail-based Mass Rapid Transit System for Guwahati.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is planning to take over the operation and maintenance of 11.5 km Mumbai Metro's Line 1 (VersovaAndheri-Ghatkopar) before launching the most awaited Line 2A & 7. In this regard, the executive committee of the MMRDA has recently approved the appointment of a consultant to carry out due diligence of assets of Mumbai Metro Line 1 before a formal takeover. R-Infra has evaluated its share value between Rs 2,500-2,600 crore for its share in MMOPL. The consultant will visit all the assets created by MMOPL, assess their value and compare against their book value, which will enable MMRDA to decide on the amount to be paid to R-Infra. The consultant will submit their report in the next four months.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation reported Rs 1,785 crore loss in FY2020-21 The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) incurred losses of Rs 1,784.87 crores in the financial year 2020-21 with operations either curbed or stopped because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The metro services on the Delhi Metro Rail network were shut for over five months last year during the nationwide lockdown and have been closed again for the past two weeks, as part of the Delhi government’s measures to curb the rapid spread of the Covid-19 infection.

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METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

ROUND UP

Speed Rail Corridor Project on May 13, 2021.

PMC standing committee approves increased allocation for Swargate - Katraj Metro Corridor

SAIL started production of better rail tracks than European countries The state-run government Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has commenced production of high-quality rails (R-260 grade rail) for the Railway industry in its Bhilai Steel Plant. The quality of these rails is better than the rails being used in European countries. On this type of rail track, not only can be used for running high-speed trains but the goods trains can also be run faster than before.

NITI Aayog, MoR accords sanction for mobilising funds for Kerala Semi-HSR project The NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Railways (MoR) have accorded sanction for mobilising of funds from multilateral and bilateral agencies for the implementation of the 530-km Kerala Semi-High Speed Rail Corridor Project (Silver Line).

NHSRCL commences LiDAR survey for MumbaiPune-Hyderabad High Speed Rail Corridor Project The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) commenced Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey for the Mumbai- Pune - Hyderabad High

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) received approval from the standing committee for increased allocation of funds for the Swargate - Katraj Metro Rail Project. The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 4,283 crore, PMC will have to contribute Rs 733.85 crore in the project including Rs 248.62 crore of land acquisition and rehabilitation cost. As per new proposal, the increased allocation of Rs 733.85 crore including Rs 485.23 crore made which is 15 per ent financial contribution in the project and land acquisition and rehabilitation cost of Rs 248.62 crore.

State cabinet approves transfer of land for Hinjewadi - Shivajinagar metro in Maharashtra The Maharashtra cabinet approved transfer of 4.75 hectares (ha) of land in Balewadi for the Hinjewadi - Shivajinagar Metro Rail Project (Corridor 3 of Pune Metro) on May 12, 2021.

MMRDA commenced trial run on 20-km Line 2A & 7 of Mumbai Metro Rail Project The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) commenced a trial test run of the metro train on Mumbai Metro's Line 2A and Line 7 on May 31, 2021. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray flagged off the trial run from Aakurli Metro station for these two corridors, which run along the Link Road and Western Express Highway in the Western suburbs of Mumbai. The maiden trial run ceremony was witnessed by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, urban development minister Eknath Shinde, tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray, Metropolitan Commissioner RA Rajeev and other senior officials from the project wing.

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CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Pune Metro: Double Decker Flyover work begins The project team of Pune Metro Rail project started Double Decker Flyover work at Nal Stop on May 4, 2021. Pier cap reinforcement fixing work is in progress for double decker flyover of Reach 2 Vanaz to Civil Court route.

Surat Metro: J Kumar receives two TBMs for construction of tunnels for Surat Metro project J Kumar Infraprojects Ltd received two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) S-25 and S-28 for the construction of underground tunnels for Surat Metro Rail project on May 1, 2021. These Terratec make TBMs were previously used in building tunnels for Phase 3 of Delhi Metro Rail project under package CC-24 in 2016. In December 2020, Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (GMRC) has awarded a contract worth Rs 941.8 crores to J Kumar Infraprojects for the construction of 21.61-km underground section of Line 1 of Surat Metro project.

Kanpur Metro: Track laying work begins in Polytechnic Depot The project team of L&T started track laying works in Polytechnic depot of Kanpur Metro Rail project on May 6, 2021. Apart from this, horticulture activities also started to prepare this depot for under-construction 8-km priority corridor (IIT Kanpur-Motijheel) of the project.

Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR: L&T commences casting of first pier for Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project The project team of L&T Construction commenced pouring concrete to cast the first pier of the MumbaiAhmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor in Valsad district of Gujarat on May 5, 2021. This work is part of contract package C-4 which has been awarded to L&T by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) in October 2020. The total value of contract is Rs 24,985 crores.

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METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

ROUND UP

Agra Metro: 400 piles and 16 pillars constructed for corridor 1

Kolkata Metro: TBM Urvi completed final tunnel breakthrough for East-West metro corridor

The project team of Sam India Builtwell has completed casting of 400 piles, 45 pier caps and 16 piers for 7-km Priority Corridor (Jama Masjid - Taj East Gate ) of Corridor 1 of Agra Metro Rail Project on May 9, 2021. This milestone is achieved in 5 months of record time.

The project team of ITD Cementation India successfully carried out final tunnel breakthrough at Bowbazar with the help of Tunnel Boring Machine named Urvi on May 17, 2021. With this the tunneling work for 16.34 km east-west metro corridor (line 2) of Kolkata Metro Rail project. This line connects Howrah Maidan to Sector-V with mix of elevated and underground section.

Kolkata Metro: Afcons Infra commences piling works in New Town for Line - 6 Kanpur Metro: Ballastlest Track laying work commenced on first priority corridor The workers from L&T started track laying work on underconstruction 8.728-km first priority corridor (IIT KanpurMotijheel) of Kanpur Metro Rail project on May 11, 2021. They casted first cross-over at IIT Kanpur Metro Station. Apart from this two cross-over will be required at Geeta Nagar and Motijheel stations to change the track/lines.

Bangalore Metro: ITD Cementation lowers TBM Bhadra at Venkateshpura Station The project team of ITD Cementation India Ltd started lowering parts of Tunnel Boring Machine Bhadra (S-840B) at Venkateshpura Station on May 29, 2021 for the construction of 21.386 km Reach-6 of Bangalore Metro Rail Project. ITD Cementation will build a total of 6.34 km twin tunnels, 360 meter ramp at Nagawara, and four stations at Tannery Road, Venkateshpura, Kadugundanahalli and Nagawara. A total of 9 TBMs will be deployed to complete the underground tunneling work on Reach 6 (Pink Line) of the Bangalore Metro Rail Project.

Kanpur Metro: Platform of 7 metro stations of first priority corridor completed With the completion of platform work at Geeta Nagar metro station, workers of Afcons Infrastructure completed platform work on both sides of 7 metro stations out of 9 of first priority corridor on May 16, 2021.

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

Ahmedabad Metro: Ranjit Buildcon commneced casting of Pier Caps for Phase 2 work

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ROUND UP

Mumbai Metro: MMRC achieves 38 tunnel breakthrough on Metro-3 corridor Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) achieved its 38th breakthrough as TBM Surya-1 completed its final upline drive from Hutatma Chowk to CSMT Metro Station on May 31, 2021. With this, package-1 achieves 100% tunnelling as the 5.8-km long tunnel from Cuffe Parade to CSMT Metro Station is now complete. This was 8th and final breakthrough for the 4.25 km Package UGC-01 tunnels between Cuffe Parade and CSMT being carried out by L&T-STEC JV. Overall, this was Line-3’s 38th of 42 planned TBM breakthroughs. With completion of 38th Breakthrough, only 4 breakthrough remaining for this corridor.

Ahmedabad Metro: Pier commenced for Phase 2

caps

casting

work

The workers of Ranjeet Buildcon started casting work of Peir caps for Phase 2 corridors of Ahmedabad Metro Rail project on May 29, 2021. Approximately 200 pier caps with a length of 9800 mm are planned to be cast for the construction of 6.478 km Package C2 (GNLU to Gandhinagar Sector-1) of the project. In 2020, the contract was awarded a contract worth Rs 417.9 crores by the Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC).

Mumbai Metro: 20-km of track ready to commence trial run on Line 2A & 7 Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed construction of 20-km elevated section of Line 2A and Line 7 of Mumbai Metro Rail Project to commence trial run scheduled on May 31, 2021. OHE of Line 7 (Aaray to Dahisar) and .Line 2A (Charkop Depot entry point to Dahisar East) charged successfully after receiving sanction from CEIG.

Delhi Metro: Sam India-Gulermak JV launched first U-Girder for Magenta Line Extn of Phase 4 The workers from Sam India Builtbell and Gulermak successfully erected first 28-meter U-Girder for the construction of the elevated viaduct for a 7.473 km extension line of Magenta Line (Corridor-8) of Delhi Metro Rail network between Haiderpur Badli Mor and Ashok Vihar on May 29, 2021. The U-girder was launched by using two rolling gantry cranes at just north of Majlis Park Station in the Mukundpur neighborhood. The contractor will erect 600 such U-girders by mid-2023 to complete the construction work under Package DC-03R of Delhi MRTS Phase 4.

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METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

2nd Edition

RIMBA 2021

RAIL INFRA AND MOBILITY BUSINESS AWARDS 2021 OCT 11

NEW DELHI

2021

India

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TENDER WATCH

FRESH TENDERS Project

Scope of Work

Issue Date

Closing Date

Authority

Delhi Metro

Design and Construction of Underground UP & Down Tunnels by Shield TBM from end of Cut & Cover tunnel near Sangam Vihar metro Station up to existing Sarita Vihar depot, Underground Ramp and Cut & Cover Tunnels near Sangam Vihar and Tughlakabad metro station and Underground Metro Stations at Maa Anandmayee Marg, Tughlakabad Railway Colony and Tughlakabad including Retrieval / Launching shafts on Aerocity Tughlakabad corridor of Delhi MRTS Project of Phase - IV

03.05.2021

21.06.2021

DMRCL

High Speed Rail

Design and Build Works for Construction of Training Institute Buildings (including interfacing works for installing the training equipment) (Phase-II) at Vadodara for MumbaiAhmedabad High Speed Rail Project.

04.05.2021

31.07.2021

NHSRCL

Delhi Metro

Design and Construction of Twin Tunnel (Up & Down Line) by Shield TBM, Cut and Cover Tunnel box, Underground Ramp and four Underground stations namely Chhattarpur, Chhattarpur Mandir, IGNOU and Neb Sarai with Entry/Exits & Connecting subways from chainage 5356.285 mtr. to 11867.000 mtr. of Aerocity to Tughlakabad Corridor of PhaseIV of Delhi MRTS.

04.05.2021

21.06.2021

DMRCL

RRTS

Integrated Design, Supply, Installation, Testing, Integration, Commissioning and Support of Integrated and Realtime Enterprise Asset Management System (iDREAMS) for RRTS.

05.05.2021

12.07.2021

NCRTC

Bangalore Metro

Detailed Design Consultancy (DDC) for Airport Depot at Doddajala and Remodelling of existing Baiyappanahalli Depot for Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase 2A & 2B

06.05.2021

30.06.2021

BMRCL

Delhi Metro

Design, Manufacture, Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning of Automatic fare Collection System for Mukundpur-Maujpur Corridor including Central System.

17.05.2021

28.06.2021

DMRCL

RRTS

Package 26A Design, Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning and Comprehensive Annual Maintenance Contract of EMV based Open Loop Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) System for Delhi Ghaziabad Meerut RRTS Corridor

26.05.2021

27.07.2021

NCRTC

RRTS

Operation and Maintenance of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS)

26.05.2021

13.08.2021

NCRTC

Delhi Metro

Independent Safety Assessment Services for Train Control and Signalling System works of Rithala to Shaheed Sthal (New Bus Adda) Corridor

27.05.2021

14.07.2021

DMRCL

Chennai Metro

Supply, installation,testing and commissioning of Track works of Standard gauge including all associated works in Underground and Elevated sections between Light House Station and Poonamalle Bypass Station and Poonamalle Depot.

28.05.2021

19.08.2021

CMRL

Noida Metro

Part Design and Construction of Elevated Viaduct and 5 elevated stations viz NOIDA SEC -122, NOIDA SEC-123 GR. NOIDA SEC-4 ECOTECH-12 GR NOIDA SEC-2 (excluding Architectural finishing Works and PEB works of stations) from Chainage 0.00 m to Chainage 9605 m of Noida -Greater Noida Metro Rail Project

31.05.2021

30.06.2021

NMRCL

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METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

TENDER WATCH

TENDER RESULTS Tata Projects bags Rs 1,999 crore civil contract for Chennai Metro Phase 2 Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) awarded the contract package TU-01 worth Rs 1,999.0 crores to Tata Projects Ltd for the construction of approximately 9 km twin bored tunnels (18 km) from the TBM Retrieval Shaft near Venugopal Nagar (of Line-5) to Kellys Station, and the construction of diaphragm walls, entry/exit structures of Madhavaram Milk Colony Station, Murari Hospital Station, Ayanavaram Station and Purasaiwakkam High Road Station, including launching and retrieval shafts at the above stations for Corridor 3 of Chennai Metro Rail Project, Phase 2 on May 10, 2021.

L&T bags Rs 2,385 crore civil contract for Chennai Metro Phase 2 Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) awarded the contract package TU-02 worth Rs 2,385.0 crores to Larsen & Toubro Ltd for the Construction of approximately 12 km twin bored tunnels (total = 24 km) from Kellys Station to Taramani Road Junction and the construction of diaphragm walls, entry/exit structures of Chetpet station, Royapettah Government Hospital Station, Thiruvanmiyu Station, and part diaphragm wall of Greenways Road Station, including launching and retrieval shafts at the above stations. for Corridor 3 of Chennai Metro Rail Project, Phase 2 on May 10, 2021.

L&T bags Rs 1,035 crore civil contract for Chennai Metro Phase 2 Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) awarded the contract package C4-ECV-01 worth Rs 1,035.0 crores to Larsen & Toubro Ltd for the Construction of Elevated Metro Stations at Power House, Vadapalani, Saligramam, Avichi School, Alwartiru Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Karambakkam, Alapapakkam Junction, Porur Junction & Associated Viaduct from Chainage 10027.102 to Chainage 17982.240 & all associated works for Corridor 4 of Chennai Metro Rail Project, Phase 2 on May 12, 2021.

HCC-KEC JV bags Rs 1,008 crore civil contract for Chennai Metro Phase 2 Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) awarded the contract package C4-ECV-02 worth Rs 1,007.95 crores to the joint venture of Hindustan Construction Company Ltd and KEC International Ltd for the Construction of Elevated Metro Stations At Construction of Elevated Metro Stations at Chennai bypass crossing, Ramachandra Hospital, Iyyapanthangal Bus Depot, Katupakkam, Kumanan

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

Chavadi, Karayan Chavadi, Mullai Thottam, Poonamallee Bus Terminus, Poonamallee Bypass & associated viaduct from chainage 17982.240 to chainage 25928.186 and approach to depot at Poonamallee & all associated works for Corridor 4 of Chennai Metro Rail Project, Phase 2 on May 12, 2021.

Afcons Infrastructure bags Rs 785 crore civil contract for Bangalore Metro Phase 2 Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) awarded the contract package 1 worth Rs 785.23 crores to Afcons Infrastructure Limited for the Construction of elevated structures (Viaduct & Stations) of length 9.859 km and 6 Nos of elevated metro stations viz, Central Silk Board, HSR layout, Agara, Ibbalur, Bellandur, Kadubeesanahalli including road widening, Utility diversion and allied works of Bengaluru Metro Rail Project Phase-2A. AND Construction of loops, ramps for road flyover at Central Silk Board junction of approx. length of 2.84 Km including Road widening & allied works in Reach5 line (R5/P4) of Bengaluru Metro Rail Project, Phase-2.

Shankarnarayana Construction bags Rs 623 crore civil contract for Bangalore Metro Phase 2 Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) awarded the contract package 2 worth Rs 7623.55 crores to Shankarnarayana Construction for the construction of elevated structures (Viaduct & Stations) of length 9.774 km and 7 Nos of elevated metro stations viz, Kodibeesanahalli, Marathahalli, ISRO, Doddanekundi, DRDO sports complex, Saraswathi Nagar and K R Puram including 1.097 km length link line to Baiyappanahalli Depot, 0.30 km length Pocket track, Road widening, Utility diversion and allied works of Babgalore Metro Rail Project Phase 2A.

J Kumar Infraprojects bags Rs 1,308 crore civil contract for Mumbai Metro Line 2B Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) awarded the contract package 204A worth Rs 1,307.88 crores to J Kumar Infraprojects for Part design and Construction of (Balance Works of Package CA04R) Elevated Viaduct and 10 Elevated Stations viz. ESIC Nagar, Prem Nagar, Indra Nagar, Nanawati Hospital, Khira Nagar, Saraswat Nagar, National College, Bandra, Income Tax Office & ILFS [excluding Architectural Finishing & Pre-Engineered Steel Roof Structure of Stations] from Chainage 34035.873m to Chainage 46860.384 OF Line2B [DN. Nagar – Mandale] of Mumbai Metro Rail Project of MMRDA.

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Metro Rail Progress Report - India Investment Approved (in Rs/Crores)

Status of Urban Rail Projects in India

Agra Metro

12900

Ahmedabad Metro

System

OPERATIONAL

Metro Rail

Network Length (km) 697.5 19.5

Tram

38.0

Delhi Metrolite

Regional Rail (RRTS) High Speed Rail Total Network:

0 0 3345.5

6941

Chennai Metro

Monorail

2593.5

58193

Bhopal Metro Coimbatore Metro

Suburban Rail

16157

Bangalore Metro

85613 6683

Delhi Metro

117278 5587

Dholera Metro

7000

Gorakhpur Metro

4672

Gurgaon Metro

8736

Hyderabad Metro

18800

Indore Metro

7500

Jaipur Metro

7695

Jammu Metro

4825

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Kanpur Metro

System Metro Rail Metrolite Suburban Rail Regional Rail (RRTS) High Speed Rail Total Network:

Network Length (km) 896.06 0 0 85.15 508.18 1489.39

11076

Kochi Metro

8086

Kolkata Metro

47524

Kozhikode Metro

2773

Lucknow Metro

12374

Meerut Metro

11544

Mumbai Metro

140814

Mumbai Monorail

3000

Nagpur BG Metro

334

Nagpur Metro

19896

Navi Mumbai Metro

7633

Noida Metro

11185

Patna Metro

NEW APPROVED

System Metro Rail Metrolite/MetroNeo Suburban Rail Regional Rail (RRTS) High Speed Rail Total Network:

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Network Length (km) 626.67 69.85 252.96 224.7 4097.0 5271.18

13479

Pune Metro

24773

Srinagar Metro

5734

Surat Metro

12020

Thane Metro

7165

Trivandrum Metro

4219

Varanasi Metro

7000

Vijayawada Metro

15000

Visakhapatnam Metro

15933

Warangal Metro

1341

50000

100000

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

150000

URBAN RAIL PROGRESS - INDIA

METRO RAIL UNDER CONSTRUCTION METRO PROJECT

OPERATIONAL METRO RAIL NETWORK Project

Network (km)

Project

Network (km)

Ahmedabad Metro (Gujarat)

6.5

Meerut Metro (Uttar Pradesh)

20.0

Bangalore Metro (Karnataka)

42.3

Nagpur Metro (Maharashtra)

76.5

Chennai Metro (Tamil Nadu)

54.1

Navi Mumbai Metro (Maharashtra)

11.1

Delhi Metro (Delhi)

347.6

Patna Metro (Bihar)

31.39

Pune Metro (Maharashtra)

39.92

Surat Metro (Gujarat)

40.35

Gurgaon Rapid Metro (Haryana)

12.1

Hyderabad Metro (Telangana)

69.2

Jaipur Metro (Rajasthan)

12.0

Kochi Metro (Kerala)

25.0

Kolkata Metro (West Bengal)

39.2

Project

Lucknow Metro (Uttar Pradesh)

22.9

Dholera Metro (Gujarat)

100.0

Mumbai Metro (Maharashtra)

11.4

Delhi Metrolite (Delhi)

40.85

Mumbai Monorail (Maharashtra)

19.5

Mumbai Metro (Maharashtra)

Nagpur Metro (Maharashtra)

24.5

Nagpur BG Metro (Maharashtra)

268.63

Noida Metro (Uttar Pradesh)

29.7

Nashik Metro Neo (Maharashtra)

32.0

Kolkata Tram (West Bengal)

38.0

Thane Metro (Maharashtra)

29.0

Gorakhpur Metro (Uttar Pradesh)

27.5

Gurugram Metro (Haryana)

30.0

Kozhikode Light Metro (Kerala)

13.3

Trivandrum Light Metro (Kerala)

21.8

Total Network:

754.0

UNDER CONSTRUCTION METRO PROJECTS Project

Network (km)

Agra Metro (Uttar Pradesh)

29.4

Ahmedabad Metro (Gujarat)

33.5

Bangalore Metro (Karnataka)

80.0

Bhopal Metro (Madhya Pradesh)

28.0

Chennai Metro (Tamil Nadu)

118.9

Delhi Metro (Delhi)

103.9

Total Network:

896.06

NEW APPROVED METRO PROJECTS Network (km)

Total Network:

87.6

650.68

UNDER CONSIDERATION METRO PROJECTS Project

Network (km)

Coimbatore Metro (Tamil Nadu)

147.0

Ghaziabad Metro (Uttar Pradesh)

11.0

Noida Metro (Uttar Pradesh)

3.8

Hyderabad Metro (Telangana)

3.1

Indore Metro (Madhya Pradesh)

31.5

Kanpur Metro (Uttar Pradesh)

23.8

Varanasi Metro (Uttar Pradesh)

19.35

Kolkata Metro (West Bengal)

55.7

Visakhapatnam Metro (Andhra Pradesh)

140.2

Mumbai Metro (Maharashtra)

169.0

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

Jammu Metro (J&K)

23.0

Srinagar Metro (J&K)

25.0

Vijayawada Metro (Andhra Pradesh)

66.2

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URBAN RAILPROGRESS - INDIA

HSR/RRTS HIGH SPEED RAIL NETWORK Project

Network (km)

Executing Agency

Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR corridor

508.0

NHSRCL

Under construction

Mumbai-Nagpur HSR corridor

741.0

NHSRCL

DPR under progress

Mumbai-Hyderabad HSR corridor

711.0

NHSRCL

DPR under progress

Delhi-Varanasi HSR corridor

865.0

NHSRCL

DPR under progress

Delhi-Ahmedabad HSR corridor

886.0

NHSRCL

DPR under progress

Chennai-Mysore HSR corridor

435.0

NHSRCL

DPR under progress

Delhi-Amritsar HSR corridor

459.0

NHSRCL

DPR under progress

Varanasi-Hawrah HSR corridor

760.0

NHSRCL

DPR under progress

Delhi-Mumbai HSR corridor

1384.0

HSRCIL

Feasibility study completed

Mumbai-Chennai HSR corridor

1334.0

HSRCIL

Feasibility study under progress

Chennai-Kolkata HSR corridor

1670.0

HSRCIL

Pre-feasibility study under progress

Delhi-Kolkata HSR corridor

1447.0

HSRCIL

Feasibility study under progress

Mumbai-Kolkata HSR corridor

1961.0

HSRCIL

Pre-feasibility study under progress

Delhi-Chennai HSR corridor

2184.0

HSRCIL

Feasibility study under progress

Total Network:

Status

15345.0

SEMI HIGH SPEED RAIL NETWORK Project

Network (km)

Executing Agency

Status

Ahmedabad-Rajkot Semi HSR corridor

227.0

G-RIDE

Pune-Nashik Semi HSR corridor

235.0

MAHARAIL

Approved by State Govt.

Thiruvananthapuram-Kasargod Semi HSR corridor

530.6

K-RAIL

Approved by State Govt.

Total Network:

992.6

Feasibility study completed

REGIONAL RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM NETWORK Project

Network (km)

Executing Agency

Delhi-Meerut RRTS Smart Line

82.15

NCRTC

Under construction

Delhi-Panipat RRTS Smart Line

103.0

NCRTC

DPR approved

Delhi-Alwar RRTS Smart Line

106.0

NCRTC

Under construction

Haryana Orbital Rail

121.7

HRIDC

DPR Approved

Total Network:

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Status

412.85

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

at the sight of the ‘rushing steel monsters’ and that the milk would sour.

30th Anniversary Special:

High-speed Railways in Germany

Klaus Ebeling Secretary General European Intermodal Association

hen the railway appeared as a new means of transportation in the first half of the 19th century, its top speed of 30 to 40 km/h was considered dangerous. In Germany, where Adler transported two barrels of beer between Nuremberg and Fürth in 1835 as the first German rail freight, physicians warned people against such perilous adventures and farmers were worried that their cows grazing alongside the tracks would ‘go mad’

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

Although these worries turned out to be unfounded, there were renewed warnings against further speed increases when railways were already well developed. In Paris in the Twentieth Century (written in 1863 but not published in English until 1997), Jules Verne (1828–1905), the famous French author of science fiction literature including Around the World in Eighty Days, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea described a future fantasy world of shiny skyscrapers made of glass and steel, high-speed trains, gas-driven automobiles, computers, fax machines and a global communications network. Verne's farsighted vision of future technologies is set against the background of the tragic struggle of an idealistic young man searching for happiness in an unmerciful materialistic dystopia. In this gloomy picture, Verne fears the approach of a future in which loss of humanity is the price paid for the unscrupulous application of perfected technology. Friedrich List (1789–1846), the founder of the German macroeconomic science, had a different attitude toward the new means of transportation. He was a champion of Germany economic unity and had a profound impact on German railways; he established the Leipzig–Dresden Eisenbahngesellschaft in 1834 as the basis of his planned railway system covering all Germany. In The National System of Economic Policy (1841, uncompleted), his main work on economics, he countered Adam Smith's (1723–90) classic doctrine of free trade with a ‘theory of productive forces’ orientated toward economic practice and describing the impact of a speed increase in transportation on industrial and economic issues. Subsequent modern experience proved his hypothesis of the extraordinary economic development set in motion by shortened travel times and expansion of people's range of action. His

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HIGH SPEED RAIL IN GERMANY

appraisal was shared by Goethe (1749–1832) who did not experience rail travel but realized that such an effective means of transport could have political repercussions as well. Goethe said he was not worried about German unity (at that time Germany consisted of several states) because the railways would solve the problem. History proved him right! The railway's greater speed compared to previous means of transportation played a major role in the huge industrial boom in Europe and America at the end of the 19th century and railway's pre-eminence was only jeopardized by the later advent of the more-flexible automobile and the faster aeroplane. The struggle for supremacy in transportation is not a recent phenomenon and railway advocates have long pondered how to compete against air and road. The earliest and obvious solution was found by increasing speed and the early years of the 20th century were marked by successive breakings of various rail speed records. In 1903, Germany set an early record of 200 km/h with an electric locomotive between Marienfeld and Zossen. A new dimension in commercial high speed on rails was inaugurated by the Deutsche Reichsbahngesellschaft in 1933 when the worldfamous Fliegender Hamburger (Flying Hamburger) achieved an average speed of 122 km/h and a maximum speed of 160 km/between Berlin and Hamburg. Japan's railways came to the forefront of attention in 1964 with still higher speeds when the Tokaido Shinkansen opened between Tokyo and Shin Osaka with operations starting at 210 km/h. The French topped this in 1981 with speeds of 270 km/h on the new TGV line between Paris and Lyon. These two mammoth railway achievements were followed by long debate on the relative merits of distributed traction (used by the shinkansen) and centralized traction with a locomotive (used by the TGV), as well as on the value of separation of passengers and freight or use of mixed transport. Germany finally followed the Japanese and French achievements with the development of the InterCity Express (ICE) described in more detail below. As commercial speeds rose, various railway operators conducted ever-faster trial runs to investigate pushing the commercial speed envelope higher. France set a new world record for electric traction in 1955 with a test run of 331 km/h. This was broken by Germany in 1988 with an ICE test run of 406.8 km/h. This was beaten in turn a few weeks later by France with 408 km/h and then again in 1990 with 482.4 km/h. France still holds the current world speed record for wheels on rails with 513.3 km/h achieved in 1990 using a production TGV. These test runs have helped prove the reliability of rolling stock and infrastructure at high speeds and railway engineers now describe speeds above 200 km/h as ‘high speed.’ However, actual commercial speeds have gradually been pushed well beyond 200 km/h to reach between 300

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and 350 km/h, depending on local topography, and the high-speed records prove that the wheel–rail system still has the technical potential to go beyond present commercial speeds, although noise and energy consumption considerations have prevented this so far. High-speed railways are being planned in other countries too, including Spain, Italy, Korea and Taiwan. In some countries, high-speed trains operate on existing conventional lines by keeping to the 200 km/h maximum limit. For example, Switzerland's mountainous topography allows no other solution that stays within reasonable cost limits. In Sweden, despite very long lines that can only operate at a profit by connecting major conurbations, the low population density makes little sense of going overboard on high-speed transportation. In mountainous countries, a common solution is to use tilting trains permitting up to 30% higher speeds on conventional lines. Separate or Mixed Passenger and Freight Traffic? The German preparations for adoption of high-speed services saw a very time-consuming debate between the Ministry of Transport and railway management centred on the key issue of whether new lines should be dedicated solely to passenger traffic (following the Japanese and French model) or whether mixed passenger and freight traffic would be best. The state railways obtained a large part of their income from freight traffic and were therefore inclined to offset the high investment in new infrastructure by serving freight traffic as well. On the other hand, some top persons advocated separation of passengers and freight. Although the Cologne–Frankfurt line was intended to be the first new high-speed line, the planning schedule has been delayed by this dispute to such an extent that it has fallen behind the Hannover–Würzburg and Mannheim– Stuttgart lines. Although the first decision was to build the Cologne–Frankfurt line as a mixed passenger–freight line, experience from the other lines showed that freight traffic could only be accommodated with severe restrictions. First, it was impossible to create a reasonable timetable for daytime freight due to large speed differences between passenger and freight traffic. Second, the required time slots

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

HIGH SPEED RAIL IN GERMANAY

for night freight traffic could not be allocated because highspeed lines require high levels of maintenance that can only be done at night. The different weight of passenger and freight trains is another factor favouring separation of passenger and freight traffic; lighter passenger trains can negotiate steeper grades (35 per mil or 35‰) than heavier freight trains (10 per mil or 10‰), permitting more direct alignments with fewer tunnels. The Hannover–Würzburg line was the first to be operated at high speed but the initially planned freight traffic was soon discontinued for the above reasons, only to be subsequently resumed. At present, heavy freight trains run every 6 minutes at night at 120 km/h, while more lightly loaded trains are permitted to run at 160 km/h. Another dispute that required resolution was the incompatibility between high-speed traffic and shortdistance traffic, especially in conurbations. The solution required separation of the two infrastructures and giving priority to high-speed services. But freight traffic is now demanding the same privileges to protect its business quality, which suffers serious delays at some times of day by being ‘pushed aside’ in favour of short-distance commuter traffic, which has absolute priority. To their regret, freight traffic managers cannot overcome this inherent disadvantage of freight through extra payments to the infrastructure manager/owner, because the priority of commuter traffic is based on social necessity. Another key issue that became an almost ideological debate was about whether future high-speed rolling stock should use distributed traction like the Japanese shinkansen or be hauled by powerful locomotives like the French TGV. Advocates of distributed traction argued that it enables flexible adjustment of capacity to demand. Its opponents argue that in a high-speed world, no time would be available for shunting and flexibility only makes sense if two or three motor units can be coupled together. Even more fundamental questions were being raised about the necessity for high-speed trains based on economic, social and environmental objections. Undoubtedly, highspeed track, rolling stock, and safety infrastructure are incredibly expensive and state funding tends to leave

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

government coffers with hardly any funds for regional middle-distance traffic. Short-distance commuter traffic tends to be exempt from this problem because politicians realize that public service obligations (PSOs) are a hot potato they ignore at their peril. Critics of high-speed rail argue that there is no good justification for ignoring middle-distance regional traffic, which carries many more ordinary people than the ‘elite’ high-speed traffic used mostly by a relatively small number of business travellers. A second fundamental criticism of high-speed trains is that they consume too much energy and generate too much noise. The energy merits of high-speed trains versus shortdistance air travel have been questioned by Professor Roger Kemp of Lancaster University in a recent UK study, but opinion remains divided. Environmental criticisms have been rebuffed so far by taking careful measures to protect wildlife. For example, expensive sound barriers have been built to protect the breeding sites of bustards, etc., and deer can continue following 1000-year old paths through railway underpasses. Rolling Stock The German ICE operated today by Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG) was preceded by the short-lived Class ET403 railcar developed in 1972 by Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB). The German intercity network was inaugurated during the 1971–72 period coupled with a massive timetable revision and the development of the ET403 railcar at the same time that the state-of-the-art Class 103 electric locomotive came into scheduled service and is a good indicator of the internal disputes described above. The ET403 came into full service with the 1974–75 winter timetable revision and was actually a very advanced concept. It had underfloor motors driving all axles, providing advantages of low axial load, reduced rail wear and good acceleration. Passive tilting technology enabled it to travel at a maximum speed of 200 km/h even on tracks with many curves but technical shortcomings made some passengers travel-sick, resulting in the temporary abandonment of tilting technology. On the other hand, the air- bolster suspension provided a very comfortable ride in combination with a luxurious interior with heated window panes and swivel seats. Although the first-class-only Star train continued the Rheingold luxury coach tradition, and was very popular with the travelling public, only three sets were built and they remained in service for just 4.5 years until the 1978–79 winter timetable revision. Their operation life was short because lack of suitable tracks mostly prevented them running at their maximum speed. However, economic and ecological reasons prompted the Ministry of Transport to implement a policy of replacing internal domestic flights with railway services and the ET403 was revived in March 1982 as the Lufthansa Airport Express service between Düsseldorf and Frankfurt. The concept was expanded using locohauled trains between Stuttgart and Frankfurt but was

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HIGH SPEED RAIL IN GERMANY

discontinued when the discovery of severe corrosion damage forced the ET403 to be scrapped. This early sensible cooperation between rail and air services was continued by allowing air travellers to reserve seats on regular trains. Undoubtedly, DB's ET403 was ahead of its time and must take the honour of being the forerunner of German high-speed services. Despite the problems with the ET403 and the success of the Class 103 locomotive, DB proceeded with designing an EMU taking into consideration aerodynamic requirements at higher speeds. After extensive studies by the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology (FMRT), financing was secured to start building the Series 410-001 InterCity Experimental in September 1982. About 60% of the DM94 million in construction costs was covered by the FMRT with the remainder borne by the manufacturers and DB. The Class 410 entered service on 19 March 1985 soon after leaving the works and became the first train in the history of German railways to pass the 300 km/h mark on a test track between Bielefeld and Hamm on 26 October 1985 when it set a new record of 317 km/h. This record was broken again by the ICE when it set a world record of 406.9 km/h on 1 May 1988. The InterCity Experimental incorporated various design innovations from the fields of aeronautics and aerospace engineering to achieve excellent aerodynamic performance. The axles used solid monobloc wheels as well as air suspension. The two power units had powered bogies with two three-phase asynchronous motors each for a total rated power of 4.2 MW. The braking system was especially noteworthy because it consisted of an electrical regenerative brake, mechanical disc brakes and a rail brake using eddy current. While the InterCity Experimental (sometimes called the ICE-V) was still in development, in the summer of 1988, DB ordered 82 units of the first-generation Class 401 ICE 1. It was designed to reach a maximum speed of 280 km/h on new tracks and 200 km/h on existing tracks. The maximum speed through tunnels was limited to 250 km/h due to large pressure-wave effects in trains closing head-on. The ICE 1 train set consists of two identical motor cars (one at each end) and 12 cars between them. An opticalfibre control cable runs the full 400-m length of the set ensuring that driving and braking commands arrive practically simultaneously at both motor cars. If the optical fibre parts while the train is moving, a fail-safe mechanism activates full service braking (automatic train stop). The ICE 1 has a Scharfenberg coupler that allows an ICE to be towed in an emergency but does not permit double heading of two ICE trains, which only became possible with ICE 2 trains (Class 402). The two ICE 1 motor cars have independent

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brake

systems. Most service braking uses the regenerative brakes and the pneumatic disc brakes (two per axle) are only used when additional braking power is needed and to prevent a stopped train rolling. In addition to disc brakes, the passenger cars also have rail brakes but the system is different to the eddy-current based rail brakes of the ICE-V, which had brake problems. The ICE-V suffered from some noise and vibration, especially in the restaurant car, so DB changed from the earlier solid monobloc wheels to resilient wheels. Although this change cut the in-carriage noise and vibration, the disintegration of the tyre of a resilient wheel was a principal factor causing the Eschede accident in June 1998 that killed 101 people. As a result, all trains have been retrofitted with the original solid monobloc wheels. Compared to the French TGV, the ICE 1 is much more comfortable and more spacious but at DM50 million per train, it is nearly three times more expensive than a TGV Atlantique train. The much higher cost is mainly due to the more complex electronics in the monitoring and diagnostic systems. On the other hand, the TGV has the advantage of Jacobs-type bogies with superior aerodynamics and better stability in a derailment. However, the TGV has disadvantages of narrower car passages and a restricted axle load of 17 tonnes. Although the TGV intermediate cars are shorter than those of the ICE 1, two TGVs can be coupled to provide an adequate number of seats even during peak periods. The ICE 1 changed the fundamentals of German railways; speeds of 310 km/h were easily reached during test runs in summer 1990. The first 23 trains entered scheduled service at a maximum speed of 250 km/h between Hamburg and Munich in June 1991, considerably shortening travel times between many German cities and cutting 62 minutes off the journey between Hamburg and Frankfurt and up to 115 minutes from Hamburg to Stuttgart. Services were easily extended into Austria and Switzerland although Swiss services required addition of a narrower pantograph. However, international services to the Netherlands, Belgium and France were blocked by incompatible signalling; France also objected that the ICE trains are too wide and too heavy for the French gauge. On the other hand, an ICE 1 train set even made a transatlantic journey as described in the article by Mr Black on pp. 18– 21 in this issue of JRTR. Although the ICE 1 set an American speed record of 260 km/h and operated as the Amtrak Metroliner for several months, a variant of the French TGV was chosen for budget reasons. Following the first 60 ICE 1 train sets, DB ordered 44 second-generation ICE 2 train sets in August 1993. They are shorter sets that can run on busy track sections as a combination of two coupled trains and double heading. Some pantograph problems arose because vibration of closely adjacent pantographs causes the trailing pantograph to lose proper wire contact. Tests were run in cooperation

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

HIGH SPEED RAIL IN GERMANAY

with TGV engineers—who have been double heading TGVs for more than 18 years—to solve these problems and for testing the bow flaps for firmness in the opened state. Following the tragic Eschede accident in 1998, DB AG fitted the ICE 2 with an early warning system to detect incipient damage to bogies and wheels. Sensors on each bogie detect the occurrence of cracks or other signs of wear from the bogie vibration profile. Apart from the ICE, only Eurostar services through the Channel Tunnel between Europe and the UK have this type of wheel diagnostics. A special problem occurs when the driving trailer of the ICE 2 is running in the lead. Since the driving trailer has no motors or power converter, it is lighter than the driving unit and there is danger of the trailer rising and derailing when there are strong cross-winds on open sections. In the UK, this problem was solved for the Inter City 225 by using an artificial ballast. In Germany, wind breaks and protective walls have been built along the track and anemometers are installed at known windy locations. When the wind speed exceeds the threshold, a signal is sent directly to the ICE automatic train control system informing the driver to slow to a maximum speed of 200 km/h even on sections with a speed limit of 250 or 280 km/h. This problem does not occur when running with the driving unit in the lead or when double heading with the driving unit at the front, so the speed restriction does not apply in these cases. The ICE 2 started commercial operations in June 1997 on the Cologne–Hannover–Berlin line at maximum speeds of 250 km/h. This limit was later increased to 280 km/h except in tunnels. Initially, ICE 2 trains only served east– west lines but they are now found on most ICE lines except in Austria and Switzerland. A more powerful computer was installed to improve control for double heading as well as for better wheel-slip and wheel-skid prevention. Data are displayed on two monitors, one each in the lead and trailing units. The bogies are fitted with air suspension to improve the running stability over the ICE 1, making it possible to retrofit the low-maintenance time-tested solid monobloc wheels without problems. The ICE 2 exterior is similar to that of the ICE 1 but the domed roof of the restaurant car (which was criticized by the public as being out of harmony with the overall design theme) was eliminated for aerodynamic reasons. The passenger seats weigh only 25 kg, 50% less than ICE 1 seats. Every car has power outlets to support AC operation of laptop computers. However, despite the overall success of the ICE 2, DB AG does not envisage placing another order for more sets because the 40 per mil (40‰) grade on the planned Frankfurt–Cologne high-speed line would overtax the present ICE series. Following the ICE 2, DB AG faced a major decision about whether to stay with the present system of centralized traction or to develop new distributed-traction EMUs like

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

the Japanese shinkansen. Past French and German experience spoke for keeping centralized traction, but economic considerations favoured a different solution. For example, about 17% of a 200-m long French TGV is occupied by the two motor cars, which do not produce fare revenues from seats. In the case of a shinkansen EMU where traction motors are distributed throughout the train length, passengers can be seated along the full length except in the driver's cab. Moreover, the EMU principle has the advantage of low static axle loads meaning less track wear and tear, etc. The optimum internal divisions and external design were determined by building a full-scale model in 1996 and ICE 3 production started a year later. Although DB AG had to wait a long time before the ICE became a distributed traction system, the ICE-M is now a reality. Seventeen of the first 50 ICE 3 sets (Class 403) are multiple units (Class 406). Four of the first 17 sets were supplied to Netherlands Railways (NS) due to urgent rolling-stock needs, and December 2000 saw ICE 3 trials in Switzerland. More ICE 3 tests were made in June 2001 between Strasbourg, Nancy, and Mulhouse in France. A train was tested in Belgium in January 2002 and subsequently made test runs between Calais and Lille. The French trials were made to test the compatibility of power systems and brakes with SNCF regulations, as well to investigate the interaction between the pantograph and catenary. The goal is to obtain type approval for operations on the French network. Eleven ICE 3 train sets were incorporated into the timetable for the Hannover EXPO 2000, meeting with success right from the start. ICE 3 services have been operating between Frankfurt (Main) and Cologne every 2 hours since 4 November 2000 with alternate intermediate stops at Limburg, Montabaur, and Siegburg; every train stops at Frankfurt Airport and service frequencies were increased to 1-hour intervals on 15 September 2002. Six new ICE lines are now running on this new infrastructure. Raising the maximum speed to 300 km/h soon showed up a number of deficiencies in couplings, air-conditioning, rail brakes, disc brakes and motors. The remedies required many meetings between DB AG and the builders,

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HIGH SPEED RAIL IN GERMANY

suggesting that the development time was too short and DB AG did not allow sufficient time for operation tests. ICE 3 services have been running to Amsterdam since June 2000 and three runs per day were added between Frankfurt (Main) and Brussels (Bruxelles-Midi) in time for the 2002 winter timetable. Unfortunately, use on the Belgian highspeed line has yet to be approved, so the ICE 3 services run on the old line, taking 15 minutes longer than would be possible on the high-speed line. When the high-speed tests have been completed, the journey between Frankfurt and Brussels will drop to 3 hours and 32 minutes. The future TGV Est Européen line from Paris via Strasbourg to Munich will be served by both French TGVs and German ICE 3s. Spanish National Railways (RENFE) has decided in favour of the ICE 3 for its service on the new Madrid–Zaragoza–Barcelona line where trains will run at service speeds of 350 km/h—the highest in the world.

This performance is possible because half of all the ICE 3 bogies are powered, guaranteeing excellent acceleration. Unlike the TGV, centre bogies were not chosen because priority was given to quick bogie replaceability. The new SGP 500 bogie used by the ICE 3 is lighter than the SGP 400 of the ICE 2, and the still older design of the ICE 1. Both the design of the bogie frame and coach body ensure very quiet running. All bogies have disc brakes while the traction motors serve as regenerative brakes supplying power back to the catenary during service braking. The pneumatic disc brakes are only used at lower speeds. Since some countries do not permit back-supply to the catenary at regenerative braking, brake resistors are installed in the ICE-M units to absorb the regenerated power as heat. Rail braking using eddy current is very effective under all rail conditions but the high magnetic field induced by eddy current can interfere with signals, so trackside signalling systems must be shielded. The ICE 3 train sets have lavish interiors with an attractive lounge at each end where passengers can get a driver's eye view of the tracks.

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The German Railway Network Heavy aerial bombing during WWII left the German rail network badly damaged. Moreover, the political division of Germany into West and East cut the mainly east–west oriented network, forcing a north–south reorientation in what was then West Germany. The West German federal government developed a comprehensive plan for the entire transportation infrastructure including railways. The DB component envisaged 2225 km of new lines supporting speeds up to 300 km/h and development of a further 1250 km for speeds up to 200 km/h. Work on the first new Hannover–Würzburg line (327 km) started in August 1973 and it was opened in sections between 1988 and 1991. Other new lines were envisaged between Cologne and Frankfurt (177 km), and Mannheim and Stuttgart (100 km). The latter line was opened between 1987 and 1991. However, the First Gulf War and subsequent oil crisis forced the plans to be scaled back; the Cologne–Frankfurt line was dropped and less ambitious operations targets were set for the other new lines with mixed passenger and freight traffic running at maximum speeds of 200 and 80 km/h, respectively. The 1981 opening of the first TGV line between Paris and Lyons and subsequent successful operations inspired DB to formulate a High-speed Transportation Plan for the Nineties in 1984. The three key elements were full utilization of the planned new lines and extensions; development of high-speed trains based on the latest R&D into ‘wheels on steel’; and further development of the Inter City system started in 1979 under the slogan ‘Every hour— Every class’ and now forming the core of passenger traffic in regular lines. The commercial idea was based on the concept of ‘half as fast as the aeroplane—twice as fast as the car.’ In contrast to the French concept, the proviso was that high-speed trains should only operate to a minor degree on conventional lines, because they could not display their advantages on such lines. On the other hand, Germany's polycentric structure made it impossible to operate radially from the centre of the country; the existing IC network formed the shape of a figure ‘8’ with hub stations where passengers could make easy cross-platform connections to another line. In the course of this new impetus, planning of the Cologne–Frankfurt line was resumed, but now as a pure passenger line. However, it was not the next line to be handed over to passenger traffic. Due to the sudden fall of the Berlin Wall and subsequent German reunification, the ‘provisional’ West German capital of Bonn was moved back to Berlin, resulting in the relocation of the German government and making new transport planning an urgent necessity. In 1992, a new federal timetable was issued

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HIGH SPEED RAIL IN GERMANAY

which foresaw a new line between Hannover (more precisely Wolfsburg) and Berlin. It too was to be solely a passenger line with the old tracks running parallel to the new alignment to be freight-only. Clearly a new railway strategy was in the offing—systematic separation of passengers and freight—under a plan known as ‘Network 21,’ the name indicating the enormity of the task. The socalled East–West line entered operation in 1998, while the Cologne–Frankfurt line was delayed until 2002. Due to constraints on the public purse, new plans today centre on projects to complete the intra-German system, including raising speeds on the Hamburg–Berlin line to 230 km/h and connecting the southern conurbation of Munich via Thuringen (Erfurt) and Saxony (Leipzig) to Berlin. However, as the central railway, DB AG must comply with EU plans for European-wide rail transport. The Mannheim–Basle line is important for southbound traffic to Switzerland and Italy, and the Cologne–Aix-laChapelle–Lüttich link will complete the Paris–Brussels– Amsterdam–Cologne (PBKA) system. Extensions, starting with the Frankfurt–Basle line towards Saarbrücken and Strasbourg will make a great contribution to the European Paris–eastern France–south Germany–Vienna axis (POS). Although we are still seeing what has been termed the ‘frontier effect’ (in which a full train becomes nearly empty at the last border station and then fills up again at the first station across the border), the plans for a European highspeed network introduced as early as 1989 by the International Railway Association (UIC) and the Community of European Railways (representing railways at the EU in Brussels) are continuing and are reflected in the concept of the trans-European network pursued by the EU Commission. The Commission made an important contribution by pushing interoperability in the European high-speed system. It issued guidelines on interoperability that came into effect on 17 September 1996. The amended guideline became part of German law in 1999 and stipulates the key aims of interoperability, the scope of application and implementation of provisions, as well as the process for drawing up and adopting the technical specifications for interoperability. The guideline sets its sights on the entire system, both infrastructure (track, power supply, train control/signalling, and rolling stock) and performance (maintenance, operation, environment, and passengers). The aim of the Commission's policy is free, unimpeded transport of goods and passengers within the European market. Although there was some previous compatibility in conventional traffic, with passenger carriages and freight wagons travelling across borders throughout the entire continent, the different power and signalling systems represented obstacles that hindered the transition of national railway systems to a liberal Europe-wide railway

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market. The problems of different power supplies were solved by development of multiple-power systems because nobody had the massive funds required to standardize power supply systems. However, standardization of signalling on which high-speed technology is very dependent is considered rational. Therefore, the EU is supporting development of a standardized European signalling technology called European Railways Transport Management System (ERMTS) or, in accordance with the parlance of railways, the European Train Control System (ETCS) using funds from the research budget. Introduction of ETCS is intended to supplant the multitude of national train-safety systems in high-speed railways, enable more intelligent design of train control and safety through integration, save costs for maintenance and operation of fixed installations, and increase line capacity and speeds. In 1999, the ETCS specified by the UIC was successfully tested on the Vienna–Budapest line but DB AG estimates that Europe-wide introduction of ETCS will take 15 to 20 years with costs of about €500 million in Germany alone and about €8 billion Europe-wide. The present system, which is backwards-compatible with existing signalling systems, is not yet fully mature, so DB AG had to delay its planned introduction on the new Cologne–Frankfurt line and reverted to DB AG's proven continuous train control system (LZB).

Unlike conventional systems, with the LZB system the train driver is not guided by trackside signals, which only safely permit speeds up to 160 km/h due to slow human reaction times. Instead, the driver follows information displayed in the cab. The most distinctive feature of the system is one cable running along the middle of the track and a second cable running along the inside rail. The cables cross every 100 m at track conductors and data is passed from these crossing points to the connected signal box. The dispatchers. stationmaster, etc., can determine the train location to within 100 m. Three LZB computers operating in parallel in the signal boxes feed data to the track and get data from it. At least two of the three computers must arrive at the same result before a command is passed on.

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HIGH SPEED RAIL IN GERMANY

This technology extends the ‘view’ of the train driver by several kilometers, permitting on-time driver reactions even at substantially higher speeds. A development of LZB is the so-called Computer Integrated Railroading—Increase of Efficiency in Core Network (CIR-ELKE) system, which permits more trains to travel along a track and increases track capacity one step further. Economics The high-speed trains of DB AG met with immediate popular success just like their predecessors in Japan and France. The number of train-kilometers increased and demand showed corresponding growth with improving revenues in long-distance passenger traffic. In Germany, with its large population and polycentric conurbations, the economic efficiency could be sound if the federal government continues helping to fund new infrastructure. However, the low population density in France coupled with smaller and fewer conurbations suggests there is a limit to the profitability of high-speed railways there. The new efficient high-speed railways have had more impact on air traffic than road traffic; short-haul air traffic has declined noticeably wherever high-speed train services make an appearance. This is especially apparent in France where all air services between Paris and Brussels have been discontinued because the TGV runs from Brussels' South Station to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport and from Paris North to Zaventem International Airport in Brussels. Since the TGV Méditeranée started covering the 700 km between Paris and Marseille in 3 hours, many airline customers on this sector have changed to the train. This policy has been pursued in Germany by including the airports at Frankfurt and Cologne in the high-speed network. Budget airlines are a danger due to their unbeatable low prices thanks to fuel and VAT tax exemptions and sometimes preferential treatment by local authorities. Whether this is a correct policy in view of efforts to use more environment-friendly transportation is hotly debated in Europe. However, highspeed rail passenger traffic in Europe still looks very promising, especially after the next round of line improvements. Alternatives to Steel Wheels on Rail The German magnetic-levitation (maglev) system recently commercialized in Shanghai might suffer the same fate as many other German high-tech developments. The development of magnetic-levitation systems goes back to 1922 when Hermann Kemper was the first person to consider replacing train wheels with electromagnets. Although he patented his idea in 1934, the technology at that time was inadequate to realize his vision of ‘flying at zero altitude.’ Research on magnetic levitation was only resumed in 1966 by a development team at Bölkow KG. In

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1968, Bölkow KG, DB, and Straba Bau AG established a company to evaluate the feasibility of magnetic-levitation technology compared to wheel–rail technology. It found that a magnetic-levitation ‘railway’ could be profitable along Germany's north–south axis. In the same year, a maximum speed of 70 km/h was achieved by an experimental vehicle on a 660-m track, providing proof of the technology concept. Development of a magnetic-levitation train in Japan began 2 years later than in Germany. Its proponents promised lower noise levels with higher speeds than the Shinkansen. Japan Airlines (JAL) sensed a good business chance with ‘flying at zero altitude’ and joined the development effort in 1971 using West-German technology. However, the experimental vehicle produced in 1975 was very different from the German prototype. By 1977, the HSST-01 had reached speeds of 150 km/h soon rising to 500 km/h stateof-the-art magnetic trains but no practical application was adopted. The idea of building a magnetic train between Hamburg and Berlin was rejected by the head of DB AG on the grounds of being uneconomical. A minor success was achieved in January 2001 when China decided in favour of the German Transrapid for services between Shanghai's financial centre and Shanghai International Airport. After some teething troubles, the system has been running since early this year at speeds up to 430 km/h. Some proponents hoped it would also be adopted for the Shanghai–Beijing high-speed line, but traditional wheel– rail technology was finally chosen instead. France also tested some alternatives to wheels on steel even before the TGV, using the guided rapidtransit Aerotrain running at 418 km/h. To stay on track, the system had a concrete guideway with concrete centre rail. A working model was built in 1963 to promote the idea of a rapid-transit connection between Paris and Lyon at 350 km/h but the project did not reach the production stage due to political reasons. However, Jean Bertin became famous in railway circles with his development of the aircushion vehicles. Since these new systems are not easily compatible with

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HIGH SPEED RAIL IN GERMANAY

conventional wheel-on-steel railways, it seems unlikely that they will be successful. There may be some potential for long routes between Western/Central Europe and Moscow, or for Eurasian routes of 10,000 km or more. However, the outlook is poor and manufacturers and potential operators are making only hesitant development attempts when governments come up with guarantees or subsidies. At present, it seems more reasonable to develop conventional Europe-wide railways with complete interoperability. Outlook Although the plans for new and extended high-speed routes for passenger traffic look promising, there must be a change away from the old postwar policies favouring roads over rail. For a region-wide population, continued heavy reliance on the automobile and highways might be sustainable in Europe if all freight switched from road to rail. The railways have shown that there is still development potential but the next important stage is straightening out freight and passenger transport as envisaged by DB AG's Network 21 plan for 6000 km of new lines by 2010 supplemented by line extensions. Perhaps high-speed freight transport might be possible given sufficient resources with direct connections across 1500 to 2000 km, or in a hub-and-spoke system up to about 750 km around an intercontinental airport.

How liberalization of the railway market will impact the EU in the long term is anybody's guess. So far, only small parts of short-distance traffic and even less of mediumdistance traffic have transferred to newcomers. Inauguration of high speed by a newcomer railway seems out of the question under current conditions. The immensely high requirements concerning technology and financing have given the few major national railways embarking on this new technology an enormous head start that will be very hard to catch up with. What will happen where high-speed passenger trains cross borders? Will there be cooperation like the present examples of Eurostar and Thalys, or will cross-border competition develop as between Thalys and the ICE on the Cologne–Brussels line? In freight, the establishment of Railion by DB AG has formed the nucleus of a successful international freighttraffic railway. Could this also happen in high-speed passenger transport? According to the press, the heads of SNCF and DB AG have discussed whether SNCF should take over high-speed passenger transport in Europe in return for DB AG taking over continent-wide freight traffic. In this matter, the EU Commission has signalled that it would not accept such an arrangement unless there was competition. ***

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INFRA FINANCING situation in front of infrastructure companies to recover from an all-time low of the previous year. This necessitates an urgent need to come up with highly effective strategies to stimulate growth in the sector.

Shashank Agrawal Managing Director Salasar Techno Engineering

Key aspects revamping the growth trajectory in infrastructure Infrastructure is a significant area for the general advancement of any country. In India, it is considered as the foundation of the nation’s economy. It incorporates projects on a more extensive scale and builds up its intensity on a worldwide level. The infrastructural offices like streets, rail lines, metro rails, and so forth are needed to possibly build the profitability and smooth working of other business areas in India. According to the approximations of a recent report – India will require Rs. 50 trillion (US$ 777.73 billion) in infrastructure by 2022 for sustainable development in the country. It is also marking a myriad of opportunities for foreign investors to invest in the country’s infrastructure development. Furthermore, the estimates shared by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) suggest – FDIs in the construction development and infrastructure activities stood at US$ 17.22 billion in September 2020. Rendering to the current market scenario, the Indian government plans to spend USD 1.4 trillion during 2019 – 2023 on infrastructure with an investment of USD 750 billion on railways infrastructure by 2030. On the further hand, the onset of the pandemic caused an unapproachable

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A massive capital inflow is capital intensive and requires for the efficacious conclusion of infrastructure projects. The most impactful strategy to stimulate growth in the sector is an effective deployment of capital resources by the government. As per the recent budget – the government has announced the allocation of about INR 1.07 Lakh Cr. to the Ministry of Railways and INR 25,933 Cr. to the Department of Telecommunications for capital expenditure. The deployment of the allocated resources in the right way is expected to increase the number of tenders announced and completed. As a result, there will be a large number of projects and higher demand for infrastructure firms, accelerating the cash-flows in the country. Besides resource allocation, it is the need of the hour to introduce pan- India policies in the sector for standardization. Inter-departmental disparities tend to obstruct the progress of the projects significantly. This has been obvious in the telecom sector that possesses differentiated pricing by municipal corporations, for instance in Delhi. This becomes a huge detriment for the industry as a whole especially at the time when telecommunication is not a luxury, but a necessity. Thus, the sector needs a universal policy for smoother execution of projects and tenders. Additional big challenge faced by large infrastructure companies is the sourcing of raw materials such as steel. Earlier, the infrastructure companies were needed to procure steel from primary producers who charged a premium, therefore driving up costs for the industry as a whole. Recently, the ministry of steel released a clarification stating that the raw material can be procured from any producer. However, the implementation of such guidelines needs a great push in order to boost the industry’s growth by reducing the cost of raw materials. Furthermore, the price fluctuations on raw materials tend to delay the completion of infrastructure projects while slowing down the entire sector’s growth. Providing relief on procurement of raw materials can result in accelerating the delivery of the projects, thereby, accelerating the growth of the sector. In the past three years, there has been a buzz around the expansion of smart cities in India. Expediting the process of project approvals can help the government fulfil the mission of smart cities, and alleviate infrastructural gridlock in tier 1 and tier 2 cities, where most of the population is concentrated. ***

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RAIL AND METRO

INFRASTRUCTURE 2021 28 JUNE - 30 JUNE, 2021 | WEBINAR

AGENDA DAY 1

TIME

TOPIC

28 June

1000-1045

Combating Covid-19 across Metro Railways: Key Challenges

1100-1120

The international heritage linkages of Rail Infrastructure

1121-1145

Tracks & HT Rails: New opportunities for the Indian Firms

1500-1520

Resilience of Operations Systems across Metro and Railway Networks

1521-1545

Adoption of Open Loop Payments and NCMC – Payment Terminals

1600-1645

Make in India & Atmanirbhar Bharat, Indigenisation in Metro & Rail sectors

DAY 2

TIME

TOPIC

29 June

1000-1045

New developments in Railway Signalling System: The future ahead

1100-1145

New Construction Strategy during Covid-19: Challenges & Solutions

1500-1520

Modern Railway Electrification: New development in power supply system

1521-1545

Power & Energy performance for Railway Applications

1600-1645

Presentation | Digitalisation in Railways: Role of Multidimensional BIM Technology

DAY 3

TIME

TOPIC

30 June

1000-1045

The world of rolling stock, analysing new trends with global players

1100-1145

Railway Freight: The business perspective of dedicated freight corridor projects in India

1500-1545

Semi High-Speed Rail: A cost effective sustainable transportation model

1600-1645

Financing, Investment and Business Avenues in the Metro & Rail sectors

Host/Co-Host:

Supported by

Contact for more information: Ms. Himani Gupta Event Coordinator T: +91 9811137369 E: growbiz@urbantransport.com

Mr. Vinod Shah Event Manager T: +91 9716454505 E: bizdev@urbantransportnews.com

Office: Urban Transport News F-35, Pankaj Plaza, Mayur Vihar Phase I, New Delhi 110091, INDIA

www.urbantransportevents.com

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www.urbantransportnews.com

SPEAKERS

Kumar Keshav, MD, Uttar Rajesh Agrawal Pradesh Metro Rail Former Member (RS), Corporation Railway Board

SVR Srinivas, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA

Daljeet Singh Director (Works), Delhi Metro

Rajiv Agrawal Director (Systems) MMRDA

Ajeeth Kumar V MD, Kerala Rail Development Corp.

Vinita Srivastava Executive Director Railway Board

Priyanka Kumar Urban Planner, RCUES, Lucknow

M.C. Chauhan Ex. Chairman, Kolkata Metro

Siddharth Sinha Public Policy Expert, NITI Aayog

Nanduri Srinivas Director (BD) DFCCIL

Ashish Upadhyay Country Director Cylus

Harsh Dhungra Former Chief Country Representative, BT

Bedy Kharisma Global Rolling Stock Market Expert, PT Inka

Rakesh Gaur President (Railways) Kalpataru Power

Keshav Mishra Vice President GR Infraprojects

Sonali Dhopte Director, Excelize Group of Companies

Suresh Babu Salla MD, Primerail Infralabs

Rajeev Sharma Former Addl. Member (S&T) Railway Board

Sachinder Mohan Sharma, GGM (Mech) DFCCIL

Navendu Lad Ex. Project Director Navi Mumbai Metro

Mandeep Gupta, Country Sales Head, FEIG Electronic GmbH

Sourajit Mukherjee CEO, e2E Rail

Vikas Kumar Tyagi Head-Marketing & Product Support

Manish Agrawal Head Rail Infrastructure Siemens Mobility India

Dr. Tansen Chaudhary COO, Fluid Controls

Abhay Mishra Former President & CEO, Reliance Infra

Sudhanshu Mani Ex. GM/ICF, Chennai

Dr. Amita Singh Lead SHE Specialist CDM Smith

H K Raghu ED, RDSO

INTERVIEW

Despite Safer, faster, greener trains with MIDEL An exclusive talk with Steve Jones, Sales Director, MIDEL, Singapore

Meet Steve Jones, Sales Director of MIDEL that leads the way in delivering transformer fire protection, environmental safety and cost savings for utilities and power and distribution transformer manufacturers since 1970. Jones is a proven ester technology expert and worked with the largest and most respected companies in the transformer industry to help them deliver against their energy mega-trend challenges. He has hands-on experiences stretch's across distribution to large power transformers as well as specialist applications in traction and renewable energy on a global scale. In a recent interaction with Urban Transport News, Jones shared very insightful thoughts about how MIDEL contributing to the world with safer, greener and sustainable solutions.

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First, please tell our readers about your professional journey in the industry? Having been born in a small town in the UK famous for its role in the birth of the railway age, trains have always been part of my life. Amazingly, the railway station in Crewe where I am from was built in 1837 – it is incredible to imagine what rail travel must have been like in those days and what a great engineering story to picture George Stephenson’s rocket passing through it. I began my professional career with a local rail company as an apprentice working on manufacturing and repairing all types of railway equipment from signalling to large bogie sets on rolling stock. I always had a great sense of pride when travelling on a train with family and friends knowing that I had made a little contribution to the safe and reliable operation of the journey. I then went on to spend the next 10 years supporting the development of rail technology and more recently traffic systems around the world. Now I still champion safer railway technologies here in Asia and have been fortunate to support innovation at leading operators such as Network Rail in the UK, SNCF in France and CRRC in China with its High-speed rail system. What is the vision and mission of M&I Materials and how the company is planning its expansion in the Asia Pacific Region? M&I Materials is a leader in commercialising materials for industry and science and proudly operates in over 70 countries. The brand in focus here is MIDEL ester transformer fluids and in Asia Pacific, our mission is to educate engineers on how challenging the status quo can make a significant difference to the performance of energy systems. It isn’t acceptable anymore to settle for ‘we have always done it that way’ – we want to greatly improve rail engineering governance. We are fortunate to have some of the worlds’ most advanced experts in this subject matter and help organisations make the change to ester fluids and give them the confidence to embrace the technology to the fullest; we have no plans to stifle the momentum that we have created.

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INTERVIEW

In line with the United Nations sustainable development goals, one of our principal aims is to make energy systems more sustainable and reduce the impact on our planet which here means greener railways. If you look at alternative dielectric technologies that could be considered for traction or trackside such as mineral oil or silicone fluid, we cannot achieve that. To invest or specify in these materials makes little sense given the global appetite for them is in decline. This is what drives our passion for helping rail stakeholders make the transition to a more environmentally friendly rail network and our MIDEL ester fluids can be a catalyst for this change. Please list some of your innovative products that are being used for the Railway & Transportation Industry? Who are your major clients in India? Our synthetic ester transformer fluid MIDEL 7131 is the gold standard material for use in all traction and trackside systems. Although it debuted in rail back in the 1980s, we are still finding ways through strong application engineering to use it as a driver for innovation; helping equipment manufacturers optimise their transformers making them lighter, smaller and even more reliable. As rail travel continues to push the boundaries with faster trains, its application because even more critical given its built-in technical properties. No other dielectric fluid can perform at such a high level across such a demanding load profile which is why it is trusted by rail engineers the world over. In India we have helped the authorities the implement best practice from the European standard EN 45545 to raise the bar on safety provisions and already list leading operators like Delhi Metro, and Mumbai Metro as our long-term partners. How the company ensures the quality of products in the global market? How do you differentiate your products from other competitors in the market? The highest barometer for quality is that which you set for yourselves internally, and we are not prepared to compromise on that. Of course, our MIDEL products confirm to the strictest safety, quality and environmental standards and we make it our business to ensure everything is independently verified and tested thoroughly in the application. Without that how can you deliver confidence to the rail industry and the safety of millions of passengers every day? It is a very dangerous mentality in such a safetycritical industry to cut corners and compromise safety and performance for the sake of a tempting, small benefit in price. Core to our differentiation is how we can help the rail supply chain implement proven technology that is used in other parts of the world and that is something our team enjoys doing, as an example we have done this successfully in India. We regularly work closely with specifiers on how they can save valuable time by learning from what other leading rail operators have already done and fast-track their

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journey to make sure the specifications are current and future proof with the best dielectric materials to not only meet the demands of today but also in preparation for what we can expect for many years to come. How Covid-19 outburst affects the M&I Materials’ business and the steps you have taken to overcome it? The pandemic has affected many things in both our personal and professional lives, and that has meant we have had to adapt. The transition to digital interactions has been challenging but something we have embraced and our team in India have not missed a beat in attending to the needs of our customers. We have re-calibrated our approach and have produced lots of thought leadership content such as the 2 webinars we recently hosted on both rail infrastructure and traction and rolling stock. If you haven’t yet seen them, you should schedule it in your diary to do so and both are available on demand. Interestingly, it has also allowed organisation and individuals to reassess priorities and that’s where our MIDEL technology has benefitted. It was all too easy before for engineers to be ‘occupied’ with solving the problems or challenges of ‘that day’ whereas now that the distractions are less, they have time to properly evaluate what is necessary for change and make better engineering judgments. It is quite common now for us to hear technical experts say, ‘why didn’t we do this sooner?’ We of course miss the physical interaction with customers, but right now we have a bigger purpose to serve in ensuring we unite to beat the virus and stop the spread. Like in our MIDEL products, safety should always remain the highest priority. What are your expectations and presumptions on business growth in Post-Covid? Our growth journey has not stopped during the pandemic and I do not see any reason for that to change postCOVID. We are very well positioned to help companies in both the energy space and more specifically rail make positive changes on safety and sustainability. We are passionate about making a difference and are proud to be doing this with various Indian railways and Metro rail projects. The government has made some impressive commitments to the future of rail transportation and have set aside significant investment to make those plans a reality. MIDEL will be there every step of the way to ensure it becomes an engineering success. Anything else you want to share with our readers? If MIDEL is new to you don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experts to understand more. You may like to get in touch with our Indian Team led by MIDEL Expert Mr. Amit Kumar.

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

TECHNOLOGY TALK

How 5G will transform Rail Transport

he consumer messaging around 5G is well known: it will deliver better, more immersive experiences than previous generations while simultaneously enabling new services and capabilities. However, 5G can offer much more than this. It is a revolutionary technology that enables networks to perform at scale, adapt at pace and unlock new revenue streams. It will help transform transport, health, agriculture, manufacturing, entertainment, mining and other industries. Its combination of speed and responsiveness – while seamlessly connecting people, machinery and automated processes – will provide solutions to some of society’s most compelling challenges. 5G will cover a wide range of use cases and related applications. These uses include internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) and edge computing. While these technologies exist today, the networks currently supporting them constrain their full potential.

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

Shaun Newton Head - Products BAI Communications

The technological advances that 5G enables will differ by industry and application. However, all will allow data and communications solutions to create more efficient and sustainable business processes, improve consumer services and enhance users’ quality of life. This explores 5G’s impact on rail transport operations and how it can help transport authorities restore ridership and revenue. Our next blog will further explore how shared 5G infrastructure can generate shared benefits. Transport authorities and their partners, such as mobile network operators and associated service providers, all stand to prosper from the opportunities 5G will create. 5G: Built for Rail COVID-19-related changes to consumer behaviour have accelerated the need for 5G. Transport authorities are under increased pressure to do more with less, facing drastic declines in passenger numbers and subsequent revenue losses. Rebuilding public trust and confidence in rail systems’ safety won’t be easy but is crucial to restoring profitability. 5G offers mission-critical capabilities that will

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TECHNOLOGY TALK

facilitate this task. Currently, most transport systems worldwide are using – or are upgrading to – wireless control systems such as communications-based train control (CBTC), positive train control (PTC) and the European train control system (ETCS). Most of these systems still rely on cellular or WiFi networks designed in the 1990s. They’re proven technologies, but they can’t scale to support modern applications and use cases.

The Connectivity outlook report 2020 shows that the benefits of advanced technology are strongly desired, tellingly 85% of rail users are interested in 5G, and 83% support their city investing in a 5G network. 95% of rail users would be more likely to use the rail network in their city if technology-driven solutions were implemented. Thus, the question for operators is no longer whether they should upgrade their networks to 5G – it’s when. 5G: Railway requirements are built-in

One result is that transport operators often install multiple different systems to handle the various safety, operational and passenger functions. These include voice, signalling, condition monitoring, closed-circuit TV (CCTV), heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) monitoring and passenger Wi-Fi systems. Installing a single wireless infrastructure – such as 5G – to manage all these functions simultaeneously, eliminates incompatibilities and maximises interoperability between systems. 5G offers significant improvements to latency, concurrent connection numbers, session transfer speed and reliability, and power consumption. These improvements make 5G ideally suited to connecting IoT sensors and devices. Bringing these onto a single, unified network will generate economies of scale and significant ‘network effects’ that will amplify their value and utility. The 5G promise On an operational level, 5G delivers efficiency, cost, productivity and security benefits. It enables technicians and operators to monitor railway networks in real-time. It also allows analysis of various systems related to power, passenger flows, facilities such as lifts and escalators, ticketing, signalling, staff and contractor management, and more. Unlike other generational upgrades, 5G isn’t just about providing passengers with better download speeds and streaming while on board. Critically, it enables innovations that will restore public trust in mass transit, improve profitability and even create new revenue streams. These capabilities mostly revolve around real-time data feeds to provide service and rail network updates. They also include more pertinent safety-related information such as monitoring mask wearing, social distancing and on-train seating density. Other adjacent innovations would enable passengers to connect to services outside the rail network. Such connections allow multimodal travel coordination and scheduling, even including online shopping and services. Coordinating click-and-collect groceries, dry-cleaning pickups or takeaway food orders etc. will help make the daily commute fast, convenient and time-saving.

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5G offers a seamless upgrade path from existing global systems for mobile communications-railway (GSM-R) wireless services for railway operators. GSM-R is a version of the 2G standard with additional requirements to make it suitable for railway systems. For almost three decades it has formed the backbone of railways’ wireless networks. But it’s out of date, and a new standard is required. Industry bodies abandoned work on a 4G-based standard called LTR as 5G became imminent. Instead, work started on the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), a set of railway-specific requirements for 5G including latency, bandwidth, security and safety. These requirements are part of the 5G standard, meaning it’s railway-ready from day one. Better yet, many of the legacy 2G systems and 5G networks often share the same frequency bands, making upgrades far less disruptive than with previous generations. FRMCS offers a roadmap and upgrade path for public operators or private networks. Many railways have their own private 2G, GSM-R networks and it provides them with a seamless upgrade path to roll out 5G. Operators can deploy new 5G systems alongside their 2G equivalents and switch over when they’re ready. There’s no need to ‘forklift’ out old systems or manage massive power network buildouts and hard cut-overs. With 5G networks in place, operators will find they can connect seamlessly to other 5G devices. These include remote sensors on bridges, weather stations and traffic cameras. These connections will enable improved situational awareness and make it possible to anticipate maintenance needs and traffic surges, and adjust service frequencies and arrival times. Finally, 5G wireless makes edge computing viable for transit operators. Edge computing decentralises servers and data centres to improve performance. With fast, lowlatency 5G connections, moving trains will transmit data as they pass a station or platform. These data transfers will keep essential systems updated and offer passengers fast and seamless streaming and connectivity.

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

TECHNOLOGY TALK

5G: Enabling the stations of the future 5G makes possible the station of the future, where connected services combine to create a seamless travel experience. Stations of the future will help passengers feel safe and connected. They – and the data networks they run on – facilitate the mobile, distributed modes of work we’re adopting in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Biometric ticket gates, information kiosks, live service apps, connected CCTV cameras and pervasive IoT devices will create an environment without physical ticket barriers. Navigation information to help travellers with accessibility requirements will transform stations into free-flowing and data-rich environments. Real-time data will stream to mobile apps, AR or even VR devices, headphones and smart glasses.

Transport authorities that engage early with 5G will position themselves to roll out services, rebuild customer trust and restore lost revenue streams faster than those who fall behind. It’s not merely a matter of having ‘the best’ new technology; instead, it’s a matter of committing to efficient operations, improved safety and best-in-class customer relationships. These are the fundamentals of any successful business, making a commitment to 5G a business-positive, revenue-restoring, customer-centric ‘must’. While most network providers’ 5G deployments have focused on adding more network capacity, transit authorities are beginning to realise its potential to enable new operational solutions. The public understands these benefits too. The Connectivity outlook report 2020 asked rail users to prioritise various connected systems. Their top three responses were: • Connected sensors which can monitor rail networks • Warnings about out of order escalators, elevators and other disability access options • ‘Predictive maintenance’ systems which monitor the health, efficiency and safety of rail vehicles These priorities reflect the public’s growing awareness that smart, data-driven systems can enhance their travelling experience and make their rail networks more efficient. 5G wireless, edge computing and other advanced technologies will enhance these systems.

Station infrastructure will connect to low-cost wireless networks for real-time condition monitoring and predictive analytics. Elevators, escalators, HVAC systems, passenger announcements and information screens, and ticketing systems will share data and allow operators to adjust and optimise services in real-time.

Their improved performance will create new opportunities to share information, improving operational efficiency and customer experience.

Crucially, the tipping point for 5G is coming. In 2021 we will see greater device uptake by consumers. By 2022, travellers will expect continuous 5G connectivity throughout their journeys.

One of 5G’s most promising enablers is the combination of ubiquitous connectivity with edge computing. Edge computing is a distributed network topology that uses localised infrastructure rather than centralised storage and

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

5G and edge computing: an ideal combination for rail networks

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TECHNOLOGY TALK

compute. It enhances network performance by locating data and applications closer to the endpoints they serve. Local processing maximises 5G’s capabilities, including improvements to latency, concurrent connection numbers, session transfer speed and reliability, security and power consumption. This decentralised approach is well-suited to rail networks with their wide geographic distributions and the requirement to connect moving trains. With 5G and edge computing, operators won’t need expensive servers installed onboard their rolling stock to handle critical applications. Track maintenance illustrates the potential benefits. Currently, most operators use a separate car for track inspection. By combining 5G and edge computing, every train can become a track inspection vehicle, with connected sensors generating high volumes of data in real time. In turn, this data allows for more granular analytics and a better understanding of how different parts of the physical network respond to use. Neutral hosts: shaping connectivity’s future Though 5G and edge computing are powerful when combined, deploying both at scale requires complex and dense networks, including more antennas, fibre, power, wireless cells, servers and data centres. The challenge is ensuring that these networks are designed, deployed and managed effectively. In the rail transport context, trackside infrastructure upgrades can provide the transmission and backhaul capacity needed to deliver high-quality telecommunications services that fit today’s needs and are ready for tomorrow’s. The capital and operational investment required for these networks are significant. In most cases, network ownership and management are not feasible for a single Mobile Network Operator (MNO) to absorb, especially in an environment of increasing capital constraints. One solution to these technical and financial challenges is to adopt the neutral host model. A Neutral-Host Network (NHN) is a third-party-owned cellular network that provides wholesale mobile coverage solutions to MNOs or other communications service providers (CSPs). The NHN model is flexible, and in addition to upgrading, building and owning networks, neutral host providers can partner with transit authorities to build jointly owned private networks. This flexibility makes it easier for transit authorities to evolve their services and shield partner organisations from design, operational and other complexities, such as multi-operator support, edge-core integration and network optimisation.

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For transit authorities and MNOs, accessing a single, unified network infrastructure avoids the time, cost and potential service interruptions associated with each MNO installing their network hardware on platforms and trains. These options represent various forms of network sharing that can enhance competition, improve utility for consumer and business mobile users, and enable government and municipal authorities to achieve their strategic, financial and other objectives. Integration and opportunity The neutral host model can play a significant role as cities learn how to manage COVID-19 and prepare for future public health concerns. Beyond ‘stations of the future’, we must build ‘cities of the future’. These cities will feature pervasive connectivity with smart devices gathering and sharing data in real-time. NHN providers bring such ambitions within reach by building the infrastructure and technology backbone required. Respondents in the Connectivity outlook report 2020 nominated ‘transport and mobility’ as the top-ranked service they believed could be improved with better technology and connectivity. Similarly, 86% of rail users agreed that an ‘evolved’ rail network that allowed them to work effectively as they travelled would benefit them. Public transport is a critical part of a city’s prosperity and its citizens’ wellbeing. Transport authorities are responding by evolving their offerings beyond getting people from ‘A to B’. Responding to the public’s desire to be connected while travelling and feel safe and secure while in transit is the key to restoring ridership and revenue. Thus, transit authorities must design their networks to accommodate future demands as well as current needs. Designing with the future in mind will deliver the level of service demanded by consumers today and provide foundational network infrastructure for new and emerging services and applications. From MNOs to transit operators and municipalities, there are many cases where neutral host models make good commercial sense. Innovative technologies and shared infrastructure can enhance consumer, business and public safety connectivity. By opening up areas that otherwise would be difficult to service and providing continuous, high-quality connectivity we can ensure that today’s networks are ready for tomorrow’s demands. ***

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INTERVIEW

India is the fastest growing economy and I wish to be part of the Indian transformation journey for next 8-10 years before I retire. Ashok Menghani Business Leader Schneider Electric, Singapore

Ashok Menghani is a Business leader, an Entrepreneur, Firmly believes in Channels and Alliances, Services, Digital transformations and market share growth ensuring an accelerated and sustainable business. He is currently working with Schneider Electric, Singapore and taking care of the Singapore market including MRT, Singapore. At the outsets, please accept our heartiest congratulations on the completion of your 10 years journey in Schneider Electric. Kindly tell our readers about your professional journey in the industry. Thanks for the greetings. Schneider Electric is the most progressive company in Energy Management and Automation space. I found many amazing leaders, colleagues and subordinates throughout the journey. Almost every year there were new product launches or upgradations. If I look back there is a full transformation, thanks to EcoStruxure platform of connected products, edge control, apps and analytics.

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Tell us about your role and responsibilities in Schneider Electric and your long-term vision for the company? This is something great in Schneider electric, one can move to new role and responsibility every 3rd year onwards. I joined as in-charge for Universal Enclosures activity in the year 2011 and established the channel network, built up the winning team etc. 3 years later I shifted to the “Power Products” business unit taking care of the International business in Greater India, Greater Thailand and Greater Vietnam. The global experience and working with a cross-cultural team offered great learnings to me. This was the time I become an inclusive leader with International exposure. In the year 2017, I was given the responsibility of Channel management and transformation in Singapore. The experience and exposure helped me to do the daunting task successfully and I look forward to coming back to India as and when I get the chance. India is the fastest growing economy and I wish to be part of the Indian transformation journey for next 8-10 years before I retire. Make-in-India, Hi-speed railway network, Metro railways, Smart Cities mission are some of the key initiatives which will not only transform Indian infrastructure but also put India as the factory for the world. In short the learnings from global exposure, I would like to re-utilized for the Indian growth saga. Please highlight some major contributions of the company in the railways and transportation sectors.

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INTERVIEW

My Colleague Ashutosh Shukla, Director- Transportation & Mobility, is leading the Railway segment in India. I can say that Schneider electric is offering solutions to the challenges of metro rail in India very successfully. We offer open, interoperable, IoT-enabled system architecture and platform that delivers enhanced value around safety, reliability, efficiency, sustainability, and connectivity. Schneider Electric solution aids Metro Rail networks in different areas like power delivery, environmental control, communication and services. Recently the company has launched EcoStruxure Rail in India. Kindly highlights some salient features of this innovation and how will it help the rail & metro sectors? EcoStruxure Rail is an enterprise-level end-to-end digital solution for metro rail to create collaborative environments for a safe, energy-efficient, reliable and sustainable rail infrastructure operation. This solution is targeted towards providing real-time awareness breaking silos, resulting in safe, comfortable, on-time operations, and effective passenger services into the Indian market. The advanced IoT-enabled EcoStruxure TM platform will aid metro rails in four main areas: power delivery, environmental control, communication, and services. It also increases the resilience of the system in case of cybersecurity attacks by providing solutions to avoid and detect intrusions at all levels: control center, telecom system and field devices. It improves the smart management, electrical safety, and atmosphere of Metro stations, as well as the operation of their systems, with solutions for Traction, Signaling, Distribution Power and Construction Management. What are your takes on the metro rail, high-speed rail, RRTS, and urban transportation revolution in India? Railways infrastructure has always been a lifeline for Indian socio-economics. Now we have the task to be the “Factory for the world” under the “make in India” mission.

Railways to provide economical, fast transportation till the sea-ports. Dedicated freight corridors are all set to do the job. RRTS and Metro to ensure faster and convenient movement of the people to the workplaces. How are the Covid-19 pandemic affecting the overall business of Schneider Electric and what are the strategies being adopted to minimize its effect on the company's business? Covid19 is the most difficult period for India and the world. My heart goes with the customers, friends, colleagues and family as some lost their nears and dears. We have come up with solutions and support for the new normal. Our technology is helping many segments including railways to recover faster and reinstate operations. Anything else you want to share with our readers. I am very close to the Indian Railway. In my father’s generation, almost everybody comes from Indian railways be it operations, commercial or signaling. My childhood was spent alongside railway tracks in railway quarters. My beloved father was Station Master when he retired. I would like to tell one and all to remain resilient. The tough phase will be over soon. Reach out to us for the newer technological solution, be it your home office or Institutional site. As the tag line of Schneider Electric is “Life is On” and we ensure that life is on at all times. ***

Railways infrastructure has always been a lifeline for Indian socio-economics. Now we have the task to be the “Factory for the world” under the “Make in India” mission.

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METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY SPECIAL

Coradia iLint: World’s first hydrogen fuel cellpowered Train increase collaboration across sectors and within government departments in order to raise collective ambitions and develop specific policy pathways for transport.

Alain Spohr Managing Director, Alstom Transport (India & South Asia)

limate change is the most crucial issue of our time and its implications are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Growing urbanisation is one of the key contributors to climate change. Although the threat is poses to humanity is a global one, Asia may be particularly impacted. The continent is a global leader in rapid urbanization as it is home to 19 of the world’s top 20 cities, according to JLL. Additionally, 99 of the 100 most polluted cities in the world are located in Asia. The paradox is that a typical marker of economic progress is growth in demand for private transport. Unfortunately, it is estimated that Asia’s motorised transport will be responsible for 31 percent of the global aggregate CO2 emissions by 2030, up from 19 percent in 2006. The challenge for the continent is to ensure Life Quality Index of its cities, while maintaining economic growth and acknowledging the need for environmental sustainability. According to a recent study, Green transport is expected to overtake private cars in major cities across the world by 2030. India is swiftly taking great strides towards green mobility and transport. The efforts by the government and players in the mobility space are currently complying with the key objectives of sustainable development; enabling energy transition and climate change mitigation in transport, acting as responsible entities and making a difference to the lives of local communities, while simultaneously progressing towards a greener future. There is an urgent need to

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Emissions of pollutants into the air has a significant negative impact on the environment. According to the annual 'State of Global Air 2020' report, around 6.7 million deaths were reported globally due to long-term exposure to air pollution in 2019 with China (1.8 million) and India (1.6 million) together accounting for more than half of such deaths. Researchers from McGill University stated that over half of the world's population lives without the protection of adequate air quality standards. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter are two of the most dangerous air contaminants to human health. While stating that air pollution is globally the fourth highest cause of death, the report suggests that it is the largest risk factor for deaths in India. After years of warnings, recent developments suggest that climate change is finally being taken seriously by governments and individuals. The challenge is huge and requires a massive change in mind set. Governments will need to make radical moves to mitigate the effects of the crisis, and one key area where effective action can be taken is public transport. With the global demand for passenger traffic expected to increase by more than double between 2015 and 2050, there is an urgent need to take substantive steps to cut emissions from transport. Sustainability is going to be the biggest game changer going forward. Building up infrastructure and developing energy-efficient, sustainable transport systems will be a key solution for curbing CO2 emissions. This can be achieved by designing and delivering sustainable global railway solutions that will contribute to limiting the rise in global temperatures to under 2°C and benefit everyone they serve. Decarbonizing transportation is integral to promote sustainability and positive climate change. Leading societies to a low carbon future, Alstom develops and markets mobility solutions that provide the sustainable foundations for the future of transportation. Hydrogen is seen as a low-emission and efficient alternative to diesel, which ensures that the trains are environment friendly. When it comes to hydrogen cell powered trains, Alstom is

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WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY SPECIAL

the only company in the world to have a product on tracks and not merely on the drawing board. The Coradia iLint is the world’s first passenger train powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, which produces electrical power for traction. This zero-emission train emits low levels of noise, with exhaust being only steam and condensed water. It is a perfect illustration for the company’s commitment to designing and delivering innovative and environmentally friendly solutions.

make the Netherlands the second country in Europe where the train has proven itself a unique emissions-free solution for non-electrified lines. Alstom has received follow-up orders in Italy and France, led a pilot project in the UK and ran successful test runs in Austria, and Germany. Other countries already looking into buying their trains including U.K, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Italy and Canada. The iLint was designed by Alstom teams in Salzgitter (Germany), the centre of excellence for regional trains, and in Tarbes (France), the centre of excellence for traction systems. This project benefitted from the support of the German Ministry of Economy and Mobility and the development of the Coradia iLint was funded by the German government, as part of the National Innovation Program for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP). India’s move towards hydrogen powered trains

In line with the aim to facilitate a global transition to a lowcarbon transport system, it was at InnoTrans 2016 in Berlin that Alstom presented the Coradia iLint for the first time. The launch of the CO2-emission-free regional train that represents a true alternative to diesel power positioned the company as the first railway manufacturers in the world to develop a passenger train based on hydrogen technology. The Coradia iLint is special for its combination of different innovative elements: clean energy conversion, flexible energy storage in batteries, and smart management of traction power and available energy. Specifically designed for operation on non-electrified lines, it enables clean, sustainable train operation while ensuring high levels of performance. And just two years later, in 2018, the iLint entered into commercial service in Germany. This is the first time in the world that commercial trains powered by hydrogen-based cell have gone into use for transporting passengers. This zero-emission train is silent and only emits steaming condensed water and any excess energy is stored in iron lithium batteries on board.

Indian Railways in particular is committed to positive climate change and has undertaken various initiatives to meet its goal of transforming into a ‘Net Zero’ Carbon Emission Mass Transportation Network by 2030. It is making several coordinated moves towards sustainable mobility, which will play a key role in helping the government and businesses kickstart economic revival with renewed energy. Hydrogen fuel cell trains could be the next big thing, and this can be a technology that India looks forward to adapting in the coming years. As part of efforts to find alternative sources of fuel to power its trains, and to reduce reliance on fossil fuelbased energy sources like diesel and electricity, Indian Railways is experimenting with hydrogen fuel-cell-based trains as well as electrifying its tracks. This will address the energy requirements, improve its operating ratio and reduce the environmental impact.

As a global leader in sustainable mobility with proven expertise in building Hydrogen fuel-based trains, Alstom can support the government in achieving its emissions reduction targets and pave the way for improved and enhanced This technology is gaining momentum quickly. Alstom has sustainable mobility solutions. performed ten days of tests of the Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel cell train on the 65 kilometres of line between *** Groningen and Leeuwarden in the north of the Netherlands. The tests follow 18 successful months of passenger service on the Buxtehude–Bremervörde– Bremerhaven–Cuxhaven line in Germany, where total of 41 Coradia iLint have already been ordered. The latest tests

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METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

INFRA FINANCING

Development Financial Institution (DFI): Setting up of the National Bank for Financing and Development (NaBFID)

Debashish Mallick MD & CEO, IDBI (Asset Management)

Infrastructure projects are predominantly financed by banks. Shorter term resource (liability) base of Banks, vis-àvis long gestation period of projects (assets) makes an asset liability mismatch endemic in such bank finance. Corporate bond market, despite numerous initiatives is yet to attain vibrancy. Availability of medium-/long-term funds for infrastructure projects has, therefore, experienced its fair share of difficulty. An institution to provide funds with commensurate tenor is expected to present a viable alternative for funding infrastructure. However, a DFI that is concentrated exclusively on medium/long-term infrastructure lending is likely to face substantial operational challenges. History of DFIs in India

he Bill for setting up the National Bank for Infrastructure Financing & Development (NaBFID) is now passed by the Lok Sabha. The Bill envisages setting up of a new government-owned Development Financial Institution (DFI) to facilitate flow of long-term funds for Infrastructure projects. The objective also includes issuance of guarantees and facilitating development of a bond and derivative market. Proposed Tax breaks will enable increasing cost-effective resource-raising.

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India had set up extremely successful DFIs such as Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) in 1948, Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) in 1964 and Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) in 1955. IFCI and IDBI were fully-owned Government of India (GoI) enterprises. The objective in setting up the institutions were to provide medium- and long-term project finance to Indian industries. Till about the mid-1990s, the DFIs were very effective in channelising such finance for industrialization of the country. India had subsequently set up specialised DFIs to pursue medium-/long-term sector-specific credit flow, in contrast to the sector agnostic lending which the aforesaid DFIs engaged in. This includes attempts made twice in the past,

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INFRA FINANCING

to set up a specialised DFI for infrastructure project financing. While, the first three DFIs had an extremely successful role with widespread reach and positive effect on industrial growth, the specialised DFIs in most cases remained small and had limited impact. Ironically, in later years, the said three DFIs faced difficulty in surviving in its original genre and revamped themselves into commercial banks. The specialised DFIs in most cases continue, albeit with limited impact. The DFIs set up exclusively for financing infrastructure projects have, however, not had the desired impact. Financing activities The DFIs extended term loan for setting up new units as also for expansion, modernisation, and rehabilitation of existing units. There were no sectoral restrictions (except for the small negative list). The DFIs could extend assistance to any industry, resulting in a well-diversified (less risky) asset portfolio. Tenor of the assistance was usually up to 10 years, with an initial moratorium of up to two years. Mortgage charge over fixed assets of the assisted company, was provided as loan security. Defaults were insignificant and the security package was found acceptable, without it being examined on the bedrock of enforcement efficacy. Resources The DFIs were funded by patient equity capital and preferential market access for raising medium-/long-term resources. Preferential access was in the form of channelising multilateral funding lines, fund flow from National Industrial Credit-Long-term Operations (NIC (LTO)) of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), issuance of Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) and tax-saving bonds, and suitable enablers to attract funds available through capital gains and investment allowance reserves. There were other special provisions made in the Income Tax Act, which enabled access to medium-/long-term funds, which supplemented the other fund-raising avenues. DFIs were also permitted to intermediate external commercial borrowings (ECB) market for on-lending. Market exclusivity It was a plain vanilla arrangement, wherein DFIs borrowed medium-/long-term funds at fixed (specified) interest rate, in the bank/bond market, and on-lent for medium/longterm funding. In the absence of refinancing and/or downselling market, the DFIs held their loan assets till maturity. The maturity profile of the asset and liability book approximated closely. The credit authorisation scheme (CAS) restricted commercial banks in going for large ticket long-term lending. Access to ECB by corporates were not permitted. The capital market was narrow and shallow with fewer participants. The activity in the debt market was

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almost nil. Insurance companies and fund houses were either non-existent or were yet to warm to the idea of lowcost refinancing of the outstanding loans from DFIs to completed (mostly well-performing) projects. It was a period of bliss, in which the DFIs extended medium-/longterm loans to greenfield and/or brownfield projects, with a good interest spread, and held it long till maturity. Transition Progressive decline of DFIs started from mid 1990s—post the liberalisation era. Transition to a banking company happened around the turn of the century. With liberalisation, the DFIs lost their exclusive status and were unable to adapt and reinvent themselves in the new economic environment. Preferential access to funds was withdrawn in phases. The Credit Authorisation Scheme (CAS) was suitably relaxed to permit banks to extend large ticket long-term loans at significantly lower interest rates. The ECB market was opened up for direct access by corporates. With lower cost of funds, banks aggressively refinanced outstanding Development Finance Institution (DFI) loans, leading to asset-liability mismatch in the DFI books. Insurance companies, with their low fund cost, were also aggressive in the refinancing market, for corporate loan. With occurrence of loan defaults, DFIs realised that mortgage security was not robust and also difficult to enforce, vis-à-vis security by way of receivables/cash flow, as available to banks.

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INFRA FINANCING

Likely challenges of NaBFID India is today an attractive destination for foreign funds. Debt and equity capital markets are increasingly dynamic. Insurance companies, fund houses, etc. are active in loan/bond buyout and/or refinance, particularly for completed projects. Commercial banks are active lenders. In short, NaBFID is likely to face challenges of intense competition from multiple players. Necessary condition for the proposed DFI to sustain will be its ability to (a) retain low-cost advantage on a continuing basis, (b) withstand market competition, and (c) navigate challenges of asset inflexibility—exclusively infrastructure. NaBFID is expected to face less challenge in mobilising low-cost resources upfront with appropriate government support, but it could encounter steep challenges in maintaining the cost advantage over a period of time, as the resources raised would have a fixed (specified) coupon with long maturity which may not be flexible. It would face competitive pressure in resource deployment as well as asset retention (refinancing by competitors). Risk of an inflexible asset book, would only add to the aforesaid difficulties. Structural challenges The funding environ would continue with strong competitors. Commercial banks are an integrated intermediary for both mobilising deposits and also onlending. As deposits are of mixed tenure and price, incremental growth in deposit/liability book ensures continuous repricing, which adjusts average cost and maturity on an ongoing basis. Other competitors, also operate on a favourable low-cost matrix. DFIs, on the other hand, are essentially lending vehicles created for the purpose of channelising medium- to long-term resources for specific purpose. Resources are raised by DFIs through financial instruments crafted to meet its specific needs. That makes resource raising costlier and inflexible for a DFI vis-à-vis a bank, with its implication on relative product pricing, and institutional asset and liability management (ALM) profile over time.

concept. This would help reduce cost and also impart flexibility in average cost and maturity, over time. • Security package: NaBFID should have security right over all present and future cash flows of the assisted company on pari passu basis along with other lenders, and not be secured by first charge over fixed assets only. NaBFID may closely review and choose to be selective in fund-based lending and instead concentrate more on the following activities, which are prominently included in its mandate/ objective: • Non-fund-based business: Considering the high capitalisation of NaBFID and its quasi sovereign status, guarantees issued by NaBFID are likely to be well accepted. It may, therefore, look at having a large guarantee/NFB book, instead of concentrating on funding. • Corporate bond/debt market: NaBFID with its large capital base, government support, and systemic importance may concentrate well on strategies/modalities to harness resources for facilitating vibrancy in the debt market. This would then have a more beneficial long-term impact on infrastructure development than term lending alone. DFIs in the past had taken steps to set up an efficient financial architecture of the country, comprising of screenbased trading, and setting up of depositories and rating agencies, amongst others. These have facilitated evolution of the financial market, and made it more transparent. Success of NaBFID in imparting bond/debt market vibrancy will well be an important and a positive step in continuation of India’s endeavour in developing a robust financial structure. ***

In the above context, certain suggestions from an risk mitigation outlook, are placed below: •

•

Refinance risk: As loans are refinanced, after project commences operation/attains stability, NaBFID may consider stipulating repricing option with suitable rate incentives, after implementation. Incentives may be designed carefully, so as to retain/exit the underlying loan, on asset quality considerations. Cost/ maturity risk: Resources may be largely raised with a weighted average maturity to cover the implementation period of the portfolio loan assets, and not over long term, based on the “held to maturity”

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METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

Ling Fang, President, Alstom Asia-Pacific, speaks about Alstom becoming the largest overseas mobility player in India and why the country is going to be a crucial market for the company…

India is important not only because of its market potential but also innovation, manufacturing and engineering capabilities. 46

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In end-January, French mobility major Alstom completed the acquisition of German rival Bombardier Transportation. The new entity has combined revenues of around Euro 15.7 billion, order book of Euro 71.1 billion and employs 75,000 people in 70 countries. Ling Fang, President, Alstom Asia-Pacific, spoke to P.B. Jayakumar on Alstom becoming the largest overseas mobility player in India and why the country is going to be a crucial market for the company. With the Bombardier acquisition, how has your footprint changed in India? Alstom has made huge investments in India. We have set up several factories, recruited a lot of people and also invested significantly in technologies. This was primarily to meet the needs of the Indian railway sector. We decided years ago to put India at the heart of our strategy as the country is a global delivery centre for Alstom worldwide. This includes delivering projects for international markets. We do a lot of research & development and innovation activities out of India. In India, we have 8,000 employees, six factories (two from Bombardier Transportation) and two large engineering centres (Bangalore and Hyderabad). This makes India the third-biggest country for us. On an average, we have been recruiting 1,000 people per year in India. India will become

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INTERVIEW

the number one country for Alstom in two-three years. As our CEO recently said, “If India succeeds, Alstom will succeed, and if India fails, Alstom will fail". India is important not only because of its market potential but also innovation, manufacturing and engineering capabilities.

Of the 25-30 metro rail projects planned for the last 20 years, 10-12 have taken off. Based on your order book and projects being pushed, what kind of business do you foresee in coming years? How important will India be for your global business?

The merger has made you the largest multinational mobility solutions provider in India. What are the synergies expected from this acquisition? Combined, we now have a larger presence in metro rail projects in different Indian cities - Chennai, Lucknow, Kochi and Mumbai. We have won several big projects like Mumbai Metro III, rolling stock for Mumbai Metro IV, Agra-Kanpur metro, signalling for Bangalore metro. There is a little bit of Alstom now in nearly all metro rail projects in India. Bombardier was traditionally more present in the Delhi Metro. Alstom had won a contract to supply 800 electric super powered doublesection locomotives of 12,000 HP to Railways. We have already delivered 76 locomotives. These are the most powerful locomotives used in India. We are able to deliver 10 double locomotives per month. This performance is very good compared to other factories in the world. Recently, we completed part of the Dedicated Freight Corridor. From ex-Bombardier, there are several projects, particularly in component delivery. Now, we have a combined backlog of close to $4 billion in India. We are hopeful about gaining new projects too. We will be delivering for the Mumbai Metro Line 3 project. We also have maintenance contracts such as the e-loco maintenance contract and the maintenance contract for Delhi. These are normally for 1020 years. We will be delivering the majority of backlog projects in a year. We have strong delivery capabilities. At Savli and SriCity facilities - for metro rail coaches - we can make 900 metro cars per year. Our Madhepura factory can deliver almost 120 locomotives per year. The Asia-Pacific region accounts for 10-15 per cent of worldwide revenue and India has a very important part in that. Among the 8,000 employees in India, 40 per cent are engineers, who deliver 30 per cent worldwide engineering hours for us. It is not just industrial but human capital investments too. While we are open to expanding our footprint in India, we believe we have enough facilities to deliver our backlog, as of today. In future, as we continue to win new orders, we will surely consider further investment in the country.

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In metro rail, India presents very good growth prospects. The plan is for 1,000 kilometres network in 30 cities. Recently, the Indian government launched new ideas and strategies, such as Metro Lite and Metro Neo. These are for medium sized and smaller cities. We are closely following these opportunities. These opportunities are not for rolling stock alone. We are the leaders in signalling too. Railways plan 100 per cent electrification of the broad-gauge network by 2023. With inauguration of the first dedicated freight corridor line, we have the experience to secure more orders. Indian Railways is happy with the performance of our locomotives and we are looking forward to securing new locomotive opportunities. Private train operations is another area. It is an excellent initiative that will not only create competition on the mainline but also optimise operational cost and improve efficiency. Alstom is working actively on this project and looking forward to providing competitive and efficient solutions and contributing to long-term reliability, efficiency and safety of the railway network in the country. The Indian business delivered some very symbolic and iconic projects we did internationally. We delivered the Sydney metro project fully from manufacturing to engineering from India. It began commercial services in May 2019 and was the first driverless metro line in Sydney. The second example is Montreal metro, which is also being delivered from India. From ex-Bombardier, we delivered

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INTERVIEW

commuter trains to Queensland. We are also delivering some very strategic projects for Alstom worldwide from India, which shows how India is important for our global operations. How does Alstom see the future of mobility? Will it be Hyperloop or autonomous driving? Alstom announced its strategic plan - 'Alstom In Motion' in 2019 to become the leading global innovative player for green and digital mobility or smart and sustainable mobility. One aspect we believe in is green mobility and the second is smart or digital mobility. Currently, the world is undergoing a very profound socio-environmental transition because there are some new challenges to be addressed. These include acceleration of urbanisation, climate change and providing equal economic development opportunities to all countries and regions. To address all these challenges, transportation, particularly green transportation, will be at the heart of the ecological transition. Thats why we believe that, as a major player, we have the duty and responsibility to bring innovative solutions to address these challenges. Green mobility is an important part of this strategy. Alstom's vision and plan of the government are perfectly in line. Alstom is one of the major players in green mobility and we believe we can bring solutions to improve the situation worldwide.

Today, everyone is talking about Hydrogen trains. Alstom was the pioneer. The first Hydrogen train was operational in 2018. We have Hydrogen trains in commercial service in Germany and secured several orders in Europe. We are working on many projects in the UK, France and the Netherlands. Hydrogen trains ensure zero emissions. They could positively impact the future of railways in the AsiaPacific region. That's why we are exploring the opportunity of introducing Hydrogen trains in this region, including India. Then there is smart or digital mobility. Our experience of implementing autonomous trains shows we can be more in time and allow more trains to run on the same lines, which means there is no need to invest in adding new trains. We can reduce the time between two trains and improve efficiency. This will lead to more flexibility for operators and save energy. Alstom is working actively on innovations for autonomous technology that can be deployed on the mainline network, not just in metros. We are positive we will soon have autonomous trains running on mainlines as well. We believe that the future of mobility will be green and digital. ***

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From Delhi to Meerut: A Journey of Connectivity I was part of the team that shaped the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System project approved by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in October 2020 and jointly funded by the Asian Development Bank. Helping heed the call to fill India’s needs gives me great honor. Through this project, we were able to help improve the efficiency, safety, social inclusiveness and environmental sustainability of transportation between Delhi and Meerut. Amit Kumar Sr. Investment Operations Specialist Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

he growing population of India’s National Capital Region (NCR) is expected to overtake that of Tokyo to become the world’s most populated city in the next 10 years. India’s NCR faces challenges posed by high population growth such as traffic congestion, unprecedented pollution levels and unplanned urban sprawl. The solution is a multi-modal transport system with special emphasis on rail-based high-speed highfrequency Regional Rapid Transit System for connecting major regional centers.

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This project falls well within AIIB’s Corporate Strategy, specifically under the thematic priority of connectivity and regional cooperation. Infrastructure connectivity projects such as the Delhi-Meerut line enhance trade and investment, and as such is one of AIIB’s priorities. Through this project, we are helping the Government of India finance Infrastructure for Tomorrow (i4t)— sustainable infrastructure that is inclusive, spurs economic growth and addresses social and ecological concerns. India’s National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), AIIB’s partner and this project’s local implementation team, cited a report from the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority indicating that there had been a 40-percent increase in vehicular pollution in the NCR between 2010 and 2018. According to the report, vehicular emission is the key air pollution factor, contributing as much as 41 percent of Delhi’s pollution. Steep population growth, urbanization and inward migration are exerting enormous pressures on

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REGIONAL RAIL

infrastructure, environment and quality constraining the region’s economic potential.

life—

To address these issues while meeting organic future demand and the mobility demand for unlocking the NCR’s economic potential, the development of a multimodal transport system (which includes the Delhi-Meerut line) was proposed. After project completion, we expect faster travel times by train between Delhi and Meerut and less carbon dioxide emitted per year. We also aim for passengers—including women and differently-abled persons—to be able to use the line as an accessible, safe and reliable way to travel. Public consultations with stakeholders were carried out and will continue during project implementation, in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions. Further consultations with affected persons will form part of the next stages of project implementation. As mentioned by our partner, NCRTC, “Being the first of its kind in India, this project required meticulous planning, close coordination with key stakeholders and development of internal capacities—three important pillars of efficient project management. AIIB made a significant contribution to quicken the project’s implementation through expeditious conclusion of the appraisal process, adoption of a joint cofinancing arrangement and universal procurement. NCRTC also benefitted from AIIB’s extensive global experience in funding mass transit systems and financing infrastructure projects.” NCRTC stressed that, given the stringent project implementation timelines, a prolonged appraisal process would have adversely impacted the project schedule. “AIIB was able to carry out an in-depth appraisal in a short time and the project was approved in about six months of proposing the project for funding. This enabled NCRTC to achieve early financial closure.” The Delhi-Meerut line will not only provide fast, reliable, safe, comfortable, efficient and sustainable transport solutions. It will also improve people’s access to education, health care and employment. This in turn will improve quality of life aside from other add-on benefits such as improved productivity (labor and industries) as well as indirect and induced employment.

Assembling the gantry, an overhead bridge-like structure supporting equipment, on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor. Source: NCRTC.

•

Reduction in air pollution, at an estimated 2,300 tons of particulate matter (PM) and 8.4 million tons of carbon dioxide. Pollution reduction will also generate economic benefits such as savings from spending on medicines and treatment of diseases. Estimated environmental benefits from reduced pollution amounting to USD235 million.

The Delhi-Meerut line will also support the economic development of India’s NCR. Seamless regional connectivity and reduction in travel time to almost a third will incentivize decentralization of industrial and commercial development and trigger new economic activities in suburban nodes. The train stations themselves will become centers of social, commercial and service activities. Employment and entrepreneurial opportunities will sprout from the catchment areas around the nodes. Building the project itself is expected to generate significant direct and indirect employment during construction and operation stages. Large-scale construction will support mass employment opportunities over the implementation period. All of these are hallmarks of i4t. As such, the project makes me particularly proud to be part of the team that is helping finance the Delhi-Meerut project through AIIB. ***

Other benefits to the project include: • • •

Reduced road congestion due to a shift in passenger transportation mode. Reduced road maintenance and upgrade due to reduced traffic. Lower accident rates due to decongested roads. The reduction in accidents will also lead to lower medical, insurance, administrative and vehicle damage expenses.

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Magrail technology can be an opportunity to transform railways Polish railways on the verge of changes

Vinod Shah Head-Communications Urban Transport News

Poland is dynamically developing and modernizing its transport infrastructure in all forms: road, rail, air and sea. Thanks to its strategic location at the intersection of the main European transport corridors in the North-South and East-West directions, as well as the improving transport infrastructure, Poland holds its strong position on the logistics map of Europe. The implementation of state-ofthe-art technologies, such as magrail, will not only benefit the economy but will also strengthen the impact on environmental protection, in line with the objectives of the EU Green Deal. According to the latest IDOM and Nevomo report, the innovative magrail technology may be a key element in the transformation of Polish railways. A levitating alternative in rail transport

The end of the pandemic in Europe will mean the beginning of huge investments at the government level. Some of them must be allocated to the transformation resulting from the objectives of the European Green Deal. The changes will certainly affect the area of infrastructure, including railways. According to the latest report entitled "Preliminary study of Magrail Implementation", prepared by IDOM and Nevomo, innovative magrail technology may play an important role in railway investment programs.

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Magrail, due to its operational parameters, is considered an alternative to costly greenfield HSR projects, as well as the first step in the development of futuristic hyperloop technology. It is a bridging solution between conventional railway systems, maglevs and future hyperloop applications. It will allow speeds of up to 550 km/h on high-speed railway infrastructure due to the deployment of a linear motor and passive magnetic levitation on existing railway tracks while keeping their basic, railway functionality. The technology allows hybrid (railway and magrail) operations and is being developed by the European tech company Nevomo. Key magrail elements

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TECHNOLOGY TALK

(linear motor, magnetic levitation) will be ready for ultimate hyperloop upgrade (when needed). Nevomo has presented the technology demo on a scale (1:5) in October 2020, and in December 2020 it started mid-size testing. In the summer of 2021, the company will start implementing the magrail technology on a full-scale track. The pilot implementation and certification are planned for 2022–2024. Magrail technology is expected to be fully operational by 2025. Return on investment in 30 years IDOM and Nevomo carried out analysis on how magrail technology would perform on the first Polish High-Speed Rail line between Warsaw, Lodz Poznan, and Wroclaw (so-called Y Line). To do so, companies compared two variants: a basic scenario which assumes construction of a new HSR line for conventional trains only (allowing the speed of up to 300-350 kph), and an investment (magrail) scenario, which on the top of basic scenario contains additional magrail layer (what allows reaching the speed of up to 550 kph). According to the report, the economic benefits of implementing the magrail technology in the main rail corridor in Poland would be significant. The total investment of EUR 12.6 bln (PLN 57.1 bln) would comprise EUR 7.5 bln (PLN 33.8 bln) for basic underlying HSR infrastructure and of additional EUR 5.1 bln (PLN 23.3 bln) on magrail components (infrastructure and vehicles), and it would bring a positive economic return within 30 years. Based on the analysis, the total economic benefits for the society would amount to EUR 4.3 bln (PLN 19.6 bln), and Benefit/Cost Ratio for this investment would reach 1.42. Economic Net Present Value (ENPV) of the project would reach EUR 1.3 bln (PLN 5.8 bln), which gives an Economic Rate of Return (ERR) of 4.01%. Social benefits According to IDOM and Nevomo, saving time on travel is one of the most important benefits of investing in magrail technology. This applies to both business and private trips. The investment would also lead to significant gains in social and environmental areas. Ultra-high speeds would attract passenger flows from the road and short-haul air transport, which will lead to the reduction of costs of accidents, air pollution, CO2 emissions, and noise. Overall economic effect in this regard will reach as much as EUR 0.6 bln (PLN 2.5 bln), while amounts of saved CO2 emissions would reach at least 2.1 mln tonnes when compared to HSR. "It is vital to put this study and the magrail technology within a broader context. The results of the analysis and the created assumptions can be extended to the whole

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country and even broader, to the substantial part of Europe. For example, a further extension of the “Y Line” from Poznan to Berlin, new lines to new international airport Solidarity Transport Hub as well as new HSR projects in Europe like Berlin – Prague – Vienna line could also potentially be a good fit for magrail technology” comments Michał Litwin, Strategy Director at Nevomo. “Given growing social and political pressure on short-haul flights, there`s an obvious market niche for means of transport allowing speeds within the range of 500-600 kph. The competition in this regard has already started, and it is extremely important to assure that Europe has its own relevant technology. From this standpoint, magrail can be also considered as a European answer for Chinese ultrahigh-speed maglevs.” “Another important point to consider is the impact of the magrail solution is the flexibility in the transport supply adjustment. As is clear from the study, the solution has the potential to change the sector and has many undeniable advantages, such as increased speed, reduced emissions from the transport sector (namely from air and road transport), low costs, and availability. The benefit of magrail that is not raised in the discussions is much more frequent operations for passengers or increased operational capacity for rail operators. The accelerations and decelerations and tailor-made signalling system should allow running the pods with high frequencies” adds Wojciech Gaweda, Director of Transport Analysis Department at IDOM. Magrail wins the trust of investors Nevomo is currently in the middle of the third round of their equity crowdfunding campaign on one of the leading European equity investment platforms, Seedrs. Already in the first 5 days of the campaign, the company has achieved its investment target. So far EUR 1,1 mln over 750 investors is secured. Funds will mainly serve to conduct full-scale tests of key magrail components and to prepare for pilot implementation, as well as for new R&D and to continue IP protection.

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Why traveling by Train is Environmentally Friendly? A typical train line can carry 50,000 people per hour. Compare this with a freeway lane, which can move only 2,500 people per hour. When contrasting motor transport with rail, external costs, noise, air pollution, accidents, and infrastructure deterioration, and congestion are far lower on trains than using a private vehicle.

Rachel Shalom Sr. Data Scientist Dell Technologies

ail transport is the most environment-friendly way to travel. The greenhouse effect of gas emissions per kilometer on railway transport is 80% less than cars. In some countries, less than 3% of all transport gas emissions come from trains. The only methods more environmentally friendly than trains are walking and cycling. There are many reasons why choosing to travel by train is environmentally friendly and we would like to share these with you!

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Noise pollution – Why choosing to travel by train is environmentally friendly Noise pollution is the adverse effect of noise on both humans and animals. It is a direct result of poor urban planning. Problems from noise pollution date back to ancient Rome! Today, noise pollution from cars can cause damage to people’s psychological state. Symptoms include hypertension, high-stress levels, tinnitus, sleep disturbance, and other harmful effects. Currently, there are measures to limit the impact of roadway noise. measures include noise barriers, limiting vehicle speeds, changing roadway texture, as well as traffic controls that enable smooth vehicle flow. This means that cars in the traffic control system will need to use their brakes and acceleration less. The train is environmentally friendly and that is critical. India is seeing sales of cars increasing on an annual basis. China is predicted to have 300 million cars on the

METRO RAIL TODAY JUNE 2021

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY SPECIAL

Trains or planes – why choosing to travel by train is environmentally friendly A key important item when comparing trains to planes is that planes need to use an incredible amount of fuel for both takeoff and landing. Also, when people travel by plane, they tend to get to the airport by car. This adds to the CO2 emissions for their journey. This makes taking an intercity train a no-brainer for the environment. road by 2030. Aviation and ship travel are also adding to global CO2 emissions. It appears that out of all the modes of transport, only trains are keeping emissions low and sustainable for the future. Electric and Hybrid cars are obviously better for the environment than traditional cars, but the problem today is that these cars are too expensive to be sold at a level that will balance out the negative consequences of cars. Diesel trains and electric trains There is a difference between diesel trains and electric trains. Electric trains emit 20-35% less carbon than diesel trains. A train is environmentally friendly especially Electric trains that are powered by renewable energy and offer carbon-free journeys. Emissions from trains in Europe will reduce by a further 50% by 2030. These figures are great since trains account for 8.5% of all travel activity.

There have been some recent developments, particularly for people traveling for business who are informed by travel agents of the carbon impact of their flights. Also, aside from the environment, it is very difficult to reach city centers by car, whereas, if you are on a train, you have direct access to the metropolitan centers. This, more often than not, also means that is much faster to travel by train than any other method. In conclusion, a train is environmentally friendly and the most environment-friendly way to travel and also provides convenience for people traveling for both business and pleasure. The increase in cars on the road means that congestion and pollution are on the increase and trains are the transport answer to protect the environment. ***

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URBAN RAIL AND EQUIPMENT BUSINESS SHOW 2021 1 JUNE, 2021 – 31 JULY, 2021 | ONLINE A Mega Virtual Show for Railway Industry

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Urban Transport News is pleased to announce a Mega Virtual Show for Railway Industry at a time of unprecedented disruption. The Covid-19 crisis has impacted passenger rail operations, placed intense pressure on freight supply chains and delayed project developments around the world. There is never been a more important time for the global rail industry to come together and learn how to survive and thrive in a post-Covid-19 world. The first of its kind, this 24-hour virtual exhibition will showcase how private players and railway operators are innovating to endure and accelerating their digital transformation journeys to keep operations on track. We’ll be broadcasting presentations and live interactive sessions from leading railway industry execs across the world. Join our mega virtual show from anywhere at any time.

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INDUSTRY EVENT CALENDER 2021

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February 22-25

SmartRail

London, UK

February 24-26

International Railway Summit

Berlin, Germany

February 24

Rail Business Awards

London, UK

March 3-5

Eurasia Rail

Konya, Turkey

April 20-21

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Rail and Metro Infrastructure 2021

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Transport Security Congress

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October 11

2nd Rail Infra and Mobility Business Awards 2021

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October 12-13

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October 18-20

SmartMetro

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October 29-31

Urban Mobility India Conference & Expo

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November 9-10

MOVE

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2nd Rail Infra and Mobility Business Awards 2021

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METRO RAIL TODAY MAGAZINE Issue

Special Story

Featured

Apr 2021

History of Metro Railways in India: Trams to Modern Metro

Development of Metro Rail Projects in Uttar Pradesh

Major components of Rolling Stock (Metro Rail)

Role of Development Finance Institutions (DFI) in Urban Railways

May 2021

Indegenisation in Metro Railways: Indian Vs Foreign Players

Development of Metro Rail Projects in Delhi-NCR

Heat Ventilation & AirConditioning (HVAC) system

Cool Reflections for Overheating Metros in Summer seasons

Jun 2021

Need of High Speed Rail (HSR) and Hyperloop Train in India

Progress report on Mumbai & Navi Mumbai Metro Project

Signalling & Telecom, Train Control, CBTC Technology

Role of Ministry and UMTAs in developing Urban Rail Transit

Jul 2021

Development of Metro Rail Projects in India: In depth Analysis

Metro Rail Projects in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka

Role of Machinery & Plants in operation of Metro Rail systems

Public-Private-Partnership in developing Urban Railways

Aug 2021

Latest Innovation in Urban Rail Transit Systems

Metro Rail Projects in Bihar and West Bengal

Rolling Stock and Coach Manufacturing Plants

Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat Scheme in Metro Railways

Sep 2021

Role of Construction Equipment in development of Metro Rail project

Development of Metro Rail Projects in Maharashtra

Role of Digitalization and BIM Technology in Urban Railways

Role of Steel and Cement Industries in Urban Railways

Oct 2021

Future of Regional Rail Transit System (RRTS)

Metro Rail Projects in Madhya Pradesh

SCADA, Traction and Propulsion Equipment

Role of Foreign Funding Institutions in developing Urban Rail Transit

Nov 2021

Future of Light Rail Transit System (LRTS) like Metrolite, MetroNeo

Delhi Metrolite and Nashik Metro Neo Project

AFC, Ticketing & Contactless Payment System

Future of Consultancy Business in Urban Railways

Dec 2021

Role of Suburban Rail in Metropolitan Cities

Metro Rail Projects Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir

Role of IoT, 5G and Automation in Urban Rail

Life Cycle and Cost Analysis of Metro Rail System Projects

Jan 2022

Comparative Study on Metro and other modes of Public Transport

Metro Rail Projects in Andhra Pradesh & Telangana

Importance of specialised Training for Metro projects

Year End Review 2021, Progress Report on India & World Metro

Feb 2022

Future of Mono Rail and Urban Trams in India

Special Report on Kolkata Tram and Mumbai Monorail

Train Surveillance and Security Systems

Business Opportunities in Rail & Metro sectors

Mar 2022

Hydrogen Fuel and Green Metro Systems

Metro Rail projects in Gujarat

Pneumatic and Mechanical Equipment

Rail & Metro Budget 2022 (Analysis) /Women in Urban Rail

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Metro Rail Today June 2021

Articles inside

Steve Jones Sales Director, MIDEL, Singapore 38 Ashok Menghani Business Leader, Schneider Electric, Singapore

Construction Updates

Tender Watch

Round Up