Metro Rail Today October 2022

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

Dr. Richa Chowdhary Professor University of Delhi, New Delhi

Keshav Kumar Rail, MRTS & Transit Expert, Gurugram

Dr. Vivek Vaidyanathan Urban Transport Scientist & Principal Consultant, Steer, Bengaluru

Dr. Surabhi Singh Professor

Bajaj Institute of Management & Research, Noida

Ar. Priyanka Kumar Urban Planner Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board

Karuna Gopal Smart Cities Advisor Foundation for Futuristic Cities, Hyderabad

Today

transport

institutions to ensure

on its path

Dr. Valavan Amudhan Public Transport Expert Director MRTC Chennai

Sudhanshu Mani, IRSME Rail Innovation Expert Ex GM/ICF, Indian Railways

MC Chauhan, IRSEE Railway Expert

Chairman KMRC, Ex. GM/NCR, Indian Railways

Mass Rapid Transit systems (MRTS) such as the Metro Rail facilitate quick, safe and easy movement of people and promote economic activities, social equity, and an enhanced quality of life for the people. Owing to the possibility of seamlessly traversing underground, over ground (viaducts) or at grade (on surface), the metro rail system connects congested areas with the rest of the city, thus allowing dissipation of the congestion as people reduce the usage of personal transport like cars

On the economic side, MRTS facilitate equalisation of property values across their influence zone Small businesses and start ups can extend the forward and backward linkages far more efficiently, through the MRTS. At the same time, MRTS enhances the overall

and enables less influential segment of the society to participate in the growing economic activities For instance, women can reach jobs that are at a greater distance, as metro would provide them safe and quick mode of travel between home and work

Mr. Vikas

of

Director,

Mr Sudhanshu Mani, Former

Factory, Chennai and Mr Mike

Chief

Officer, Bahwan Cybertek

Mamta

Vinod

Khushboo

Chennai Bangalore Ahmedabad

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH

Hyderabad

Kanpur

Lucknow

Nagpur

at

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH

MPMRCL to start trial run on 5.9 km Indore metro corridor by September 2023

The metro trial run on the 5 9 km long stretches of Indore Metro's Ring Line (Yellow Line) will be commenced by September 2023 This information was shared by Shri Nikunj Shrivsatava, Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) during a review meeting held with public representatives and local administration last month “The progress of the Indore Metro Rail project is good We are confident that we will conduct the trial run on the 5 9 high priority corridors by September next year,” said Shrivastava

The Central Government Cabinet gave its nod for the construction of the Phase 2 of the Kochi Metro Rail project, which will cover a total distance of 11 17 km with 11 stations The approval was received just one week after laying the foundation stone of project by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 1st September 2022 The funding pattern of the Phase 2 project includes Govt of India Equity Rs 338.75 crore (20%), Govt. of Kerala Equity Rs 338.75 crore (20%), and Loan from Bilateral/Multilateral agencies Rs 1,016 24 crore (60%)

The Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (UPMRC) today sent the revised detailed project report of the proposed East West Corridor of Lucknow Metro Rail Project to the Uttar Pradesh Government cabinet for review and approval. According to the revised DPR, the total length of the East West Corridor from Charbagh to Vasant Kunj will be 11.165 km. Of which, 4.286 km section will be elevated and the remaining 6 879 km will be underground A total of 12 metro stations (7 underground and 5 elevated) will be built on this corridor

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today carried inspection of under construction sites of Sabarmati Multimodal Transport Hub and Ahmedabad HSR Station of Mumbai Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor Project Interacting with the media, he said that the work of these High Speed Rail stations will be completed by next year The 508 km Mumbai Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor will connect Ahmedabad (in Gujarat) to Mumbai (in Maharashtra) with 12 High Speed Rail Stations

Railway Minister reviews the progress of Sabarmati and Ahmedabad Bullet Train stations

Govt of India cabinet approves ₹1,957 crore Kochi Metro Phase 2 Project

DPR of ₹5,035 crore East-West Corridor of Lucknow Metro sent for cabinet approval

Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata group, is investing Rs 975 crore in Pune IT City Metro Rail Ltd, a special purpose vehicle that has won the contract to construct, operate and maintain Pune Metro Line 3 connecting Shivaji Nagar and Hinjewadi in the city Tata owns a 74% stake in Pune IT City Metro Rail Ltd; the rest is owned by Siemens Project Ventures The Rs 7,420 crore, the 23 km project is being financed through debt to equity of 1 8 times and the entire debt has been tied up, and the envisaged equity commitment is supported by Tata Sons

Platform screen doors installation started in priority section of Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor

The work of installation of the Platform Screen Doors (PSDs) at RRTS stations on the Delhi Ghaziabad Meerut RRTS corridor has been started It has been started from Guldhar RRTS station of the priority section In this process, various parts of platform screen doors such as automatic sliding doors, fixed door panels, platform end gates, emergency escape doors, and fixed screens are being installed on the platform Platform screen doors will be integrated with RRTS train doors and the ETCS Level 2 signaling system, resulting in train doors opening and closing simultaneously with platform screen doors.

CMRL to add 93 km another metro rail network in Chennai Metro Phase 2 project

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is set to add another 93 km network to the 118 9 km Phase 2 Project by extending its corridors 3, 4 and 5 The under construction Rs 61,843 crore Phase II project was planned with three corridors Corridor 3 with 45 8 km from Madhavaram to Siruseri, Corridor 4 covering Lighthouse and Poonamallee (26 1 km) and Corridor 5 connecting Madhavaram to Sholinganallur (47 0 km) Now, Corridor 4 will be extended till Parandur (50 km), Corridor 5 to Avadi through Thirumangalam and Mogappair (17 km), and Corridor 3 from Siruseri to Kilambakkam Bus Terminus via Kelambakkam (26 km)

Teltronic to provide broadband solutions for DelhiMeerut RRTS Corridor

Teltronic, a Spanish company specialised in the design and manufacture of critical communications solutions, has been selected by Alstom to supply and integrate the on board equipment, radio terminals and control centre solution that will provide Mission Critical Services MCX (MCPTT & MCData) for the Delhi to Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), a high speed commuter rail currently under construction that will link these two important Indian cities via an 82 kilometres rail corridor. Teltronic will provide its Control Centre solution, CeCoCo, with a total of ten operator stations

Tata Group to invest ₹975 crore in Pune IT City Metro Rail Ltd

Pilerne Goa based, Kineco Limited, a Company engaged in the design and manufacture of composite products & sub systems across diverse segments announced the launch of its proprietary New Gen Rail Product Portfolio for High Speed Trains under its newly conceived international brand “Kineco Global Rail” at the InnoTrans 2022 Expo, Berlin held from 20 23 September 2022. These new proprietary products have been designed and developed by Kineco’s in house Product Design & Development Centre, spearheaded by global experts of train technologies

Maha Metro tasked to prepare DPR for Aurangabad Metro Rail Project

The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha Metro) has been entrusted to prepare the detailed project report for the proposed Aurangabad Metro Rail Project in Maharashtra As part of the proposed project for which DPR is being prepared, two Metro sections Waluj to Shendra MIDC and Bidkin to Harsul are proposed to be constructed In fact given Maha Metro expertise in implementing infrastructure projects like RoB, RuB, other than Metro Rail Project, the organization has also been asked to prepare plan for Fly over, which will run parallel to Metro Track, as has been executed in Nagpur. Metro via duct and fly over will run parallel from Waluj to Shendra MIDC of Aurangabad

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Phase 1 of Ahmedabad Metro Rail project and took a metro ride from Kalupur station to Doordarshan Kendra metro station on 30th September 2022 On the second day of his Gujarat visit, the Prime Minister waved the green flag for the Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project The Prime Minister arrived at Kalupur Station after taking a ride in the brand new Vande Bharat Express 2.0 from Gandhinagar Station. The Prime Minister also witnessed a Metro Rail exhibition that was put up on the occasion

The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (Maha Metro) has submitted the detailed project report (DPR) after deciding to have the MetroNeo system on the High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR) in Pune It will be able to run the elevated Neo Metro on a circular route of 43 84 kilometres in the city which includes 45 stations The MetroNeo project could be completed in 2028 29 if it starts in December 2023 as planned This project will cost Rs 4,940 crores The DPR of the ‘HCMTR’ route has been submitted to the Pune Municipal Corporation for review and approval. According to the DPR, a 43.84 km stretch of the Metro Neo system is proposed. This will start from Bopodi and connect Vishrantwadi with 45 stations

GMRC opens 32 km Phase 1 corridors of Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project

Kineco launches ‘Kineco Global Rail’ with a Portfolio of Proprietary New Gen Rail Products

Maha Metro submits DPR of ₹4,940 crore, 44 km MetroNeo project for Pune

Mumbai Mumbai Meerut Kolkata Kochi Indore Delhi Chennai Bhopal

Pune Patna Nagpur

Agra Metro

Underground tunneling work started to construct 7 93 km tunnel section connecting the RBS College Ramp and Taj Mahal Ramp of the Project Apart from this, Signalling work gains momentum; signal systems being installed in Agra Metro Depot stabling line. Along with civil work, systems work is also being carried out at a rapid pace for timely completion of the project

Delhi Metro

The engineers of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Construction commenced construction work on underground Package DC09 of 23 622 km Silver Line (Aerocity Tughalakabad) After building a guide wall, they lowered the first reinforced cage to form the diaphragm wall (D wall) around Chhatarpur Station’s box, just east of the Chhatarpur Metro Station (Yellow Line)

Bangalore Metro

The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Vindhya (DZ671) recorded second tunnel breakthrough at Pottery Town Station for Reach 6 of Bangalore Metro Rail Project, Phase 2 This TBM was recommissioned in February 2022 to build the 906 702m Cantonment Pottery Town Station section’s south bound tunnel.

Chennai Metro

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin inaugurated the Chief Minster of Tamil Nadu, Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin inaugurated the first Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM S96) of Chennai Metro Phase II at Madhavaram Milk Colony Station on 13th October 2022 Tata Projects Ltd will construct the 9 km (total 18 km) twine tunnel under package TU 01 of Chennai Metro Phase 2 A total of 23 TBMs will be deployed to construct the underground sections of the entire corridors of Phase 2

Chinese construction company Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co Ltd (STEC) deployed its third Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM Sudarshan 4 3) and started tunneling for 2 093 km tunnels between Anand Vihar Station’s northern TBM Launch Shaft (chainage 12813 41) to Sahibabad UP Ramp (chainage 14907 00) for Delhi Meerut RRTS Corridor.

Besides this, construction of RRTS viaduct has also been completed for 25 km long stretch of the corridor including over 16 km of Priority Section Around 24 launching gantries (Tarini) have been installed to date at various locations to construct the viaducts expeditiously The viaduct of the entire priority section is almost complete, and all 5 stations are also being constructed expeditiously Dynamic testing of first RRTS train is also started in depot

Delhi Meerut RRTS

Indore Metro

The Engineers of URC Constructions on a sub contract from Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) launched the first segment for 10 927 km on MR10 Road Gandhi Nagar section (Package IN 03) of Indore Metro Rail Project. The 1st segment was cast in April 2022 with a top width of 8 5m, bottom width of 3 5m, and weighs approximately 37 MT and it was launched between Super Corridor 2 and Super Corridor 3 stations of the Ring Line Metro Corridor

Kolkata Metro

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) commenced mega girder launching for Majerhat Metro station of under construction Line 3 of Kolkata Metro Rail Project. 3 girders (6 pieces) and 4 cross girders were successfully erected by using a 140T crane and bogies on the night of 2/3 April, 2022 The platform has been dismantled for the placement of cranes and OHE modification was done

Apart from this, RVNL commenced mega girder launching for Majerhat Metro station of under construction Line 3 of Kolkata Metro Rail Project.

Kanpur Metro

The engineers of SAM India and Gulermak commenced tunneling on first 3 619 km underground stretch at Bada Chauraha Station for tunnelling between Chunniganj and Nayaganj of the 23 785 km Corridor 1 of Kanpur Metro Rail Project. For this, Tunnel Boring Machine naiknamed Nana & Tatya have been deployed by the contractor. Besides this, construction work also started on 2nd underground stretch (Kanpur Central Jhakarkati Transport Nagar) of Corridor 1 (IITK Naubasta) of the project

Mumbai Metro

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) achieved 41st Tunnel Breakthrough The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM 1239) nicknamed Tansa operated by Doğuş Soma JV arrived at Mumbai Central Station of the Mumbai metro Line 3 (Colaba Bandra SEEPZ).

This was TBM 1239’s 3nd (and final) breakthrough, and Doğuş Soma JV’s 5th of 6 breakthroughs planned for package UGC 03 (Worli Mumbai Central)’s tunnels Now, one breakthrough is pending on this Corridor

22.10.2022

M&P

M&P

Rolling

Manufacturing,

between Wimco Nagar

Meenambakkam

Civil Construction of UG Stations

19.09.2022 21.11.2022

Mezzanine

19.10.2022

24.09.2022 18.10.2022

Kolathur Junction, Srinivasa Nagar, Villivakkam

Entry/Exit,Ventilation

Signages

Villivakkam

Twin Bored

Terminus and Nathamuni

Earthmat

Architectural

23.12.2021 22.10.2022

CMRL

CMRL

ACTIVE TENDERS

Work Type Scope of Work Issue /Closing Date Authority

Civil Construction of Five (05) UG Stations at KMC(Kilpauk),Sterling Road, Nungambakkam, Gemini(Anna Flyover), Thousand Lights and Thousand Lights Cross Over Box and works other than Diaphragm wall of Two UG Stations at Royapettah Chetpet Metro in C3

Civil Construction of Three (03) Underground Stations at Adyar Depot, Indira Nagar and Taramani Road Junction Ramp and works other than Diaphragm wall of One Underground Station at Thiruvanmiyur Metro in Corridor 3 of CMRL Phase II Project

29.12.2021 20.10.2022

05.01.2022 14.10.2022

Consultancy Selection of Consultant for Preparation of Detailed Feasibility Study Report for Extension of Phase II network 16.09.2022 14.10.2022

Property Development Licensing of Kiosk Spaces at Selected Elevated and UG Metro Stations along Corridor 1 and 2 of Phase I and Extension 26.09.2022 10.10.2022

Rolling Stock Supply of Consumables for Chennai Metro Rail Limited Rolling stock maintenance activities 28.09.2022 25.10.2022

Consultancy Appointment of Consultant for Preparation of Feasibility Report and Identification of spaces for Development of Solar Power Plant at Chennai Metro Rail premises

29.09.2022 07.11.2022

Rolling Stock Supply Of Tools Required For Rolling Stock Maintenance Activity 30.09.2022 12.10.2022

CMRL

CMRL

CMRL

CMRL

CMRL

CMRL

CMRL

Work

FOTS Design, Manufacture, Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning of Fibre Optics Transmission System (FOTS) for 3 Priority Corridors of Phase IV of Delhi MRTS.

Horticulture Maintenance Contract of horticulture work from Janakpuri West to Nehru Enclave

Issue /Closing Date

02.09.2022 17.10.2022

27.09.2022 18.10.2022

27.09.2022 09.11.2022

PSD

06.09.2022 25.10.2022

PSD

07.09.2022 17.10.2022

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

ACTIVE TENDERS

Work Type Scope of Work Issue /Closing Date Authority

Track Annual Maintenance Contract of Track for Line 7 (Majlis Park Dead End to Shiv Vihar Dead End including Mukundpur Depot and Vinod Nagar Depot)

Property Development Licensing of Spaces for installation of Telecom Tower or Masts for Provision and Enhancement of Cellular Mobile Network at 20 Selected Metro Stations or Locations of DMRC Network on Various lines and Depots

13.09.2022 13.10.2022

15.09.2022 27.10.2022

Property Development Provisioning of Smart Prepaid Energy Meters for Property Development Clients at DMRC 15.09.2022 06.10.2022

M&P Operation and maintenance of 15 Nos. STP installed at various stations of Line 8 between Janakpuri West to Kalandi Mandir 19.09.2022 19.10.2022

Electrical ITC of Electrical work (Wiring, Cabling, lighting, DB) for New OCC (Operational Control Centre) and Server rooms at 2nd and 3rd floor, OCC Building, Metro Bhawan

Horticulture Development and maintenance of horticulture works at Inderlok 5, Kirti Nagar 5 to Brig. Hosiyar Singh Metro stations at Line 5 corridor (For three Years).

Civil Part Design and Construction of Elevated Viaduct and four Elevated Stations viz. Keshopur, Paschim Vihar, Peeragarhi and Mangolpuri of Janakpuri West to R.K. Ashram Corridor (Extn. of Line 8) of Phase IV of Delhi MRTS.

E&M Rate contract for rectification of NOVEC and CO2 gas panel flooding system at Line 2 (HCC SPBI) UG stations (RCK, BRKR, MDHS) of L 3 for 3 years.

Civil Maintenance of Civil Works from Yamuna Bank to Ramesh Nagar Metro Station including Indraprastha RSS in Line 3 Section.

M&P Inspection Service for Track and Rail Wheel Interface Monitoring (TRWIM) of Line 2 (Yellow line Huda City Center to Samaypur Badli ) and Line 3 and 4 ( Blue Line Dwarka Sector 21 to Noida Electronic city and Yamuna Bank to Vaishali).

Electrical Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning of electrical aluminium cables for Rectification of Tunnel and Portal Lighting Circuit at Airport Express Line

E&M Design, Fabrication and Erection of 02 nos. Steel Staircase and other Miscellaneous Civil and Firefighting Works for obtaining Fire Safety Certificate from DFS at Delhi Metro Rail Academy, Shastri Park, New Delhi

E&M Installation of Elevated Fire Pipeline including maintenance of fire pipeline at 11 stations and Depot 1 and Depot 2 of Rapid Metro and installation and maintenance of Electromagnetic Water Flow meter with mechanical water meter as per GMDA

21.09.2022 12.10.2022

21.09.2022 12.10.2022

22.09.2022 03.11.2022

22.09.2022 13.10.2022

23.09.2022 25.10.2022

23.09.2022 25.10.2022

26.09.2022 26.10.2022

26.09.2022 26.10.2022

26.09.2022 17.10.2022

S&TC Comprehensive Annual Maintenance Contract of 2x3 kVA Hi Rel make UPS installed in DMRC for a period for 03 (three) Years 26.09.2022 17.10.2022

M&P Hiring of Sky Lift and Cranes for miscellaneous works anywhere in entire DMRCs network in Delhi and NCR for 03 years 28.09.2022 01.11.2022

Traction Repairing of Microprocessor cards/ Integrated Circuits of RTU, Relay and Breakers of Traction Department in DMRC 28.09.2022 19.10.2022

Civil Maintenance contract for crack repair of Piers, viaducts and other structures of Line 3(NWD to NECC and L 4 section) 28.09.2022 27.10.2022

Electrical Rewinding of Three phase/Single phase Motors used in train auxiliary system and M and Ps of Rolling Stock depots 28.09.2022 27.10.2022

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

TENDERS

Work

Civil

Joint system at

in Line 6 (LJPN BVHM)

Rolling

M&P

29.09.2022 29.10.2022

Bhawan 29.09.2022 20.10.2022

Trains of DMRC.. 30.09.2022 22.10.2022

of Fire Extinguishers

30.09.2022 22.10.2022

30.09.2022 31.10.2022

JAIPUR

S&TC

S&TC

16.09.2022 16.10.2022

29.09.2022 09.11.2022

26.09.2022 20.10.2022

30.09.2022 21.10.2022

KANPUR

17.09.2022

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

DMRC

JMRC

JMRC

JMRC

JMRC

ACTIVE TENDERS

Work Type Scope of Work Issue /Closing Date Authority

Display Manufacturing, Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning of Signage and Graphics for 05 Nos. of Elevated Stations, 07 Nos. of Underground Stations for corridor 1, 04 Nos. of Elevated Stations and 04 Nos. of Underground Stations for corridor 2

Solar Design, Engg. Supply, Storage, Civil work, Erection of suitable structure, I T and C of the 2 MWp Rooftop Solar PV project including O and M of the project in RESCO Model for a period of 25 yrs on Depot and Stations of Lucknow Metro Project of UPMRCL

AFC Design supply, installation, testing and commissioning of AFC system by Re Engineering the existing Lucknow Metro closed loop system for implementation of Open Loop EMV NCMC card and QR Code ticketing.

NAGPUR METRO

Solar Survey, Design, Engineering, Manufacture, Supply, Storage, Civil Work, Erection, Testing & Commissioning of 6.0 Mwp Rooftop Mounted Solar pv Projects Under Resco Model Including Operation and Comprehensive Maintenance (O&M) For A Period Of 25 Years After Commissioning At 13 Nos. Stations, two Depot Buildings and Track Wall of Nagpur Metro Rail Project.

17.09.2022 19.10.2022

21.07.2022 11.10.2022

21.07.2022 11.10.2022

UPMRCL

UPMRCL

26.08.2022 14.10.2022

UPMRCL

Telecom Annual Contract for Modern Communication Stations and website Maintenance for Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited 26.09.2022 15.10.2022

Traction Inspection and Maintenance of Various Assets (Track, Viaduct , Stations , Civil Structures , Over Head Equipment (Traction), Power Supply Installation, Electrical & Mechanical Systems) of Nagpur Metro Rail Infrastructure of Maha Metro Covering all Stations & Viaducts Over 39 Km Route Length , two Rolling Stock Depots at Mihan & Hingna and all Other Buildings / Structures of Maha Metro For A Period of 4 Years.

RS&TC Comprehensive Maintenance Works (Preventive/ Corrective/ Break Down Etc) of Various Assets of Rolling Stock, CBTC Signalling Systems, Telecommunication Systems And Lifts & Escalators Including Consumables, Tools & Tackles But Excluding Spares For a Period of 5 Years, for Phase 1 Of Nagpur Metro Rail Project of Maha Metro.

18.06.2022 17.10.2022

NMRCL

30.09.2022 11.10.2022

NMRCL

NMRCL

NMRCL

Work

Internet Licensing Of Spare Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) and space for Fibre Cable as IP1 Player at Elevated Viaduct and Underground Tunnel on Lease for 20 Years in Pune Metro Rail Project

Issue /Closing Date Authority

17.09.2022 17.10.2022

MMRCL

LUCKNOW

Work Type Scope of Work Issue /Closing Date Authority

TENDER RESULT

Project Work Type Scope of Work

Ahmedabad Metro Civil Construction of 7.553 kms elevated viaduct and 7 nos. of stations (incl. E&M, Architectural Finishing, Roofing, Plumbing, Signage, etc.) from Sector 1 to Mahatma Mandir (ch. 31945.443m to 39498.302m, Package C3) in connection with Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project, Phase 2

Chennai Metro Electrical Design, manufacturing, supply, installation, testing, training and commissioning of RSS, ASS, SCADA, OHE and Switching Stations for CMRL Phase II Corridor 3 (Sholinganallur to SIPCOT 2) and Corridor 5 (From CMBT to Sholinganallur)

Chennai Metro Track Supply of 60E1 Profile, 1080 Grade (Head Hardened) Rails Conforming to IRS T 12 2009 (with latest amendments for CMRL Phase II Project for Corridor 3&5.

Winner Value (₹) Status

Dilip Buildcon Ltd. 723.45 cr. Lowest Bidder

Linxon India 360.62 cr. Lowest Bidder

Mitsui & Co.Ltd 163.30 cr. Awarded

Project Work Type Scope of Work Pre-bid Meeting Authority

Bangalore Metro Rolling Stock Design, Manufacture, Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning of 318 nos. of Standard Gauge Metro Cars and training of personnel including comprehensive maintenance up to fifteen (15) years under Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase 2, 2A and 2B

28.10.2022 11:00 AM

BMRCL

Bangalore Metro Property Development Award license for Operating Parking lots at Reach 1,2,3,4 & UG Metro Stations 14.10.2022 3:00 PM

Chennai Metro Consultancy Appointment of Consultant for Preparation of Feasibility Report and Identification of spaces for Development of Solar Power Plant at Chennai Metro Rail premises

Delhi Metro Civil Providing and fixing, Repair/Replacement of Expansion Joint system at Viaduct and Station Area and other Miscellaneous Works in Line 6 (LJPN BVHM)

Delhi Metro Property Development Licensing Of Built up, Bare, and Parking Space for commercial utilization as Warehouse/ Storage purpose at Badli Depot of Line 2

Mumbai Ahmedabad Bullet Train

Civil Construction of Tunnelling Works for Double Line High Speed Railway using TBM and NATM between Mumbai Underground Station at BKC (MAHSR Km. 0.773) and Shilphata (MAHSR Km. 21.150) in the State of Maharashtra.

13.10.2022 11:30 AM

11.10.2022 11:30 AM

11.10.2022 11:00 AM

21.10.2022 11:00 AM

BMRCL

CMRL

DMRC

DMRC

NHSRCL

Challenges

Technology: The story of Metro Rail in City of

he master plan prepared by Metropolitan Transport Project in 1971 envisaged a network of 97 50 km consisting of three North South corridors for city of Calcutta of which three were selected for detailed planning. These three lines were Dumdum Tollygunge, Bidhannager Ramrajatala and Dakshineswar Thakurpukur The 29th December, 1972 offered the kolkattans a historical moment to rejoice as Dumdum Tollygunge corridor was selected for implementation of first metro project in India When the first commercial service on 24th October 1984 commenced on the 3 4 km section between Esplanade and Bhowanipur, it was a matter of great pride for Indian Railways. Integral Coach Factory had indigenously designed, developed and built Metro Rolling stock deploying DC DC technology for propulsion with third rail current collection system at 750V dc Other sections were added gradually and entire section from Dumdum to Mahanayak Uttamkumar (Tollygung) was commissioned on 27th September 1995 The process went through a lot of learning, experimentation and exploration in setting up of first metro system in India and success of which paved the way for Delhi metro system. Further, the system was extended up to Kavisubhas (New Garia) on 7 th October 2010 and up to Noapara on 10th July 2013 Metro Railway has daily average ridership of 6,66,000 (2019 20) with peak being 9,22,00 (during durga puja) and 195 3 million ridership annually recording a steady growth of 3 69% over its 31 36 km network on Line 1

New Projects

During 2008 2013 Kolkata Metro gained significance again after successful completion of Delhi Metro which generated huge demand for public transport in Kolkata and as a result large number of projects comprising of extensions of existing line and construction of new lines were sanctioned by Ministry of Railways which had an outlay of massive investment to the tune of Rs 16000 crores KMRCL was also transferred to MOR from WB govt in 2012 KMRCL has now a restructured holding with74% equity with MoR and 26% with MUD. With these projects, the Metro system in Kolkata got a massive fourfold planned increase to 138 Km with 102 stations from existing 32 25 Km /26 stations in broad gauge and 9 1 km /8 stations in standard gauge The projects are:

S.No.

• Automatic Train Stop (ATS) system which will automatically apply the brakes in case of human failure

• Automatic train operation (ATO) with the driver acting as the train supervisor (optional).

• A public address system is provided on the trains to announce approaching stations

• A central dispatcher can contact any of the train crew and also make important announcements directly to passengers over the system

With all these features, the design and manufacturing process of these cars to a very high standard of reliability and safety had been a challenge. This was achieved with complete indigenous effort without any foreign collaboration or technology transfer The 8 car fleet was capable of carrying 2356 passengers These rakes were in service till 2021

Air conditioned rakes (2010 2013)

1. Howrah Tehgoria (Standard Gauge) 14.67 km Rs. 48,745 crore

2. Diamond Park Joka Esplanade (Broad Guage) 18.72 km Rs. 2,913 crore

09

13

3. Noapara Barasat via NSC Bose International Airport 18.50 km Rs. 2,581 crore 2010 11

4. Baranagar Barrackpore 12.45 km Rs 2,069.6 crore 2010 11

5. Kavi Subhas Biman Bandar 29.87 km Rs 3,951 crore 2010 11

These projects have various diverse requirement of rolling stock as the track gauges are different. These include Standard gauge rakes for line 2, new BG rakes with third rail arrangement for line 3to 6 and the additional/replacement rakes for Line 1 which is broad gauge with 750Vdc third rail

Development of Rolling stock

The rolling stocks had been specifically designed and manufactured in India and 18 rakes of 8 car composition with DC DC propulsion between 1981 91 for the Kolkata Metro Underground Railway System (first Metro system of India) were sourced from ICF, Chennai

The tunnel size could not accommodate BG dimension of rolling stock requiring a smaller car body Therefore, coaches were designed with broad gauge bogie (having lesser diameter wheels) for ease of transportation by rail and car body similar to meter gauge dimension Out of these 18 rakes, 9 rakes were provided with conventional DC propulsion system (Electrics) from BHEL, Bhopal and rest 9 rakes with Electrics from NGEF, Bangalore The special features incorporated were

• Traction power supply through third rail current collection system.

• Automatic door opening/closing and continuous monitoring of the transit

From October 2010, the process of phasing out of the current non ac class of rolling stock had started and 7 rakes were replaced by new air conditioned cars Additionally 6 rakes were also procured for augmentation of service in the new section These rakes were provided with state of art features at par with modern metro system except the propulsion which is DC DC for ease of maintenance and operation The 13 state of the art AC rakes have the features:

• Microprocessor controlled HVAC units in the trains

• Fully automatic and digital operation of the train including emergency braking in the event of human failure or an emergency.

• TIMS with HMI displays inside the motormen's cabins for indication and trouble shooting

• Maximum speed of 80 km/h and working speed is 55 km/h in tunnels

• Passenger information system with Multilingual Electronic LED sign boards both inside and outside the train

• Interior with Aluminum composite panels, Longitudinal polycarbonate seats, handholds, sealed gangway

• Automatic Electrically controlled doorway

Future Fleets

The other issue which was putting pressure on Metro then was the mixed fleet having both air conditioned coaches and non air conditioned coaches, passengers aspiring early induction of rest of the fleet of air conditioned coaches. In anticipation of completion of projects, plan for augmentation of the fleet also had been devised to meet the demand of Metro Railway with

number of rolling stock projects A number of rolling stock projects i e , 14 trains sanctioned in 2012, 26 trains sanctioned in 2017 for augmentation in the existing section and new sections, 24 trains sanctioned in 2021 22 and another 37 trains for new sections likely to be commissioned in 2023 24

Choice of technology for new Rolling stocks

Limitation of technology, reliability and maintainability issues associated with fleet of Metro stocks at Kolkata demanded up gradation of propulsion technology as well as improved mechanicals with better manufacturing technology of coaches This technology up gradation for metro rolling stock envisaged IGBT based three phase propulsion system with fully suspended asynchronous drives, advanced features of regenerative braking & brake blending, train control and management system for propulsion & control and fully austenitic stainless steel design with appropriate bogies for adoption of fully suspended motor for metro application. Apart from ICF, metro rolling stocks have been ordered on M/s BEML (14 rakes) for standard gauge East west corridor and on M/s CRRC Dalian (14 rakes) for existing broad gauge North South corridors Integral Coach Factory has supplied 19 rakes of the new generation rolling stock since 2017 onwards and further committed to supply another 60 rakes

The main Technological advantages of new generation coaches:

• IGBT based converter for V3F control for Traction motors are highly reliable and step less precise control which improves passenger comfort

• TCMS provides integrated control for propulsion and diagnostic features

• Electronic brake control deploys brake blending features with combination braking of regeneration, dynamic and friction brakes

• Reduction of loss of electrical energy spent on starting resistors in case of DC DC traction in 750v dc third rail system during starting and braking

• Also keeps the tunnel cool as heat dissipation in starting resistance is eliminated and during braking is minimized Thus, results in extra saving as less electrical energy will be spent now in cooling the tunnels.

• Less number of motor coaches in a train i.e. 4 MCs in three phase rake compared to 6 in conventional rake require further less maintenance

• Reduces maintenance downtime as equipment such as Camshaft Controller, Electro

• Pneumatic contactors, DC traction motors, SBRs where maximum time is now spent on maintenance will be eliminated

• These trains will have specific energy consumption of 60kwh/1000PTKM against 74kwh/1000PTKM of existing air conditioned rakes

Propulsion overview

The rakes comprise of motor coaches, trailer coaches and driving coaches. In Motor coaches, third rail current collectors (TRCC) provide the link for 750V DC to both Traction Converters through circuit breakers (HSCB) In this arrangement two independent traction converters one for each bogie convert 750v DC into three phase supply for traction motors Physically each Traction Converter (i e 1 and 2) is mounted in individual enclosure Both Traction Converter units are identical in all respects i e construction and operation These are forced air cooled. Each Traction Converter consists of a 3 phase full bridge inverter with IGBTs as active switching devices

The control function in Traction Converters is achieved by Traction Control Computers Traction Control Computer communicates with TCMS over a dual redundant CAN network for Control command and data transfer The control of traction motors are achieved in three stages namely constant torque mode, constant power mode and constant power* speed mode. In constant torque region the v/f ratio is maintained constant irrespective of speed In constant power region power (T*N) is maintained constant which means the torque (T) varies reciprocal to speed (1/N) In the next mode I e , constant power*speed mode the torque varies reciprocal to square of the speed(1/N²) as motor enters into field weakening zone and thus power reduces with increase in speed in this zone

Train Control and Management System (TCMS)

Train control and management system coordinates various control function of the train TCMS is heart of the system and it consists of various sub systems. TCMS controls complete operation of train in various modes of operation like Traction, Regenerative and Pneumatic Braking, Door operation, Coach lights, Air Compressor, Air Conditioning, etc PA PIS system also consists of various sub systems for Passenger message Display and facilitates for Audio Announcements both pre reordered and by train operator The system provides interface for individual control systems such as Traction converter computer, door control system, brake control system (BECU), PIS and HVAC system thus achieves the integrated train control functions. The system has inbuilt diagnostics system for all fault conditions.

Car Interior

A better indoor ambience adds to travelling experience of passengers even if it is for a short period of journey. Therefore, with every new project the innovative concepts are shaped into reality with due considerations of reliability and maintainability The air conditioned rakes ( since, 2010) were provided with state of art interiors with aluminum composite panels, PVC flooring, poly carbonate longitudinal seats, polycarbonate handholds; SS grab poles with star design and fully automatic electrical control for doorways and passenger talk back system. The choice of interiors for new fleet also range from aluminum composite material to FRP as used in other metro rakes, LED lighting and LCD displays for PIS instead of LED displays apart from other advanced passenger amenity features of metro systems

Technological trend in Rolling Stock for Kolkata Metro

Year

Therefore, the entire regenerated energy need to be absorbed within the system at 750V dc network for traction and auxiliary energy. Though the operation design model of metro system envisages absorption of regenerated energy within the system during normal operation conditions, many metro systems also deploy energy storage system along with substations to temporarily store regenerated energy which is surplus during truncated service scenario Such an option in new sections if planned would definitely prove fruitful even during normal service scenario to meet peak starting loads too Metro may also consider to extend these new concepts as Aluminum third rail and storage system in its existing system i.e., Line 1 to make the system energy efficient. Signaling System: The signalling infrastructure of existing metro rail network has undergone significant upgrade with three aspect Automatic Signalling system from Kavi Subhash to Noapara Station and the entire track section is controlled by Multi Section Digital Axle Counter (MSDAC)system having facility for monitoring all the MSDACs centrally Route Relay Interlocking system is provided at Tollygunge Car shed and Kavi Subhash Car shed also. Electronic Interlocking (EI) is provided at Noapara Car

Manufacturer ICF ICF ICF BEML CRRC, Dalian, PRC

Propulsion system BHEL, NGEF BHEL Medha Servo Mitsubishi Toshiba

Fleet Size 18, 8 car Rakes (All rakes retired by 2021)

13, 8 Car Rakes 18, 8 car Rakes 8, 8 car with CRRC Times Electric (under testing)

14, 6 car Rakes (East West Metro SG section)

14, 8 car Rakes (Prototype rake under trial)

Technology for Fixed installations

The present third rail current collection system offers standard 52 kg rail for current distribution system. Due to high resistance of steel rail, there are losses in the system The new technology for new section envisages Aluminum third rail which is a superior conductor compared to steel rail Generally, power supply agencies do not intend to channelize regenerated electrical energy in traction system due to regeneration in to their system as the supply to the substations are obtained at lower grid unlike 25kv system where the substations are connected at 110/220KV grid.

depot for smooth inflow & outflow of empty rakes Dual detection through FTGS Audio Frequency Track circuit (AFTC) are used for improving reliability of track vacancy detection system from Kavi Subhash to Dumdum Station as well as all Car sheds. Real Time Data Acquisition System Data Loggers are installed at all the stations Further, train protection and warning system( TPWS) has been commissioned in the section for safety upgrade which can prevent passing Signal at DANGER in 2013 14

As latest technology for train control, the newer sections have been planned to have communication based train control system (CBTC). With these systems the Kolkata metro railway

will have the up to date technology for signalling system at par with modern metros

Conclusion

As metro system in Kolkata is expanding its network to almost to four fold there have been a big leap in to arena of latest technology to source the future indigenous new technology rakes, new distribution system and state of art signaling system The new generation fleet has been more energy efficient due to light weight of coaches & regeneration feature of propulsion system and has reduced heat load in the tunnel in the absence of starting resistances & reduced dependency on dynamic braking Further, with aluminum cars, if planned, there will be weight reduction and new technology materials such as SiC for semiconductors such as IGBT and PMSM for traction motors, it would be possible to achieve enhanced energy efficiency. The aluminum third rails and energy storage in substations further will enhance the energy efficiency of Metro railway system by harnessing regenerated energy CBTC system will ensure maximizing throughput, reducing headway, safe passage and allow automatic train operation (ATO) etc , The low specific energy new generation rakes and efficient fixed installation will be low carbon

and have

to substantial

Author is presently working as Principal Chief Electrical Engineer at Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai. He is heading the Electrical Engineering Department and responsible for design and development of New Semi High Speed Trainsets (Vande Bharat 2.0), EMUs and other rolling stock for Indian Railways.

With the economy recovering and businesses back to normal, we at Urban Infra Group are happy to announce the revised dates of the 2nd edition of Urban Infra Business Summit & Awards 2022 The event is now scheduled on 7th November 2022 at India International Centre, New Delhi, India It is specially designed for the Railways, Metro, Transportation and Urban Infrastructure sectors and celebrating 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence with the Industry

Under the Urban Infra Business Leadership Awards 2022, we will honour and recognize industry leaders (individuals and corporates) for their extraordinary contribution in developing major infrastructure projects in country through their innovative ideas, products, and services

The entire program will be hosted by Urban Infra Group (Urban Infra Communication Pvt. Ltd., Urban Transport News & Metro Rail Today) in association with leading industry players engaged in developing India’s Urban Infrastructure The Urban Infra Group is working in the field of PR, Media, Research & Advertising since 2017 and is sole publisher of two leading B2B magazines Urban Transport Infrastructure and Metro Rail Today. Its magazines have over 10 millions readership worldwide and gained trust in the Industry as best referral publications for authentic & up to date project information, data analysis, market research and strategy formulation

Working closely with government bodies, transport planning departments, planning commissions, policy makers, private companies, regulators, social enterprises and corporate/trade associations, our experience has seen us assemble wide ranging coalitions and position our clients at the forefront of the debate, protecting them in times of crisis, raising their profile and helping them enter new markets

We know that industry

infrastructure sectors need to establish

that stand the test of time This

E SREEDHARAN

Advisor, DMRC

VINAY KUMAR SINGH

SUDHANSHU MANI

RAKESH GAUR Chief Executive, SAE Towers MANJULA V Commissioner, DULT

DR. (AR.) NAMRITA KALSI

Architect, DMRC

SRIVASTAVA

(Heritage), Railway Board

BRIJESH DIXIT

Maha Metro

Mumbai Ahmedabad HSR

508.0 NHSRCL

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

Interview with VIKAS KUMAR

MD, DMRC

The growth story of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been deeply impacted by the pandemic as the organization struggles to bring its business back to the pre pandemic era. In an interview with ET Infra, DMRC Managing Director Vikas Kumar talks about its dwindling ridership, shrinking revenue and other challenges being faced by the corporation

What is the operating ratio of DMRC at present?

It is over 100, therefore we will not be operationally surplus. Pre Covid our operating ratio had reached 75. DMRC’s operating profit was Rs 865 79 crore in 2019 20, while it incurred an operating loss of Rs 1761 23 crore in 2020 21

What is the current ridership of Delhi Metro and how soon will it reach the pre pandemic levels?

Right now the ridership is around 46 lakhs per day (September) and it was around 44.6 lakh passenger journeys per day in August. This was heavily affected by the pandemic as the metro was not operational for five months in the year 2020 In the pre covid period, from January 1, 2020 to February 28, 2020, the average daily ridership on the metro was 61 lakhs

When will the ridership reach the pre pandemic levels?

It has been gradually increasing so maybe by February 2023 we will be back to pre covid levels of ridership.

Do you feel the work-from-home culture is partially responsible for the decline in ridership?

Yes it has and also the whole commuting culture has changed People travel less for services now as home delivery of products and services has picked up.

With regard to the fare hike, when is the next hike expected? The last fare revision took place in October 2017 and at that time the ridership dropped; under current circumstances can Delhi Metro afford a fare hike?

Yes, fare hike is required But last time around when the fares were raised the ridership went down therefore once the ridership reaches the pre pandemic levels we can think of another fare hike. Some people have gone back to two wheelers and if there is a fare hike they may not come back to the metro Also, the loss incurred by DMRC during the pandemic has to be borne by both the central and state government We would first want that support from both the governments and then think about fare hike

What is the status of the monetization plan of DMRC?

We are quite aggressive and if you look at the revenue from this segment it is in better shape The rental earnings from property business used to be Rs 505 crore in 2019 20, it came down to Rs 244 crore in 2020 21 and picked up in 2021 22 to Rs 37 crore We are projecting it to be over Rs500 crore by the end of the year

The loss incurred by DMRC during the pandemic has to be borne by both the central and state government.

Is land acquisition a challenge in metro construction?

Yes, it has always been In phase 4 right now there are certain issues and we hope to resolve them soon. We have to acquire land from railways and civil aviation and as per government norms it has to be inter departmental rates but they want a separate rate structure We are in discussions with them and hope to resolve the matter soon

What is the progress of Phase 4 of Delhi Metro?

Three priority corridors have been sanctioned and are under progress Aerocity to Tughlakabad, Janakpuri West to R K Ashram and Mukundpur (Majlis Park) to Maujpur. The average progress of Phase 4 is around 25% Apart from this there are three more corridors under consideration Lajpat to Saket G block, Inderlok to Indraprastha and Rithala Bawana Narela This Phase 4 is quite challenging as there are many integrated road and metro flyovers in this phase

Are there only construction challenges or any other challenges as well due to the pandemic?

Pandemic has pushed back the project, it had an impact but we are trying to adhere to the timeline There was an impact as the progress during 2020 was lesser than planned but now the construction has picked up

Has there been any cost overrun due to the pandemic on this Phase 4?

We are yet to evaluate but there has been some impact on construction due to delays in permission for tree cutting from the government We are pursuing the matter with the Delhi government

Alstom India and Bombardier are the main suppliers of rolling stock to the Delhi Metro. Are more companies expected in the space?

In phase 4 rolling stock tender, five companies have participated We can’t share their names as the tender is yet to be finalized It will be finalized in a month’s time

What is DMRC doing to improve the last mile connectivity for the metro rider?

We are planning to bring electric autos in a big way. We have been given permission by the Delhi government and we have also done some pilots.

Indian Railways launches second generation Vande Bharat Express on

routes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated two new Vande Bharat Express Trains one on Gandhinagar Capital to Mumbai Central (Western Railway Division) route and second on New Delhi to Amb Andaura (Northern Railway Division) route on 30th September 2022 and 13th October 2022 respectively.

The Vande Bharat Express trains (previously known as Train 18) have been introduced to upgrade maintenance technologies and methodologies and achieve improvement in productivity and performance of all Railway assets and manpower in which inter alia would cover reliability, availability, utilization and efficiency.

These trains are equipped with world class passenger amenities It can achieve high speeds due to faster acceleration and deceleration and will reduce journey time by 25% to 45%

In the union budget 2022, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that 400 new generation Vande Bharat Express Trains with better energy efficiency will be developed and manufactured during the next three years Indian Railways is aiming to run 75 new Vande Bharat trains by August 15 next year Therefore, the development of these trains has been expedited as the target of the Railways is that 7 to 8 trains should be ready every month

• The Vande Bharat Express has 16 air conditioned coaches of which two are executive class coaches The total seating capacity is 1,128 passengers

• It also has provision for Divyang friendly facilities.

• Adding up the green footprints, the train has a regenerative braking system in the Vande Bharat Express coaches which can save up to 30% of electrical energy

• The Vande Bharat Express train has fully sealed gangways and censored interconnecting doors for a dust free environment

Journey of Vande Bharat Express Trains

The manufacturing of first prototype of 'Train 18' was completed in October 2018 It was planned to replace the then existing 30 year old Shatabdi Express, which takes 15% longer time to complete the same journey Since it took 18 months to be manufactured, it was renamed to 'Train 18'

• The Vande Bharat Express train has an intelligent braking system that enables better acceleration and deceleration

• All coaches are equipped with automatic doors; GPS based audio visual passenger information system, onboard hotspot Wi Fi for entertainment purposes, and very comfortable seating The executive class also has rotating chairs

• All toilets are bio vacuum type The lighting is dual mode, viz diffused for general illumination and personal for every seat

• Every coach has a pantry with facilities to serve hot meals and hot and cold beverages

During test runs, the train achieved an operational speed of 180 kmph, making it the fastest train to ever run in India

First Vande Bharat Express Train (22435/22436) which runs between New Delhi and Varanasi (Northern Railway) was launched on 15th February 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After success of first train, the Second Vande Bharat Express Train (22439/22440) was launched between New Delhi and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (Northern Railway) on 3rd October 2019

The first and second train were initially developed as Version 1 0 (first generation) by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai under the leadership of Sudhanshu Mani (then General Manager ICF) He is the main innovator of

Some salient features of Vande Bharat Express Train

The Vande Bharat Express offers a myriad of superior and aircraft-like traveling experiences. It is equipped with advanced state-of-the-art safety features including an indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System KAVACH.

engineless semi high speed trains in form of Train 18 (now Vande Bharat Express Train)

The Third Vande Bharat Express Train (20901/20902) was launched between Mumbai Central and Gandhinagar Capital (Western Railway) on 30th September 2022 And the fourth Vande Bharat Express Train (22448/22447) was launched between New Delhi and Amb Andaura (Northern Railway) on 13th October 2022

The third and fourth Vande Bharat Express Trains have been developed a Version 2 0 (second generation) by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai. These trains have some advanced features over the first generation trains.

Vande Bharat Express Trains - At A Glance

Indian Railways and ICF were also planning the development of Train 20, another semi high speed train that was supposed to replace the Rajdhani Express This new train was planned to have Aluminium body with sleeper coaches.

Indian Railways also had planned to order 40 train sets of Train 18 by 2022, which would include modified cabin crash guard made out of aluminium along with a lithium ion battery set

Vande Bharat 2.0

After the government had announced 75 new sets of Vande Bharat Express to be ready by August 2023, ICF is set to build an upgraded version of these rakes and has planned

Train No Terminals Distance Division Inauguration

1st (22435/22436) New Delhi Varanasi 759 km NR 15 Feb, 2019

2nd (22439/22440) New Delhi Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra 655 km NR 3 Oct, 2019

3rd (20901/20902) Mumbai Central Gandhinagar Capital 522 km WR 30 Sep, 2022

4th (22448/22447) New Delhi Amb Andaura 412 km NR 13 Oct, 2022

5th (TBA) Chennai Mysuru 498 km SR 10 Nov, 2022

Indian Railways has planned to launch the 5th Vande Bharat Express Train next month on 10th November on Chennai Bengaluru Mysuru route of South Railway.

Design & Technical Features

The Vande Bharat Express's exterior appearance consists of aerodynamic design, narrowing at each end of the train which is designed to combat air resistance It also has a driver cabin at each end, allowing for faster turnaround at terminating stations. The train has 16 passenger cars, with a seating capacity of 1,128 passengers. Two of the center compartments are first class compartments that seat 52 each, with the rest being coach compartments seating 78 each

Alternate coaches are motorised to ensure even distribution of power and to help in quicker acceleration and deceleration The gangways are interconnected and fully sealed to allow better mobility between coaches and to reduce noise respectively. The train also features GPIS based passenger information system, bio vacuum toilets, and rotational seats which can be aligned in the direction of travel (only in executive class)

The train's seats, braking system, doors, and transformers are the only elements of the train to be outsourced, with plans to make them domestically on the production of the next unit. Train 18 employs a regenerative braking system.

to test the two prototypes on trial runs by March 2022.

In addition to the previous facilities, the second version of this train will include upgraded amenities, seating, security and surveillance systems and the features designed for emergencies When it comes to the safety features, the new rakes will be equipped with four emergency windows, disaster lights in all coaches in the event of light system's failure, fire survival cables inside of door circuits, availability of ventilation for three hours in case of Air Conditioner's power failure and emergency push buttons will also be increased to four per coach

The new coaches are also set to be equipped with a centralised Coach Monitoring System for all types of electricity, climate control and other vital systems of the train To address the seat reclining issues of the previous version, the new rakes will be equipped with a push back arrangement for smooth reclining. An official added that the new coaches will be provided with a bacteria free air conditioning system and higher flood protection of underframe equipment to ensure reliability during monsoons

***

Interview with SUDHANSHU MANI

Innovator of Vande Bharat Train

It is unclear how much revenue the Railways will earn from the plan to expand Vande Bharat to freight services as it would require a large amount of capex, said Sudhanshu Mani, former GM, Indian Railways and leader of the initial Vande Bharat team An alternative option would be to use old ICF parcel vans and attach one or two locos to them

In an interview with business line, Mani talks about the various issues around the country’s indigenously developed semi-high-speed trains

What is your view on expanding Vande Bharat Trains to freight and parcel services, specially as production capacity is still limited?

The production capacity is not immediately relevant The objective appears to be fast carriage and delivery of goods Freight trains need regularity and reliability of transit much more than sheer operating speed It does not matter, even for time sensitive and perishable commodities, whether the cargo reaches its destination in 18 or 24 hours. Railways could alternatively consider using some old ICF parcel vans and attaching one or two locos depending on the required speed This would cut down the

Capex to a fraction of the Rs60 crore to Rs80 crore estimated for Vande Bharat freight EMUs. Second, the infrastructure required would be a challenge If the trains are loaded and unloaded on a station platform, the platform will be unusable for a long time Goods sheds are designed to handle 40 BCN wagons, or at least 20 BCNs in two spurs, and a 16 coach rake would be a waste of space It is unclear how much revenue Railways will earn after spending so much on capex and how far customers would be willing to pay if the tariff is based on the capex. I don’t know the exact details, but the clientele would have to be like Amazon, an FMCG company or a company dealing in perishables Railways may also have to tie up with a logistics company for last mile connectivity

Will there be a significant difference in design between Vande Bharat freight and passenger train?

The interiors would be totally different. The freight EMUs won’t have toilets, seats and passenger amenities. The entire upper deck would be compartmentalised for goods carriage In Train 18, 50 per cent of coaches are powered coaches I learned that this would remain

Do you think 75 Vande Bharat passenger trains by next year is a feasible target?

It doesn’t look easy by August 15, 2023. But in these 10 months, if the Railways work intensely, I think it can

The Railways could alternatively consider using some old ICF parcel vans and attaching one or two locos depending on the required speed. This would cut down the Capex to a fraction of the

60 crore to ₹80 crore estimated for Vande Bharat freight EMUs.

manufacture at least 30 35 rakes by then This itself will be a very good achievement

What is your view on the recent cattle runovers?

There are at least 15 to 20 such incidents daily on Indian railways The locomotives have a sturdy cow catcher in front, which throws away the cattle, or at times it goes under the loco and usually dies There may be minor damage to the loco, and the train can start again after removing the carcass Vande Bharat has been designed at 160 kmph operation, and for this speed, it is mandatory to have a fenced track. However, as a second line of defence, the safeguard of an aerodynamically validated and aesthetically designed FRP nose on a strong framework ensures that in the contingency of a cattle hitting the train, the damage can be restored in the depot quickly The issue is that infrastructure development has not kept pace with train development So the trains are being run on tracks which are unfenced Delhi Mumbai and Delhi Howrah sections are sanctioned for 160 kmph operations, including fencing, as part of the project. Work is going on slowly, and it should be expedited.

There was also a technical defect on another Vande Bharat Express train near Khurja recently as the wheel of

the train jammed and passengers were evacuated. What is your thought on this?

Apart from the technical snag train had on the non commercial inaugural run on 15th Feb, 2019, there has not been a single failure till now It has had an impeccable record of reliability This was a one off case and didn’t show any deficiency The failure happened and needs to be looked into for any systemic or design improvement is required The impact was alarming as all passengers had to be transferred to another rake, butpanic was not needed

Maha Metro submits

DPR of ₹4,940 crore, 44 km Metro Neo project for Pune

Airport and Vishrantwadi The Metro Neo project will connect densely populated areas and make them more and more accessible to citizens

The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha Metro) has submitted the detailed project report (DPR) after deciding to have the Metro Neo system on the High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR) in Pune. It will be able to run the elevated Neo Metro on a circular route of 43.84 kilometres in the city which includes 45 stations

According to the DPR, the Metro Neo project could be completed in 2028 29 if it starts in December 2023 as planned This project will cost Rs 4,940 crores The DPR of the ‘HCMTR’ route has been submitted to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for review and approval.

The PMC finalised the ‘HCMTR’ project in its 1987 development plan It was claimed that this route would smoothen the traffic In 2017 four lanes on the ‘HCMTR’ route were proposed for private vehicles as well as BRT But when the tenders were invited, the cost of the project was expected to be Rs 7,500 crores and the project was cancelled due to tenders beyond Rs12,000 crores. Then, to provide better public service at a lower cost, the option of doing ‘Metro Neo’ on the route of ‘HCMTR’ came up Maha Metro was given the task of preparing the DPR for the same Maha Metro submitted the DPR of metro lines in Phase II to the PMC in August 2022 So recently the DPR of Neo Metro was presented

According to the DPR, a 43.84 km stretch of the Metro Neo system is proposed. This will start from Bopodi and connect Vishrantwadi with 45 stations at Ambedkar Chowk, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Senapati Bapat Road, Paudphata, Alankar Police Station, Siddhi Garden, Senadutt Police Chowky, Sanas Playground, Laxmi Narayan Chowk, City Pride, Market Yard, Gangadham Chowk, Bibvewadi, Lullanagar, Jambhulkar Chowk, Fatima Nagar, Ghorpadi, Pingle Basti, Wadgaon Sheri, Viman Nagar,

The metro project costs at least Rs 250 crore for a kilometre But the cost of the Metro Neo is relatively low. Therefore, this project is financially viable. Also, the Metro Neo requires less space. It will cost Rs 112 crore per kilometre as Pune city will have a metro of 43 84 kilometres Meanwhile, the project is expected to cost Rs 3,867 crores But the DPR states that the total cost of the project will be Rs 4,940 crores taking into account the fact that inflation will increase by five per cent per annum while the project will be in progress and the interest on it

The number of daily passengers will increase up to 2.75 lakhs in 2028, 4.71 lakhs in 2038, 6.50 lakhs in 2048 and 7.83 lakhs in 2058

Salient Features of Metro Neo System

• Metro Neo is a mass rapid transit system providing low cost, energy efficient and eco friendly urban transport solutions for tier 2 and tier 3 cities

• Drawing traction power from overhead wires, Metro Neo will not run on track but on road. It is suitable for places where the traffic demand is around 8,000 passengers one way in peak time

• Metro Neo systems are lighter and smaller than conventional Metro trains

• They cost about 25% of conventional systems but with similar facilities, and are cheaper than the other budget option Metrolite, which costs about 40% of the normal Metro.

• The Maharashtra government has already given a green signal for this state of the art Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) for Nashik

The first MetroNeo plan was conceptualised for Nashik city and the project is still waiting for the Centre's approval

The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha Metro) has been entrusted to prepare the detailed project report for the proposed Aurangabad Metro Rail Project in Maharashtra. To show a presentation on the proposed metro routes, Dr. Brijesh Dixit, Managing Director, Maha Metro has met Union Minister of State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Karad at New Delhi last month He briefed the Union Minister about the Detailed Project Report (DPR) being prepared for the Aurangabad Metro Project The minister has now given a task to Maha Metro for preparing a Detail Project Report (DPR) for Metro Rail Project for the city of Aurangabad.

Dr. Dixit gave presentation on the status of the proposed DPR After successfully implementing Metro Rail Projects in Nagpur & Pune and having prepared DPR for similar projects in the cities of Nasik, Thane and Warangal (State of Telangan), Maha Metro is now working on similar projects in the city of Aurangabad

As part of the proposed project for which DPR is being prepared, two Metro sections Waluj to Shendra MIDC and Bidkin to Harsul are proposed to be constructed In fact given Maha Metro expertise in implementing infrastructure projects like RoB, RuB, other than Metro Rail Project, the organization has also been asked to prepare plan for Fly over, which will run parallel to Metro Track, as has been executed in Nagpur Metro via duct and fly over will run parallel from Waluj to Shendra MIDC of Aurangabad. A comprehensive DPR will be prepared for fly over and two lines.

In that regard, a meeting was held at Aurangabad in January 2022 and was chaired by Dr Karad The meeting was then attended by Aurangabad Municipal Corporation and senior officials from other local & civic departments, besides Maha Metro officers

Maha Metro tasked to prepare DPR for Aurangabad Metro Rail Project

The double decker at Aurangabad will be constructed on the lines of similar project in Nagpur Maha Metro has executed Multi Layer Transportation Project on Wardha Road and is in the process of doing so on Kamptee Road Three layer transportation project has been implemented on Wardha Road with existing road at the bottom, fly over over it and Metro route at the top of all.

Similar project is also being implemented on Kamptee Road which also includes the unique four layer transportation structure at Gaddigodam, which has existing road and Railway track as the first two levels, followed by Fly over and Metro via duct at a height of 24 meters Multi Layer Transportation Project on Wardha Road was inaugurated on 13th November 2020

Aurangabad is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Aurangabad district and is the largest city in the Marathwada region Located on a hilly upland terrain in the Deccan Traps, Aurangabad is the fifth most populous urban area in Maharashtra with a population of 1,175,116 The city is known as a major production center of cotton textile and artistic silk fabrics Several prominent educational institutions, including Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, are located in the city. The city is also a popular tourism hub, with tourist destinations like the Ajanta and Ellora caves lying on its outskirts, both of which have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1983 In 2019, the Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC) became the first greenfield industrial smart city of India under the country's flagship Smart Cities Mission

Mike Muralidharan, fondly called Mike, is the Chief Operating Officer for BCT Core Global Business In his role as COO, he spearheads the global operations and steers the organization’s business across various geos A graduate engineer in Electronics and Telecommunications from the College of Engineering, Guindy, Muralidharan has over 26 years of experience in running various organizations in the areas of Marketing, Operations, Human Resources and Support Services along with overall enterprise management

A top management professional, with a unique blend of experience working in diverse organizations, he has imbibed the diverse cultures of aggression and process orientation with exceptional relationship management skills and ability to relate with people at all levels.

In a recent interview with Metro Rail Today, Mike shared his opinion on various initiatives being taken by Govt. of India for the development of Rail & Metro sectors

Exclusive

INTERVIEW

a good experience for the commuters Passenger experience has become more important than ever and the industry is investing in Industry 4 0 solutions for new age railways

The importance of railways, especially in India a high population nation, is undisputed It is the largest rail network in Asia, and is estimated to have transported 8 4 billion passengers annually and nearly 1 2 billion tonnes of freight in pre COVID times. An important lifeline for trade and transport, railways in India plays a vital role in urbanization and economic advancement

Digitalization in railways, which was a steady trot in the pre pandemic days, is a now turning into a sprint to meet the rapidly changing market needs The convergence of 5G, AI, ML, and IoT, and the relevance of railways during the supply chain and fuel crises, have renewed interest in digitalization. Most importantly, decision makers are investing in technology to make railways safe, efficient and

Digital Asset Management is an important aspect that will help railways improve efficiency through better utilisation of assets and inventory. Smarter asset management will result in better management of assets throughout the lifetime of the assets, predict downtimes and prevent them through root cause analysis and enable efficient and automated processes to eliminate manual errors and delays They will also help in analysis of failures and optimum utilization of assets making public transport economically viable

What are the major challenges while implementing digital technology in Rail & transportation sectors?

The primary challenge, similar to every industry that is boldly embracing digitalization, is vulnerability Digital railways will be exposed to more threats than ever before An example of an external threat is the WannaCry virus that affected a German rail operator in 2017 While this attack did not cause serious operational disruptions, it

What is the digital technology that's making the most impact on the railway industry?

Railway digitalisation will be about improving passenger experience and using right technologies to optimise operations.

clearly demonstrated the need for eliminating vulnerabilities and improving security and governance

The second challenge is the vast amount of data aggregated from different assets and entities. Railways 4.0 will generate tremendous amount of data, which will need sophisticated ingestion, analysis, visualization, and reporting for informed decision making Data mismanagement can result in ambiguities or misdiagnosis, impeding digitalization rather than accelerating it

The last challenge is the culture shift While the attitude to technology has certainly shifted for the better, a siloed approach to digitalization will not yield results or deliver value What the industry needs is a homogenous approach with every stakeholder at every intersection ready to replace legacy systems with new age technologies and willing to embrace disruptions as opportunities for creating better railways

How can the performance of Indian Railways be improved with the help of digital technology? Give some examples.

India has the fourth largest railway network with over 22,593 operating trains (9141 freight and 13,452 passengers) with a daily passenger count of 24 million passengers and 203 88 million tonnes of freight

The amount of data collected from this vast network can make railways more efficient and enhance passenger experience. The advent of 5G will help in real time data gathering, enabling operators to predict, automate, and manage maintenance For example, smarter asset management systems will reduce human intervention and minimise downtime, improve inspection planning, and streamline and optimize performance of coaches, wagons, and locomotives

Additionally, AI enabled traffic and load planning and management, data driven customer service, automated charting, smart inventory management, will create hassle free passenger experiences improving reliability on public transport

Recently you collaborated with MMRC for building the Common Asset Management System (CAMS) for Mumbai Metro Line 3. Please share more details about CAMS and its applications in Rail & Metro sectors. Please highlight some new developments in digitalization in Railways and the role of Bahwan CyberTek?

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRCL) partnership for the Common Assets Management System (CAMS) project is an exciting program BCT’s integrated CAMS will optimize processes, perform lifecycle cost monitoring and improve the cost efficiency of the assets of

the MMRCL

The CAMS solution will help MMRCL manage different types of assets such as rolling stock, tracks, power supply systems, traction systems, signalling and control systems, platform screen doors, telecommunication systems, plants and equipment, automated fare collection systems, escalators, and lifts, tunnel ventilation systems, security systems, infrastructure, and related systems and electro mechanical systems like fire alarms, domestic water, lightning, etc through a single window enterprise application

Mumbai Metro Line 3, which is expected to commute over 16 lakh people daily, is a massive project in terms of scale and application Having executed large scale EAM projects across the world, we understand the scale and volume of assets involved here Our AI/ML driven integrated asset management solutions are proven for keeping critical assets operating at maximum efficiency.

What are your thoughts on the future of digitalization in Railways?

Railways digitalization will be about improving passenger experience, and using the right technologies to optimize operations The sector has come a long way from antiquated legacy systems and is looking at agile, digital enabled infrastructure for better safety, efficiency, and experience. This increase in digital enabled experience will be accompanied by an increased emphasis on cybersecurity, protecting data and assets from bad actors Asset maintenance and inspection will also be delegated to drones, reducing human intervention Passenger experience, ultimately, will be the intent of all transformations

What is your feedback on the content we serve to Industry through our online and print publications?

It is very relevant to the industry You are bringing out stories that will benefit various strata of stakeholders in the industry and help them gain awareness of the latest trends and technologies from around the world

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The DelhiGhaziabad-Meerut Rapid Rail network is a game-changer

family Travel time is a necessity we all endure and do our best to minimize, as it takes valuable hours that we could have spent earning a living, improving ourselves or most importantly, with our close community and loved ones

The first phase of the Delhi Ghaziabad Meerut corridor will be operational early next year with 5 rail stations along the 20 km stretch between Delhi and Ghaziabad (Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai and Duhai Depot). The entire 82 km corridor will eventually include 25 stations of semi high speed rail (RRTS) and metro service (MRTS) It will have elevated as well as underground stations and connect several areas in the urban center of Delhi to stations in Ghaziabad and Meerut All of this is intended to be fully operation in 2024

This project will not only improve the lives of tens of millions but also become a worldwide reference as Alstom premieres implementation of state of the art advanced systems and innovative technologies This solution will redefine the future of mainline and metro railways through digitalisation and automation

he first of eight planned regional rapid rail corridors in the capital region will connect Delhi to key cities and sub urban areas in the surrounding states Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh The Alstom technologies implemented on this project will cut down the commute time to half and change the lives of millions in the National capital region

In early 2023, Alstom’s first semi high speed rapid rail transit system, which is a first of its kind worldwide in digitalization and automation technologies, is set to be operational It will connect Sahibabad and Duhai, the priority section of India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) line, Delhi Meerut corridor

The RRTS project aims to address social and economic issues and promote balanced and sustainable economic development of the National Capital Region This corridor will eventually reduce the journey time between Delhi and Meerut to less than 60 minutes, compared to the current 90 120 minutes The train will have a maximum speed of 180 kmph, and it will run in ~5 10 minute intervals With 3 6 cars, each allowing for more than 200standing and sitting passengers, this line will deliver enormous passenger capacity that will transform the region. This is what National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) and Alstom are set to achieve starting early next year

Meeting people is an essential part of life, for business or pleasure, as part of our education or on holiday, getting together for a special moment with friends or

The Delhi Ghaziabad Meerut Corridor operates on Alstom’s ETCS Level 3 Hybrid system and includes two contingency degraded modes, ETCS Level 1 and Interlocking mechanisms The system incorporates Automatic Train Operation (ATO) over Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio, both are integrated with ETCS for the first time To provide utmost safety to passengers, a Platform Screen Door (PSD), requiring a stopping accuracy of 30 cm, has been incorporated for the first time with the ETCS solution This will make RRTS one of the most advanced signalling and train control systems of the world

It also has a salient feature its interoperability that will facilitate seamless commuter movement across corridors, without the hassle of changing the trains This ETCS signalling system will be a key enabler to ensuring interoperability and train movement at quick frequencies

Right now, work on the Delhi Meerut corridor is in progress The first two trains have been delivered While static tests have been completed, dynamic tests are ongoing The installation of signalling systems as well as trackside elements, is on its way, all with the goal of starting operations early next year.

Following the activation of the priority section (Sahibabad to Duhai), stage 2 will extend the corridor from Duhai to Meerut (South Station) Stage 3 will expand the corridor within Delhi and the final stage will extend the corridor further into and through Meerut It will include RRTS as well as metro and subway stations, all to be completed by 2024 .

This is the first of eight RRTS corridors planned by the NCRTC The Delhi Panipat corridor is set to begin work late 2022, early 2023 and the Alwar corridor is scheduled for 2024

 Thameem Kamaldeen, Managing Director Signalling, Alstom India Cluster

ith the inauguration of Phase 1 of Ahmedabad Metro Phase 1, the total operational length of metro rail projects in India has reached 810 km, overtaking Japan, said Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on 30th September 2022 during addressing the gathering at the inauguration of Phase 1 of Ahmedabad Metro where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present

“After the inauguration of Ahmedabad Metro, the coverage of metro rail in India reaches 810 kilometers. It is a matter of pride, that India is among leading countries with respect to total length of metro rail”, the union minister said adding that India has not only overtaken Japan, but also has 982 kilometers of Metro rail under construction “Once this (982 kilometers of metro rail) finishes, India will overtake South Korea and United States and will reach the second position in the world. I am expecting this to happen within next 1 2 years,” said Hardeep Singh Puri.

Criticizing the previous government, he said that the metro rail network in India was limited to 248 kilometers only between the year 2002 14

“The first modern network was started in Delhi by Vajpayee government in 2002 Till 2014, metro network expanded only by 248 kilometers When Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over the development of the nation in May 2014, there has been a mentionable progress in the development of metro,” Puri said

With the opening of Phase 1 of Ahmedabad Metro, India overtakes Japan

Talking about the urban development in India, Puri said, “From 2004 2014, only Rs 1 57 lakh crore was invested in urban development But since last eight years, Rs 16 5 lakh crore has been invested It is about 10 times more ” Puri said adding that Ahmedabad will become India’s seventh mega city by 2030.

During the Friday’s event, HOKUGO Kyoko, Minister (Economic & Development), Embassy of Japan, attended the ceremony along with officials of JICA which has extended a loan for building of Ahmedabad Metro, stated an official release

“We would like to congratulate on the successful completion of the project and the ceremony held on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Japan Due to rapid expansion of population and economic activities, traffic congestion and traffic pollution have become a major concern for the city Ahmedabad metro will provide the alternative choice of city transportation and shall also ease traffic congestion and pollution,” said Kawazu Kunihiko, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, Embassy of Japan.

“The metro is well planned as a part of the integrated urban transportation of the city Further, it is expected to contribute to further economic development and the further transaction in Ahmedabad,” Kunihiko added

Operational Metro Rail Projects in India

At present metro rail is operating in 15 cities in India namely Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore, Gurugram, Mumbai, Jaipur, Chennai, Kochi, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Noida, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Kanpur and Pune

Project of the month

AHMEDABAD METRO

Ahmedabad Metro is a Mass Rapid Transit System that run in the Ahmedabad city of Gujarat, India Presently, it covers a total distance of 38 63 kilometres comprising of two corridors and 29 stations

The total length of the Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project Phase I is about 40 03 km out of which approximately 6.5km is underground and the rest is elevated section. The project will connect 4 corners of the Ahmedabad city with 2 corridors and 32 stations.

North South Corridor with a length of 18 87 km connects Motera Stadium to APMC, Vasna and is passing through Sabarmati, AEC, Sabarmati Railway station, Ranip, Vadaj, Vijaynagar, Usmanpura, Old High court, Gandhigram, Paldi, Shreyas, Rajivnagar and Jivraj stations North South Corridor will be completely elevated with 15 stations.

The length of the East West Corridor is about 21 16 km with 17 stations in the route This corridor connects Vastral Gaam to Thaltej Gaam and is passing through Nirant Cross Road, Vastral, Rabari Colony, Amraiwadi, Apparel Park, Kankaria East, Kalupur Railway Station, Ghee Kanta, Shahpur, Old High Court, Stadium, Commerce Six Road, Gujarat University, Gurukul Road, Doordarshan Kendra, Thaltej stations.

In the East West corridor, approximately 6.5 km is the underground section with 4 underground stations and the rest is the elevated section with 13 elevated stations Old High Court station will be an interchange station for both the corridors

History

In 2003, Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board carried out the study for urban transport between Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad It also carried out the detailed project report through Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and RITES Limited and submitted it in June 2005 and received Central Government's approval in the same year. Following the estimated cost of ₹4,295 crore (US$540 million) and the study of the viability of the project, it was abandoned in 2005 to give priority to the Ahmedabad BRTS and suburban railway projects In 2008, considering the future developments in and around Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, the project was revived and new corridors were designed to make the project viable.

The special purpose vehicle company, Metro Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad Company Ltd, later renamed Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Limited (GMRC) in 2018, was established by Government of Gujarat on 4 February 2010 with Rs 202 crore Later in

2014, it was decided that the Central Government will own 50% stack of the company

Ahmedabad Metro Phase 1

On 19 October 2014, Union Cabinet of India approved Rs 10,773 crore for the Phase 1 of Ahmedabad Metro The Central Government approved the use of unused Western Railways land along the Botad Sabarmati meter gauge line in November 2014 The original plan of Metro along Ashram Road was tweaked and the track was moved westward The new plan added the cost of Rs600 crore and two more stations. It helped by fewer problems in land acquisition and less congestion on Ashram Road. In 2015 budget of Gujarat, Rs611 crore was further allocated for the metro The ground breaking ceremony was held on 14 March 2015 for the construction of 6 5 km long Vastral Apparel Park stretch of East West corridor in presence of then Gujarat Chief Minister, Anandiben Patel The ground breaking ceremony for North South Corridor was held on 17 January 2016 in presence of the then Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel. The work started in March 2016. The Indian Railways permitted the construction of North South corridor stretch on its land in June 2016 Japan International Co operation Agency (JICA) agreed to fund Rs5,968 crore for Phase 1 of the project in November 2015 and the first trench of Rs4,456 crore was released in 2016

The trial runs were carried out in February 2019 on 6 5 km long Vastral Apparel Park section of Phase 1. The section was inaugurated on 4th March 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi It opened to the public on 6 March 2019 The 1 4 km long Thaltej Thaltej Gam section and three metro stations will be completed by January March 2023 The rest of the Phase 1 was inaugurated on 30 September 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi The East West corridor and the North South corridor was opened to public on 2nd October 2022 and 6th October 2022 respectively. The cost of Phase 1 construction was Rs12,900 crore.

Ahmedabad Metro Phase 2

The Government of Gujarat approved the Phase 2 in October 2017 and revised it in October 2018. In February 2019, the Union cabinet approved the Phase 2 worth cost of Rs 5,384.17 crore. It will extend the North South corridor from Motera in Ahmedabad to Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar (23 838 km) with a branch line from Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) linking Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU) and GIFT City (5 416 km) The Phase 2 will have total 28 26 km long elevated corridor with 22 stations

The tendering for the Phase 2 began in January 2020. On 18 January 2021, the foundation stone of the Phase 2 was laid by Prime Minister Modi The branch line connecting to GIFT City is expected to open in early 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first metro train on 4th March 2019 | Image Credit: PMO India

RAIL

METRO EVENT CALENDER 2022

Dates Event Name Venue

January 20 InfraTalk Virtual

February 10 Rolling Stock Forum London, UK

February 15 17 International Railway Summit Berlin, Germany

March 8 10 RailTech Europe Utrecht, Netherlands

March 9 10 UITP India Urban Rail Seminar Virtual

March 15 18 Rail Digi Expo Virtual

March 17 19 RailwayTech Jakarta, Indonesia

March 23 25 Transport India Expo New Delhi, India

May 10 12 Railtex/Infrarail London, UK

May 10-12 IT-Trans 2022 Karlsruhe, Germany

May 11 12 Asia Pacific Rail 2022 Bangkok, Thailand

June 5 9 World Congress on Railway Research Birmingham, UK

June 30 July 2 IRSE Technical Seminar & Exhibition 2022 New Delhi, India

July 7 Rolling Stock Networking 2022 Derby, UK

August 21 24 International Conference on Railway Technology Montpellier, France

September 20 23 InnoTrans 2022 Berlin, Germany

October 26 Modern Railways RVE Milton Keynes, UK

November 4 6 Urban Mobility India Conference & Expo Kochi, India

November 7 Urban Infra Business Summit & Awards 2022 New Delhi, India

November 10 11 Rail India Conference & Expo 2022 New Delhi, India

November 9-10 MOVE 2022 London, UK

Nov 29 Dec 1 Rail Live 2022 Malga, Spain