Sudhanshu Mani

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.

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

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 noncommercial 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.

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

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

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 lowcost, 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.

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. 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. 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 fifthmost 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.