Dr. Brijesh Dixit

Under the strong leadership of Dr. Brijesh Dixit, Managing Directior, the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha Metro) is executing various mass rapid transit systems in the Maharashtra. Maha Metro is committed to provide a safe, reliable, efficient, affordable, commuter friendly and environmentally sustainable rapid public transport system for the citizens of Nagpur and Pune.

In a recent interaction with Urban Transport News, Dr. Dixit talks on the progress of metro rail projects after restarting of construction activities and how Maha Metro is facing Covid-19 challenges.

Congratulations on winning `Construction World Person of the Year 2020 Award’. Kindly brief us about the significance of this award for Maha Metro.

Being adjudged “Construction World Person of the Year- Public Sector 2020” is immensely gratifying and humbling experience.

The award is a recognition to the hard work of the entire Maha-Metro team which from the very beginning has set the target of developing Metro Rail in cities of Nagpur and Pune within cost, and in the stipulated time-frame. This is actualized with the highest quality output and in the process has created many international bench marks. This recognition further emboldens the team to keep charging with enthusiasm to complete the two projects in a manner that we create more and more milestones and benchmarks.

What is the current progress of the Nagpur Metro Rail project and when the first phase will be made fully operational?

Nagpur Metro project is at advanced stage of completion. Twenty-five km of the project i.e. two third of the total project length was completed in record 50 months period, with 1 km being constructed every two months. After stoppage of the passenger services during COVID-19 induced lock-down, operations have since recommenced on this stretch duly following all the COVID-19 safety protocol.

As regards the full first phase completion, currently the physical and financial progress of Nagpur Metro project stands at 89% and 82% respectively. The work on the balance portion of the project in Reach II (Orange Line) and Reach IV (Aqua Line) had few months setbacks due to outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent lock-down measures announced by the government. Nonetheless, the work is now progressing at brisk pace, and the full project is likely to get operational by the end 2021.

Kindly tell our readers about the current progress of the Pune Metro Rail project and the deadline set to commission the priority section of the project.

Pune Metro Project consists of two corridors totalling 33.28 km route length (including five km underground section), 30 stations and two Metro Coach Maintenance Depots. The physical progress and financial progress of the

project currently stands at 45% and 39% respectively. Often infrastructure projects in the country are majorly impacted with the problems related to the land acquisition, but 85% of the land required for Pune project has been acquired amicably and in record time and the balance 15% will be acquired shortly.

Pune Metro project like other infrastructure projects in the country also suffered during the lock-down period after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. But once the permission to resume the work was received from government authorities, Pune Metro construction work immediately recommenced with the labour available in-situ.

Indubitably, the work was initially slowed down due to the flight of migrant labour to their native places. But with the extraordinary effort of Maha-Metro and its contractors, total labour available on the project site today has reached larger number compared to the pre-COVID-19 days. This has given impetus to speedy execution of priority section work i.e. PCMC-Phugewadi (Line-1) and Vanaz to Garware College (Line-2). Nonetheless, due to lockdown impact, the completion of priority section will be delayed somewhat with the Line 1 priority section likely to be completed by March 2021 and that of Line 2 by June 2021.

Are there any new updates on the manufacturing of Rolling Stock trains for the Pune Metro Rail Project? Kindly highlight the salient features of the Rolling Stock train to be supplied by Titagarh Firema SpA?

In a leap for “Make in India’’ policy and major push to “Atma- Nirbhar Bharat”, Maha-Metro through an international competitive bidding has awarded the contract for manufacturing and supply of 102 aluminium bodied metro coaches for Pune Metro project to Titagarh Firema, Italian subsidiary of Titagarh, a Kolkata based Indian company in the field of railway coaches and wagons. While the first three trains will be manufactured in Italy, balance trains will be manufactured in India. This is the first time that “new generation” “aluminium body coaches” (that are lighter, more energy efficient and have better aesthetic than the steel coaches) shall be manufactured in the country. It is an epoch - making game-

changer in the filed of metro-rail in the country.

Most critical aspect of freezing design of the coaches has since been completed and car body for the first train is in the final stage of manufacturing and it’s outfitting and equipment assembly will start from 15th Nov 2020. Subsequently the testing of the train shall be done, and the first train is likely to be dispatched from Italy to Pune, by last week of April 2021.

Pune Metro trains will be 3-car train formation (DMC-TC-DMC) with length of 67.8 km with eventual extendibility possibility to 6 car train. The maximum design speed of these trains is 95 kmph with maximum operational speed of 85 kmph. Maximum passenger capacity per train will be 978 (with seating 140 and 838 standee @ 8 persons per sq. km).

What is the current status of Metro-Neo projects proposed for Nashik in Maharashtra and Warangal in Telangana?

The current status of Metro projects at Nasik and Warangal are as follows:

Greater Nasik Metro Project - Nasik is a relatively smaller city/town with forecasted ridership lesser than that of Nagpur & Pune. Considering the same, Maha Metro formulated a lighter metro system named “Metro Neo” which is rubber-tyred metro running on overhead

traction on an elevated viaduct with all the features associated with a Metro System. Metro-Neo is ideally suited for Tier 2/3 cities, with 5000-15000 PHPDT, limited ROW availability and sharp curves along the ROW.

This is an innovative Mass Rapid Transit System providing low cost, energy efficient and eco-friendly urban transport solution, for Tier 2/3 cities. Detailed Project Report (DPR) estimated at 2100.60 Cr, for Nasik City (33 Km, with 30 Stations) of Metro-Neo System has been approved by the Govt. of Maharashtra and the project is awaiting approval from the Govt. of India. Also, technical specifications of the Metro-Neo have been frozen based on recommendation of a committee headed by MD Maha-Metro and the same are under approval of the Railway Board.

Warangal Metro Neo Project –Impressed with the potential of MetroNeo system developed by Maha-Metro, the Government of Telangana has entrusted Maha Metro with the tank of preparation of DPR of Metro Neo for fast growing city of Warangal on the similar lines of Nashik City. Currently preparation of this DPR is in progress.

How is 'Maha Metro' overcoming the new challenges arisen due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 in the country? Kindly elaborate us some steps taken for the safety of site workers.

The unprecedented COVID 19 coupled global pandemic with consequent

lock-down was a dampener for the infrastructure projects in the country. It also impacted both Nagpur and Pune, Metro rail projects which faced many challenges and extraordinary efforts were required to ensure that the work is resumed duly ensuring full safety of the work force. Some of the challenges and the measures taken to overcome them are as under:

The very first challenge at the outbreak of COVID-19 was to ensure full health and safety of Maha-Metro officials, that of its contractors and contractors labour staying in various labour camps at Nagpur and Pune. Providing facilities as per the new COVID-19 period protocol (masks, sanitizers, adequate social distancing and full hygienic conditions) were provided on priority. Doctors were made available for periodic medical check up and daily thermal checks. Through all these measures, it was ensured that staff and labour in offices, work sites and labour camps remained safe.

Once the permission to resume the work was received, Maha-Metro faced the unprecedented challenge of flight of labour to their native places first due to panic and later as facilitated by the government. At one point of time labour strength at both Nagpur and Pune reduced below 1000 each and only urgent works could be taken up with the in-situ available labour. Thereafter began the humungous effort on the part of MahaMetro and its contractors to bring the labour back.

Maha-Metro officials wrote letters to various collectors of districts in states like West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar. Contractor’s officials visited concerned states and brought the labour back duly motivating them with train, flight and bus tickets and giving advance cash incentives. As a result, today the labour available both at Nagpur and Pune exceeds that of the numbers before COVID-19 days and works have resumed at brisk pace.

Despite best efforts of Maha-Metro and its partner institutions, there have been few cases of staff and labour getting caught in the cobweb of COVID-19. Maha-Metro administration going beyond the call of normal duty has ensured that practically entire team that got affected is nursed back to health and back on work and to their family.

Lastly having received permission from the government to resume the operations, Metro services at Nagpur have resumed with full COVID-19 safety protocols. And it is heartening to note that commuters are slowly but surely returning to the metro rail.

What are the different prospects of business opportunities in the metro projects being undertaken by Maha Metro?

Maha Metro offers multiple business opportunities in the projects undertaken by it. In fact, the opportunities range from being part of the project construction to the indirect employment. Some aspects are mentioned below:• Economic Growth Propellant – It shall accelerate the economic growth of

Nagpur, Pune and the state. This aspect is already getting recognized by global research agencies. Anecdotal evidence also suggests substantial increase in air travel, hotel bookings and enquiry for investments in both the cities after the launch of the metro project. • Orderly Urbanization – It shall facilitate orderly urbanization and better integrated land use mobility integration in Nagpur and Pune whose population is growing fast. This will generate business opportunities of its own. • Urban Rejuvenation and Creating

New City Centre – World class stations designed by international architects with substantial commercial development shall rejuvenate urban spaces and they in themselves will be new growth centres.

project has given approximately 30,000

• Employment Benefits – The Nagpur jobs during construction and will provide similar level of employment (direct/ indirect) during operational phase. Pune project is likely to provide employment generation of similar level.

• Throw Forward Benefit – There will be immense benefit of the project because as per globally evidenced data

X dollar investment in metro rail construction pump-primes city, state & country economy with 4X through the forward & backward linkages.

What are your thoughts on Government of India's "Atma-Nirbhar Bharat" initiative and how is Maha Metro finding itself fit for this mission?

“Atma-Nirbhar Bharat’’ and its precursor “Make in India’’ policy both have significant implication for Metro Rail Projects in the country. A large number of cities in the country are now developing metro rail projects and it is demand of the time that full indigenization is achieved in shortest possible time.

Nagpur Metro Project was sanctioned way back in 2014 and even Pune Metro Project was sanctioned in 2016 while the “Make in India Policy” was unveiled only in June 2017. Despite that MahaMetro has retrofitted the two projects in such a manner that it is compliant to the “Make-in India’’ guidelines.

Maha Metro has ensured overall project domestic content at more than 70%. In the civil portion, indigenization is 95% against 80% policy mandate with sole import exception being import of Head Hardened Rail and Fasteners not manufactured in the country. This has been ensured in both Nagpur and Pune projects.

Also as explained earlier in a leap for make in India policy, MAHA -Metro, through international competitive bidding awarded contract for supply of 102 modern aluminium bodied metro coaches for Pune Metro project to Titagarh Firema, an Italian subsidiary of, Titagarh, a Kolkata based Indian company in the field of railway coaches and wagons. Bulk of these coaches shall be manufactured in the MAHA -metro Nagpur factory. This is the first time that new generation “aluminium body coaches”, (that are lighter, more energy efficient and have batter aesthetic than steel coaches) shall be manufactured in the country. It is an epoch-making game changer in the field of metro rail in the country.

Any other things with our readers. you want to share

It is my proud privilege to extend my warm greetings to readers, share information on Maha Metro as well as on future of urban transport in the country. It is consensus estimate of various committees that within next one decade, i.e. by 2030 more than 600 million Indians will be staying in cities and they will be contributing to three fourth to the GDP of the country up from two-third today. If we extend the horizon year to 25 years from now, more than 60 percent of the country’s population will be urban.

In view of above, clean non-polluting urban transport will be the most critical requirement in years to come. This means more and more cities will need to create Metro-Rail and Metro-Neo infrastructure. By the very nature creation of such infrastructure will need a lot of money and it will not be possible to charge the market related fare from commuters. This will necessitate that project innovations are made to reduce the construction cost, optimize the O & M cost and maximize non-farebox revenue.

It is here that the Maha-Metro proven track record of constructing metro rail at a cost 10% lesser than DPR cost, operating it with 25 staff per km (a new global benchmark), using cheap selfgenerated solar power to the maximum (65% of total energy requirement including traction) and finally having 60% of its total revenues from non-fare box revenues will be the trend setter for future.

To cap it all innovative Metro-Neo conceptualized by Maha-Metro for Nashik will prove to be a precursor for similar cost effective and energy efficient systems in other tier 2/ 3 cities reducing the need for much costlier metro rail systems till the city population and PHPDT along key corridors make it absolutely must to graduate to Metro Rail systems.

How railway digitalisation is on the rise in India?

 Dr. Keerthi Kumar Nagalapur

Indian Railway, India’s government-owned entity that runs the national railway system, is replacing its outdated signaling system with the latest automated train protection and train collision avoidance technologies using a new, locally made signaling system.

The Vande Bharat Express is India’s first semi high-speed train operating between New Delhi and Varanasi, a city about 760km from the capital. Launched in February 2019, the journey of the Vande Bharat Express is not only the story of developing India's first world class, semi-high speed, intercity train – completely conceptualized, designed, and manufactured in India. It also marks the starting point of overhauling the legacy railway signaling system by moving towards the locally developed, digital Automatic Train Protection (ATP), and Train Collision Avoidance systems (TCAS). Long term, the vision also includes the implementation of fully digital railway operations and mobile broadband-based passenger services.

4Like many European countries, India is looking to embrace 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) and New Radio as a future-proof base technology for railway applications. This will also allow Indian Railways to adopt many of the features planned for the Future Railway Mobile Communications System (FRMCS), the global standard for railway communications and a key global railway digitalization. enabler for

FRMCS is the future worldwide telecommunication system designed by the International Union of Railways, and in cooperation with the different stakeholders of the rail sector.

First, let’s look at how 3GPP technologies help to adopt FRMCS features.

Railway innovation: Automatic train protection and train collision avoidance

• ATP and TCAS systems provide enhanced safety and allow trains to travel safely at very high speeds. ATP prevents accidents that stem from collision, signal passing at danger, and over-speeding. ATP continually checks that the speed of a train is compatible with the permitted speed indicated by train signaling, and activates emergency braking in case the train exceeds the speed limit.

• TCAS processes positioning and sensory data to detect dangerous situations that may have been caused by human error or equipment failures. Without TCAS, trains cannot travel safely at speeds above 160kmph as the driver is unable to react fast enough to lineside signals. With TCAS in place, the Vanda Bharat Express can travel faster and safer.

Just like the Vanda Bharat Express, ATP and TCAS are developed and manufactured locally, in this case by Indian research organizations and vendors, and are similar in their functionality to the European Train Control System (ETCS). But while they’re similar in functionality, the Indian design carries a lower cost to Indian Railway.

TCAS relies on communication between trains and a regional, central control system, and is fully integrated in the railway signaling system. TCAS integrates standard trackside equipment, sensors, Internet of Things (IoT) devices and controlling equipment located within the locomotive. All lineside information, for example, ‘track work ahead’, ‘stopped train ahead’, is passed on to the locomotive wirelessly, so there’s no need for the driver to keep watch on these signals.

Long-term vision: Digital operations and gigabit trains train

The long-term vision of global digital train operations is to reduce railway

congestion, improve punctuality, enhance safety and increase line capacity. An example of the latter is when trains are managed as moving blocks, trains can run closer together while maintaining required safety margins and can thereby increase the line's overall capacity. With digital train operations and wireless trainto-train communication, blocks are defined in real time by computers as safe zones around each train.

Other services include connectivity on the train for staff members, service assistance for personnel, onboard surveillance for passenger safety, and high quality mobile broadband and voice services.

In India, FRMCS architecture and services can be introduced later, while preserving ATP and TCAS as a railway application that connects through the FRMCS network.

The use of 3GPP technology as part of TCAS will improve line capacity and allow TCAS to evolve to manage the railway network from central locations covering large sections of track.

3GPP LTE and New Radio for railway signaling, ATP and TCAS

LTE offers ultra-reliable, low-latency communication in newer releases of the specification, suitable to support ATP and TCAS and provide passenger connectivity. 5G-NR comes with even better performance and flexibility in the network topology, which is required for more advanced use cases in the long term. As LTE and 5G-NR are commonly deployed in conjunction with public mobile networks, and the smartphone market evolves from LTE to 5G, mixed deployments and gradual migrations are already highly optimized.

FRMCS and 3GPP LTE and 5G-NR are a perfect match, since FRMCS keeps all railway-specific functionality in the application layer, while LTE and later 5G-NR can serve as the high bit rate, ultra-reliable and low latency transport bearer. This architecture is future-proof, since new applications can be easily introduced successively, while the physical layer can also be migrated and refined with the newest 3GPP release features. This layered architecture also takes advantage of network slicing and can share parts of the rail signaling system with public mobile network service providers and/or public safety agencies.

In addition, FRMCS over 5G-NR can be smoothly introduced in both lower and higher frequency bands, since NR is specified for frequency bands, including micro- and millimeter wave bands and is flexible in its design in terms of physical layer numerology, advanced antenna system support and deployment options.

The railway needs 5MHz of spectrum in the prime 700MHz band for ATP and TCAS. The Department of Telecommunications in India is in the final stages of allotting the required 5 MHz premium spectrum. When spectrum is secured, ATP and TCAS can become operational and provide safety functionality that is on par with the European counterpart, ETCS.

FRMCS over 5G for convenience and mobile services passenger broadband

Apart from rail signaling, FRMCS offers a number of attractive applications for train operators and passengers. Notably, employing 5G as the answer to onboard video surveillance for passenger safety, train health monitoring and cargo tracking for freight customers. These applications have vastly different requirements that are levied on the physical layer capabilities and end-to-end service quality in terms of bit rate, latency and reliability. Meeting these requirements is the strength of LTE and 5G-NR.

As mobile network operators will be deploying dense 5G networks along railway corridors to serve their customers as passengers, they can also leverage this connectivity towards the critical connectivity required by FRMCS. FRMCS features, for example video surveillance, require huge capacity, which cannot be provided by a dedicated railway FRMCS spectrum. Here, network slicing guarantees the isolation of passenger services from critical train operation services and allows the mobile network service provider to supplement capacity when the FRMCS feature requires it.

Migration and mixed deployments

LTE and 5G-NR are very similar with respect to how they are used for communication services, and how such services can interact with the network for configuration and provisioning purposes. Only minor adaptations are needed when migrating a service from LTE to 5G. The LTE and 5G core network are both typically deployed as virtualized network functions, on general purpose hardware, which is why the same hardware can be reused for both technologies, and flexible resource allocation is possible.

Furthermore, dual-core approaches exist, where all the network functions of the 4G and 5G core are integrated into a common core network deployment, enabling a smooth technology migration from 4G to 5G, as illustrated in Figure 1 and further elaborated in this article on 5G migration.

Finally, the same radio hardware can be used for 5G-NR and LTE radio access network, and the radio access network can dynamically switch between both access types with millisecond granularity, based on user demand. This technology, called dynamic spectrum sharing, enables an extremely radio resource-efficient coexistence of 4G and 5G technology in the same spectrum, avoiding complicated spectrum re-farming strategies. Therefore, for rail and mobile network service providers, deploying 4G to enable FRMCS and Gbit train services is a viable option, since it allows a smooth migration path to 5G as the market for more advanced FRMCS services matures.

If everything goes according to plan, 50 percent of Indian Rail Tracks will have an LTE based High Speed Communications Network capable of supporting TCAS, ATP voice and IoT based telemetry services by 2025. This will allow Indian trains to even exceed 200 kmph with appropriate high-speed track alignments.

Co-authored by:

Gabor Fodor, Bastian Cellarius, David Rothbaum and Keerthi Kumar Nagalapur (Researcher Group, Radio)