Urban Transport Infrastructure September 2021 by Urban Transport News

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ISSN 2581-8023 COVER INR 300 VOLUME III ISSUE 17 SEPTEMBER 2021

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Anniversary Special Kochi Metro Rail turns 10

Engineers Day Special Konkan Railway: An incredible success story

National Monetisation Plan (NMP) India unveils Rs 1.5 lakh crore monetisation plan for Railway assets

Urban Logistics Designing Urban Logistics for the future

Case Study Free Public Transport: Exploring the benefits and disadvantages

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URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE | SEPTEMBER 2021 | ISSUE 17

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20 INTERVIEW 20 32

Vinay Kumar Singh

Managing Director, National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC)

Milind Nirmal

Executive Director, Asia Pacific Region, DB Engineering & Consulting GmbH

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Konkan Railway: An incredible success story in Railway history

National Monetisation Plan: A new way to recover and boost Indian Economy

Rail Infra and Mobility Business Summit & Awards 2021 (Second Edition) By Urban Transport News

By Urban Transport News

Our sincere thanks to all those smart minds who are constantly exploring the opportunities to create something new, for a better life. 04

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22 54 STUDY ON FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Free Public Transport: Exploring benefits and disadvantages

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By Hannah Figg, Ricardo Consultant, United Kingdom

ARTICLES/OPINION

Achieving sustainable cities: The link between Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) and Road Safety By Gerald Ollivier, Abhishek Behera, Prerna Mehta and Alina Florentina Burlacu

PPP IN TRANSPORT

How data sharing and AI tools lead to healthier mobility

By Dr. Kirthi Kumar Naglapur

Multi-modal integration: The key to transforming India’s transport systems

Moving from compulsion to choice: Ways to retain Cycling as the forever normal

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Navnirman (NGO) introduces Froto ERickshaw to facilitate last mile connectivity at Delhi Metro stations By Urban Transport News

METRO RAIL PROGRESS IN INDIA

Physical Progress Report of Metro Rail Projects in India By Urban Transport News

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL 54

By Vinay Kumar Singh, Managing Director, NCRTC

By Azra Khan and Swarna Dutta, WRI India

By Shilpa Kharwal, Sr. Project Associate, WRI India

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By Florian Kittelmann Global, Head of Mobility Orchestration and Data Innovation, Alstom Transport

How railway digitalisation is on the rise in India?

Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in City Bus Services in India

Kochi Metro turns 10, promises to fast track development By Dr. Kirthi Kumar Naglapur

EVENTS 57

Industry Event Calendar 2021

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

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VOL. III / ISSUE 17

SEPTEMBER 2021

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Dear Readers, While we're delighted to celebrate the third anniversary of Urban Transport News with some insightful reminiscences, our focus this year is, as always, on the current state and future of urban rail and transportation industry. When it comes to marking anniversaries, publications can sometimes mire themselves in the past. Well, while we're delighted to note and celebrate the 3rd anniversary of Urban Transport News with some insightful reminiscences, our focus this year is, as always, squarely on the current state and future of the transportation industry. In a world where innovation, managing change and new skills and knowledge are demanded, innovators are in the process of researching and developing solutions in view of ‘new normal’ and they need all the most current information they can get. This will help them make a wise, forward-looking decision. So, again this year, we're offering an exciting mix of features, plus realtime updates that will, we hope, give new professionals the useful advice and helpful information that they'll need as they engage in their professional life for the first time. I'd like to thank everyone involved in this year's edition (with a special thanks to our highly skilled editorial advisory board members). Without their efforts, and the work of those who have launched and sustained our news portal and this journal over the last years, we'd have nothing to celebrate, so please enjoy! Kindly share your valuable feedback so that we can improve and provide more useful information to our readers in future editions. Stay Safe and Stay Happy! Mamta Shah Managing Editor editor@urbantransportnews.com

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ROUND UP

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS km stretch of East - Metro Corridor (Line 2) from Phoolbagan to Sealdah station and back to Phoolbagan.

Moscow Metro launches Face Pay for commuters Moscow Metro has launched a test of Face Pay, which will allow its passengers to pay for transport via facial recognition. The city’s Department of Transport says the technology will be trialled on Line 4 to begin with, and will involve a focus group consisting of 1,000 citizens, with the figure set to grow as the test expands to all the lines.

Hitachi Rail to acquire Ground Transportation Business of Thales at €1,660 million French multinational firm Thales Transport and Italian firm Hitachi Rail have announced that they are entering into exclusive negotiations on the sale of Thales’s Ground Transportation Systems Global Business Unit for an enterprise value of €1,660 million.

Titagarh Firema rolls out first trainset for Pune Metro Project Titagarh Firema S.p.A., an Italian subsidiary of Titagarh Wagons Limited, announced that the company has dispatched the first train set to Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha Metro) for the Pune Metro Rail project on August 2, 2021, from their Metro Coach Facility in Caserta, Italy. The coaches are expected to arrive in Pune by end of September 2021.

Kolkata Metro conducts trial run on PhoolbaganSealdah stretch of East-West Corridor Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) on July 31, 2021 has conducted the first trial run of a metro train on a 2.33

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

Indian Railways to run Hydrogen Fuel powered trains first time in India The national transporter of India is working on “Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Batteries” and “National Hydrogen Mission” to meet out the targets of reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emission under Paris Climate Agreement 2015 and “Mission Net Zero Carbon Emission Railway” by 2030. Accepting it as a challenge, Indian Railways Organization of Alternate Fuel (IROAF), Green Fuel vertical of Indian Railways, has invited the bids for operation of Hydrogen Fuel Cell based Train on 89 km Sonipat-Jind section of Northern Railway.

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ROUND UP

MMRC completes 97 percent tunnelling work of Mumbai Metro Line 3

Alstom to deliver first trainset for Kanpur Metro by September this year

Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), achieved its 40th breakthrough at Mahalaxmi Metro Station on the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro-3 corridor. Robbins made TBM Tansa-1 completed its downline drive of 1135.5 meters from Science Museum Metro Station to Mahalaxmi Metro Station in 325 days using 757 concrete rings. The workers of Doğuş and Soma JV has achieved the 40th breakthrough on August 6, 2021 at Mahalaxmi Metro Station.

After reviewing the progress of manufacturing and assembling of Rolling Stock Metro Trains at Savli Plant on August 10, 2021, Kumar Keshav, Managing Director of Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation has informed that Alstom will supply first trainset for Kanpur Metro Rail project by September 2021. Trail run of train will commence from mid of October-November this year.

Delhi Metro launches cashless feeder electric bus service across Delhi-NCR

EIB agrees to fund 480 million euros for Agra Metro Rail Project The European Investment Bank (EIB) has given its approval to provide financial assistance (loan) of 480 million euros for the construction of proposed underground section of the priority corridor of Agra Metro Rail Project. This information was shared by Kumar Keshav, Managing Director of Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (UPMRC) while inaugurating the casting of U-Girders for Agra Metro at Bamrauli Katara Casting Yard in Agra.

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Feeder electric buses services have been introduced for the first time in Delhi on a trial basis by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (DMRC) from 12th August 2021 under which 25 low floor e-buses (24-seater) will be plying from two routes. The facilities of these e-buses can be availed by Delhi Metro passengers having a Smart Card or Metro DTC Smart Card. They can use their Smart Card to pay for the cashless travel since these buses are fully contactless and conductor less enabling entry and exit through turnstiles from the Bus by using the Metro Smart Card. The Metro Smart card is already in use in DTC buses for performing travel. No cash payment will be permitted. Services shall be available for Metro commuters only.

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ADB, India sign $500 million loan for Bangalore Metro Phase 2 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India on August 19, 2021 signed a US$500 million (approx. Rs 3,643) loan to expand the metro rail network in Bengaluru with the construction of two new metro lines totaling 56 kilometers (km) in length. The loan agreement was signed between Ministry of Finance’s Department of Economic Affairs Additional Secretary Rajat Kumar Mishra for the Government of India, and ADB Country Director for India Takeo Konishi for ADB.

K-Rail to launch global tender for Silver Line Semi High Speed Rail within one year Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (K-Rail) is all set to float global tenders for ThiruvananthapuramKasaragod Semi High-Speed Rail (Silver Line) Corridor. "Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (K-Rail) is expected to float the tenders for the Silverline project within one year&rsquo;s time, said V Ajith Kumar, Managing Director, K-Rail adding that within that period, the financial closure as described in the DPR will be ready and the approvals from the central government will come through.

Lokanath Behra appointed as new Managing Director of Kochi Metro Rail Ltd The Kerala Government has decided to appoint former state police chief and retired IPS Officer Loknath Behera as the Managing Director of Kochi Metro Rail Ltd. on August 17, 2021, in the cabinet meeting. His appointment will be for a period of three years. Behra takes charge on August 18, 2021, from K. R. Jyothilal, Principal Secretary to Government of Kerala who was given additional charge of Kochi Metro Rail Ltd after the transfer of Alkesh Kumar Sharma, IAS to the Central Government.

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Govt of India approves ₹61,843 crore Chennai Metro Phase 2 The central government cabinet has given its nod to Rs 61,843 crore ambitius Chennai Metro Rail Project Phase 2 of Tamilnadu Government on August 17, 2021. This information was shared by Chief Minister M K Stalin in the Assembly on Wednesday. "We received the information yesterday (August 17) that the Union government has given its approval for the phase II project,” he said in the Assembly. Stalin said that in his recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, he insisted on the project and based on the pressure he mounted, the Centre has given their approval for the project.

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ROUND UP

Navnirman launches Froto E-Rickshaw to facilitate last mile connectivity at Delhi Metro Stations

RITES to prepare fresh comprehensive mobility plan for Chandigarh

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has partnered with NAVNIRMAN (NGO) to operate E-Rickshaws under their brand name froto from Shakurpur and Rithala metro stations. The first E-Rickshaw service was flagged off from Shakurpur metro station on July 30, 2021, and similarly at Rithala on August 1, 2021 by Shri Harvir Singh, President of NAVNIRMAN (NGO). In the wake of the corona pandemic, NAVNIRMAN (NGO) inaugurated the services in the presence of a limited number of NGO’s members with strict compliance of covid-19 protocol.

After scraping Metro, Monorail, BRTS, Ropeway and Skybus Transit System Plan, Chandigarh administration has now decided to go in for a fresh study on the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for the city. Due to scrapping metro rail plans, the administration has not been able to opt for any other alternative, such as monorail, Skybus or Metrolite yet. The decision was taken after UT officials held a meeting with representatives of the Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES Ltd) this week. The RITES made a presentation on its Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) made in 2009.

Govt. of India unveils Rs 6 lakh crores National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, on August 23, 2021, has launched the asset monetisation pipeline of Central ministries and public sector entities ‘National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP Volumes 1 & 2)’. The pipeline has been developed by NITI Aayog, in consultation with infrastructure line ministries, based on the mandate for ‘Asset Monetisation’ under Union Budget 2021-22. NMP estimates aggregate monetisation potential of Rs 6.0 lakh crores through core assets of the Central Government, over a four-year period, from FY 2022 to FY 2025.

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

Chhavi Bhardwaj takes charge as Managing Director of MP Metro Rail Corporation Madhya Pradesh Government on August 31, 2021, issued new posting orders of various IAS Officers of the state. 2008-batch IAS Officer Chhavi Bhardwaj has been appointed as Managing Director of special purpose vehicle (SPV) Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MPMRCL) to speed up the work of Metro Rail projects proposed in Bhopal and Indore cities. Prior to posting to MPMRCL, she was Mission Director of the National Health Mission of the Government of India in Madhya Pradesh.

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Konkan Railway: An incredible Success Story in Railways History

Engineers Day Special

Today, the Konkan Railway travels 738 kilometers through the states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka, starting just after the Roha railway station (75 km south of Panvel in the suburbs of Mumbai) in Maharashtra and ending at the Thokur railway station near Mangalore in southern Karnataka. The tale of how Konkan Railway was designed and built is an interesting story that not many know about. This feat of engineering had been contemplated by the British a century ago and abandoned as being too formidable.

esigned and built by Indian engineers in a record time of eight years, the Konkan Railway takes you on a breathtaking journey through rugged mountains, lush valleys, sunlit paddy fields, bustling villages and glistening rivers that lead out to sea. Heralding the realization of a long-cherished dream of the people of the Konkan region, the construction of Konkan Railway effectively connected the southwestern coast of India with the rest of the country in a point-to-point straight line. It is undoubtedly one of the biggest and most difficult infrastructure projects India has undertaken and successfully completed since Independence.

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Work on the line running along the western coast of India began as early as 1964 when a line was laid between Diva and Panvel. It was further extended to Apta two years later in 1966. However, it was only in October 1984 that the Ministry of Railways decided to build the railway route, dubbed the Konkan Railway after the coastline it hugged, that would cover the west coast line from Madgaon to Roha. Two years later in 1989, work on the Konkan Railway officially began. Building the Konkan Railway threw up a whole range of difficulties for the engineers tasked with the job. The rocky Sahyadri range had to be bored through,viaducts had to be built through valleys and more than 1,500 rivers had to be forded. WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

ENGINEERS DAY SPECIAL

It was a sweeping challenge that needed a leader as formidable as the challenge itself. George Fernandes, the then Railway Minister, belonged to Udupi on the Konkan Coast and he was passionate about seeing this important project through. He persuaded Dr. E. Sreedharan, a veteran railway man known for brisk efficiency, to become the Chairman and Managing Director of Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd that was founded in 1990. The topography of Western Chat is extremely rugged and changes every few kilometres. The builders had to cut through steep cliffs, deep gorges, rocky plateaus, swampy marshes, tropical jungle, and fast flowing rivers, especially in Maharashtra where the Ghats reach directly to the sea. Adding to this was the wild fury nature unleashed in the Ghats during monsoon, in the form of torrential rainfall and tropical thunderstorms that caused tunnel cave-ins, landslides, and flash floods. To reach the target speed of 160 km per hour, a near flat track with a minimum curvature of 1.25kM radius was needed. The only way this could be achieved was to build the rail line straight through the undulating terrain. This meant constructing a lot of bridges, tunnels and embankments that would allow the track to maintain its level run. Satellite images were used to finalize the alignment and work started from both the ends. Hydraulic tunnel digging equipment was imported from Sweden to dig many of these tunnels. Piers for major bridges were cast on the riverbanks itself and launched using cranes mounted on pontoons. Around 2000 bridges were built and 91 tunnels were dug. Nine tunnels were painstakingly dug by hand, meter by meter, as the digging equipment did not have the technology to tackle the wet, soft and loose clayey soil surrounding the tunnels. Nineteen lives and four years were lost while constructing the soft soil tunnels alone. Work stopped many times, especially in the monsoon, as some of these tunnels would cave in as soon as they were dug and had to be dug all over again. In 1994, the Mahad sector was flooded with the water level rising to 12 feet above road level. At Ukshi, an entire mountainside buried the works and equipment. Engineer Kapoor, who was building the Pernem tunnel, was buried chest deep following a soil collapse and was rescued by his colleague Jayasankaran in an act of daring that won him a bravery award. Many were injured and 10 people lost their lives during the incredibly difficult construction of the rail line.

government agency of Sweden, that asked, “Would not Sweden sort out much of its tunnel boring problems by sending its engineers to the Konkan Railway project?” After eight years of labour, the first passenger train along the picturesque Konkan Railway sea route was flagged off on January 26, 1998. In a country where it takes years to complete a flyover, this was an incredible speed of construction! The Konkan Railway had also scored many firsts. For the first time in India funds for the project were raised without touching the government coffers. The authorized capital was pooled together by the railways and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. This was done by leveraging public bonds (to the extent of Rs.2250 crores) that carried attractive rates of return, tax breaks and guaranteed repayment. Over 4850 hectares of land was acquired from over 42000 owners in the three states of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. Many gave up their properties and lands voluntarily, convinced of the importance of the project. Heritage, community and religious structures were left alone while displaced farmers were properly rehabilitated. Payment cheques were door-delivered at a time when India was still highly bureaucratized, that too, within twelve months. The scenic route also had India’s then-longest ever tunnel at Karbude, which is 5.6 km. in length. The route also has a 424 viaduct for a single line of broad gauge track over the Panval river. A visible example of the ingenuity and the dedication of the builders, the Panval Viaduct connects two hills and has 12 spans and 10 pillars, 6 of which are taller than the Qutub Minar ! At present, it is the third highest viaduct in Asia. Joining the length and breadth of Konkan and touching its core like no one else does, the Konkan Railway is an Indian triumph in many areas – engineering, efficiency, innovation, and dedication. Even today, a journey on this spectacular route, with its resplendent views of the Western Ghats, is an experience that remains etched in your memory for a long, long time. ***

Despite these hurdles and the criticism they faced due to it, the unflappable team pushed forward, working night and day, to complete the project. The incredible effort going into the project was reflected in a report of SIDA, a WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

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National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP)

A new way to recover and boost Indian economy through Railway assets

ndia’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently unveiled Centre's ambitious Rs 6 lakh crore asset monetisation plan which includes key sectors such as roadways, railways and power. The monetisation plan was first announced in the Union Budget 2021-22 speech. According to Sitharaman, the ownership of the assets will remain with the government. Of the Rs 6 lakh crore, the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) sees a potential asset monetisation of Rs 1,52,496 crore for Indian Railways. This is around 26% of the total NMP plan for the next 4 years and less only to roadways which is seen at Rs 1,60,200 crore. With Indian Railways' focus on augmenting infrastructure to facilitate freight and passenger movement, significant investments will be needed to address capacity constraints, states the NMP. With that in mind, the NMP outlines asset monetisation plans for railway stations, passenger trains, hill railways, goods sheds, Dedicated Freight Corridors and track infrastructure etc.

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The assets have been identified keeping in mind that most of them like stations and goods sheds are typically centrally located in prime locations with high commercial potential. The National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) and the Draft National Rail Plan (NRP) 2020 lay out a detailed assetlevel plan for the development of railways. The NIP talks of a total capex of Rs 13.7 lakh crore by the centre and states over FY 2022-25. Rs 1.6 lakh crore of this is planned via the PPP route. The NMP details the plan to monetise railway assets with the help of private sector participation. Railway station redevelopment: Indian Railways has initiated the railway stations redevelopment project with the objectives of providing world-class passenger amenities and making them hubs of economic development. This will be achieved by leveraging the commercial development opportunity of land and air space around the station, NMP states. IRSDC and RLDA will be the nodal institutions to drive the project for redevelopment of 400 stations.

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

NATIONAL MONETISATION PLAN INDIA

The railway stations have been divided into three categories; Tier 1: 50 stations, Tier 2: 100 stations, and Tier 3: 250 stations based on the commercial potential and potential scale of development. Some of the key railway stations identified are: • New Delhi • Mumbai (CSMT) • Nagpur • Amritsar • Tirupati • Dehradun • Gwalior • Sabarmati • Nellore • Puducherry The indicative monetisation value has been arrived at based on the capital cost towards the redevelopment of railway stations. Rs 400 crore is the median capex per railway station. With this as the base, capex per railway station for the three categories of assets was estimated as follows: Tier 1 – Rs 500 crore per station, Tier 2 – Rs 300 crore per station, and Tier 3 – Rs 85 crore per station. Passenger train operations: By roping in the private sector for operating passenger trains, Indian Railways is looking to meet the demand of waitlisted passengers. The passenger business is estimated to be worth $7.5 billion annually. Railways has consistently reported 15% unserved demand levels in the form of waitlisted passengers. Bidding for the first set of clusters is presently underway. Private operators will be offered 150 passenger trains to be operated across 12 clusters and 109 Origin-Destination pairs of routes. Some of the clusters include Mumbai, Delhi, Howrah, Secunderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru. The concession is expected to be awarded in FY2022. These trains will be introduced in a phased manner over FY 202325. The indicative monetisation value has been arrived at based on a capex approach – that is the capital cost towards acquisition of rolling stock plus an additional mark-up towards establishment and other PPP incidentals. Dedicated Freight Corridors: It is estimated that 2,843 km of Dedicated Freight Corridors (excluding the PPP section) will be fully commissioned by June 2022. It is assumed that DFCCIL will monetise 673 kms of track. This will be done either by an InvIT transaction with revenue in form of Track Access Charge or by way of grant of TOT like concessions. The indicative monetisation value has been arrived at based on the capital cost towards construction of existing DFCCIL corridors.

Railway assets considered for monetisation over FY 2022-25 explained below Asset Type

FY22

FY23

FY24

FY25

Total

Railway Station Development

120

400

Passenger Train Operations

Track-OHE InVT

1400 km

Goods Sheds

100

265

Konkan Railway

741 km

Hill Rilways

Dedicated Freight Corridors

337 km

674 km

Railway Stadiums

Railway Colonies

Planned

tracks, signalling, OHE etc. This will be done across defined railway routes as a packaged asset. The monetisation of one major Origin-Destination route will be taken up as a pilot project, which would serve as the framework for other profitable routes. Private Freight Terminals: Indian Railways manages 1,246 goods sheds. These can be monetised by inviting the private sector for augmentation & Operations and Maintenance of these good sheds. In this case, the monetisation value has been arrived at based on the capex approach. The NRP talks of an investment of around Rs 60 crore for the development of a greenfield terminal. Since the capex for upgradation of an existing facility would be lesser, the derived value fixed is Rs 21 crore. Konkan Railway, Hill Railways, Railway Stadiums and colonies: These assets have been selected based on profitability of routes, potential to scale up a range of service offerings, potential for improved O&M standards and utilisation of sports stadiums. ***

Track, signalling, and Overhead Equipment InvIT: The idea is to monetise existing railway infrastructure such as

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

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URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

INTERVIEW

Our target is that in March 2023, rapid rail will start running on 17 km of this corridor and gradually its sections will be opened. By 2025, passengers of Delhi will be able to reach Meerut in an hour by Rapid Rail. We estimate that in 2025, 8 lakh passengers will travel daily on Rapid Rail. -

VINAY KUMAR SINGH Managing Director, NCRTC

The construction work of India’s first Regional Rail Transit System (RRTS) between Delhi and Meerut is going at full pace under the dynamic leadership of Vinay Kumar Singh, Managing Director of National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC). In a recent interview with Invest India, Singh has shared latest updates on ongoing activities of Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor and other two proposed corridors. What is NCRTC’s outlook and plan for the development of the Regional Rapid Transit System across the National Capital Region? At NCRTC, we have a vision of improving the quality of life for millions of people residing in the National Capital Region by providing a fast, equitable, comfortable, safe, and sustainable mobility solution. RRTS is a rail-based, high-speed, high-capacity transit system with a design speed of 180 km/h. Such seamless connectivity will drive balanced and sustainable urban development in the region. RRTS is different from conventional Railway and Metro services as it will provide reliable, high-frequency, comfortable regional travel to passengers looking to travel relatively longer distance with

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

fewer stops at high speed. A total of 8 corridors have been identified for creating highspeed RRTS links in NCR, of which 3 corridors; Delhi – Ghaziabad - Meerut, Delhi – Gurgaon – SNB - Alwar, and Delhi - Panipat are being prioritized for implementation in the first Phase. The civil construction of the 82km long India’s first Delhi-Ghaziabad–Meerut RRTS corridor is in full-swing and our team is confident of completing the project as per scheduled timelines. What were the efforts and initiatives undertaken by NCRTC, to make the project successful? We have strategically planned every phase of the project from planning to operations. To ensure the successful implementation and operation of the project, we have adopted and developed state-of-the-art technological solutions some of which are being used for the first time in the country and will prove transformational for transport infrastructure projects. RRTS will be the first rail-based transit system which will be using ETCS-II, the most-advanced signalling and train control system equipped with the Automatic Train

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INTERVIEW

Operations (ATO) functionality for high-frequency and efficient operations. Furthermore, persistent efforts are being taken to ensure large-scale adoption of public transportation solutions by the commuters in NCR and a sustained ridership for RRTS. In this direction, DPR of the corridors modified for converging the three priority corridors at Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi & making them interoperable. In addition, Multi-Modal-Integration has been kept at center of our project planning. Thus, RRTS stations will have seamless integration with other modes of transportation, such as Delhi Metro Stations, ISBTs (Interstate Bus Terminals), Airport, and Railway Stations.

We will have provisions like exclusive women coach, availability of wheelchairs, large sized lifts which can help carry patients & stretchers, separate seating priority for women, specially abled, elderly and children.

Talking of technology, we have adopted BIM- Building Information Modeling along with CDE (Common Data Environment), which is a high-advanced 3D designing technology that helps in facilitating optimum economical design and seamless collaboration. We are also in process of implementing iDREAMS, Asset Management System (AMS), for the efficient operation and maintenance of various assets being used in the RRTS project.

We are also focused on making use of renewable sources of energy in a strategic manner. This includes installation of solar panels on stations, depots and other auxiliary buildings. In fact, 40% of the total energy requirement of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut-RRTS corridor is targeted to be procured/generated from renewable sources of energy.

The system will lead to significant reduction in congestion and pollution. Once operational, the Delhi-GhaziabadMeerut RRTS will ensure a modal shift in favour of public transport taking more than 1,00,000 vehicles off the roads and reduce ~2,50,000 Tonne CO2/year. RRTS will prove to be one of the most environment-friendly mass rapid transport system for NCR, having long-term impact.

What is the expected role of private sector in the future growth/development of the RRTS systems across the National Capital Region? Such a huge infrastructure project is being implemented for the first time in India requires private participation. We are tapping the domain expertise and efficiency of the private sector in a range of project works whether it is detailed designing, civil construction or other areas of project implementation. NCRTC is also coming up with innovative ways to bring in private expertise for the project. To share with you, implementation of an Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS) is being procured through a hybrid annuity model system.

What is the expected impact of the RRTS projects that are under various stages of implementation? RRTS will not only offer mass transit benefits but also bring in wide range of economic benefits to the region. The corridor will unlock economic potential of various tier II and tier III towns around National Capital leading to polycentric development. RRTS will provide fast and convenient mode of travel to thousands of students and working population across Delhi-NCR. This will also lead to increased industrial investment in these zones, creation of new economic clusters, and enhanced jobs generation. RRTS is an equitable mode of public transport ensuring ease of access and commute for every section of the society. WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

We are also in the process of engaging a private O&M operator who will not only operate the Trainset but will also maintain the sub-systems, whether it is track, signaling, electrical or mechanical systems. Other than this, on non-fare box revenue side, we are involving private parties for developing and exploring commercial potential of our stations. What is the expected timeline and impact of the upcoming Delhi – Gurugram – SNB RRTS Corridor (Please feel free to mention unique features of the project which you would like to highlight)? The Detailed Project Report of the Delhi-Gurugram-SNB RRTS corridor has already been approved by the respective URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

INTERVIEW

state governments. At present, it is under active consideration of the Govt. of India for approval. We are proactively carrying out the pre-construction works on this corridor such as utility shifting infringing the alignment, obtaining numerous approvals etc. so that construction work can start as soon as approval is obtained. This corridor passes through the industrialized areas of Haryana and Rajasthan. It will increase the productivity of large number of commuters travelling to and from Delhi and Gurugram to regions in Manesar, Bawal, and Neemrana, and facilitate availability of skilled manpower to industries.

Through this initiative, we intend to achieve, Operational efficiency – reliability, availability, maintenance & safety; Cost optimization & Revenue Enhancement; Optimal Asset utilization and management; and Improved Commuter Experience. O&M works will include station management, train operations, general maintenance etc. We shall retain the right to collect fare box revenue. However, O&M Operator will facilitate NCRTC in revenue collection and its maximisation.

What is the thought behind the recent RFP issued for the Operations & Maintenance contract of the Delhi – Ghaziabad – Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS)? The Metro Rail Policy 2017 issued by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has emphasized the need for private sector participation for regional rail and metro rail projects. In line with this policy, NCRTC intends to engage a partner for undertaking operation & maintenance of RRTS and ensure long term sustainability of the project.

India’s International Magazines for Rail, Metro and Transportation Industry

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Free Public Transport: Exploring the benefits and disadvantages Many European cities have implemented fare-free public transport (FFPT) schemes over the last 20 years. A comparison of these schemes shows that there are many differences in their implementation. This reflects the way that municipal authorities have tailored FFPT to the characteristics of each city (e.g. public transport network and funding arrangements, the socio-economic make-up of the population and the political landscape). However, despite these differences in implementation, the objectives of different FFPT schemes are very similar. Hannah Figg Ricardo Consultant United Kingdom

ast year Luxembourg became the first country to introduce universal fare-free public transport (FFPT) for all modes at a national level. However, FFPT is not a new policy instrument and many European towns and cities have implemented fare-free schemes at different times over the past few decades. However, despite this wide pool of experience, FFPT is still poorly understood. Few independent evaluations have been carried out on how the policy has been implemented and what the benefits and disadvantages are. This case study reviews the implementation of different FFPT schemes from around Europe and reflects on how well these have done.

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These include: • promoting social inclusion; • increasing the mobility and disposable income of particular socio-economically disadvantaged groups; • lowering employment costs for employers and employees and creating new opportunities for work; • increasing the modal share of public transport alongside modal shares for walking and cycling; • reducing negative environmental impacts caused by urban transport (e.g. by reducing traffic congestion, and improving air quality and the long-term health of residents). The majority of FFPT schemes implemented in Europe to date have been limited in duration or scale. Reasons for this include improving social equity for specific groups, short-term publicity campaigns and some environmental purposes.

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STUDY ON FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

In contrast, full-scale FFPT schemes are much wider in their application, are usually long term, and may be universal schemes that form an integral part of integrated sustainable mobility schemes that seek to encourage behavioural changes. Social equity Many city public transport networks offer FFPT to specific user groups, such as young people in full time education, the unemployed and pensioners. Various qualifying factors are used, such as proof of age, residency, income thresholds. Eliminating fares improves accessibility for these user groups and increases public transport demand through price elasticity. The resulting upswing in travel facilitates new social and economic opportunities that would not otherwise have existed. Prior to introducing full FFPT, Luxembourg already offered free travel to young people below the age of 20, students under 30, and residents who were socioeconomically disadvantaged and qualified for a ‘social inclusion income’. However, the introduction of a universal FFPT was a manifesto commitment and was described by François Bausch, the Minister for Mobility and Public Works, as ‘an important social measure’. He continued, ‘the objective is to stop the deepening gap between rich and poor. For people on low wages, transport expenses matter. Therefore, it is easier to make it free for everyone.’ By eliminating all standard-class fares, FFPT is now expected to benefit around 40% of households in Luxembourg, saving each one an estimated EUR 100 per year. Employment costs and opportunities FFPT can be beneficial to low-income households and universal FFPT even more so. However, the link between FFPT and greater employment opportunities for disadvantaged groups has not yet been confirmed. None of the FFPT evaluations carried out to date has investigated this, so it is something that still needs to be established. More broadly, FFPT may reduce employment costs for employers and employees. Employees do not have to pay for travel, and employers no longer need to consider subsidised transport (e.g. travel loans or a company car) as a possible benefit for their employees.

running outreach campaign to encourage residents to use Västtrafik’s services and to double the number of journeys made by public transport by 2025. Västtrafik has organised 30 such ‘test-ride’ campaigns since 2010 and estimates that around 20% of those receiving the free tickets, or 100,000 residents, have become regular users of public transport as a result. Environment and health The need to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality are significant drivers behind the introduction of many FFPT schemes in metropolitan areas. As well as the economic benefits to be gained from shorter journey times due to reduced traffic, residents’ long-term health is improved by better air quality. Concerns over short-term air quality were behind the City Council of Prague’s decision in 2019 to implement limitedperiod FFPT during future air pollution incidents. The aim was to reduce air pollution from traffic at critical times. Adam Scheinherr, Deputy Minister for Transport, said ‘In the event of a smog situation, public transport will be free. We want to make it clear that we must protect the air in Prague together. This measure, which will offer Praguers another alternative when travelling around the city, can also contribute to this’. The measure is expected to cost around EUR 190,000 per day when implemented.

Modal share

Other cities have adopted similar short-term measures to improve air quality. For example, in December 2015, Milan and Turin temporarily introduced free travel over a number of days to mitigate high levels of air pollution from cars in urban areas.

Limited-period FFPT has been used successfully in the Swedish city of Gothenburg to boost the modal share of public transport. In 2019, the regional transport agency, Västtrafik, handed out 30,000 free 2-week passes valid for travel on buses, ferries and trams. This was part of a long-

There is some evidence to suggest that walking and cycling modes can be negatively impacted by the introduction of longer term FFPT. To this end, Luxembourg has planned for an additional 600 km of cycle paths alongside its FFPT project.

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STUDY ON FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Stakeholder participation Universal FFPT is a key part of Luxembourg’s sustainable mobility strategic plan, ‘Modu 2.0’, which takes a multimodal approach to encourage permanent behavioural change. Alongside an overarching objective to increase public transport use by 50% by 2025, the mobility strategy aims to reduce private car use by 15%, increase car occupancy from 1.2 to 1.5 people and increase the modal share of walking and cycling. Stakeholder engagement of employers, passengers, schools and colleges is seen as key to meeting these objectives. A new ‘Mobility-as-a-Service’ (MaaS) app has been developed to simplify door-to-door travel planning across the bus, tram, train, bike, car-sharing and walking networks. Users select their preferred modes and the app provides travel options and an overall travel time based on live data on public transport and traffic. Park-and-ride areas have been integrated into the app along with the carpooling provider ‘CoPilote’.

its FFPT project from general taxation. This covers the additional EUR 41 million previously raised from ticket sales, which covered approximately 6% of the bus and 10% of the train network running costs or 8% of total budgeted running costs of EUR 500 million. Public transport was already heavily subsidised before the introduction of FFPT – a one-way standard-class fare cost EUR 2 and a day pass covering the whole network EUR 4. Other FFPT schemes make up the shortfall in revenue from other local taxation sources. Results Evaluation results have been published for full-scale implementations of FFPT schemes in Hasselt in Belgium, Dunkirk in France and Tallinn in Estonia. However, these are based on limited data and the longer-term impacts are still to be established. The first evaluation of the Luxembourg FFPT project is due later in 2021.

François Bausch said, ‘The technology facilitating the use of sustainable means of transport is an important component of our multimodal mobility concept’. He continued, ‘By means of a seamless, intermodal and high-quality network, we encourage people to switch from their private cars to public transport. Travel information, punctuality and reliable connections are essential.’ Financing FFPT Implementing FFPT means that other funding sources need to be found to make up for the shortfall in ticket revenue. However, most public transport networks in Europe receive significant public subsidy. In smaller transport systems, ticket revenue may be below 10% of total operating costs, which means that the additional cost of implementing FFPT compared to charging for public transport is comparatively small. Universal FFPT can be the end point in a systematic reduction in fares. Additionally, some of the lost ticket revenue is offset by eliminating administrative and ticket infrastructure costs associated with setting and collecting fares. As an example, Luxembourg funds WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

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Hasselt Hasselt introduced a universal FFPT scheme between 1997 and 2014 on its public transport bus network, which served a population of 75,000, in co-operation with the public transport company De Lijn. The scheme was introduced at the same as measures were brought in to reduce road congestion. Over the implementation period, the number of passengers increased by a factor of 12 and the bus fleet was expanded from 8 to 46 buses and the number of bus routes was increased from 4 to 9. Evaluation of the scheme found that 63% of all bus users had used the transport network previously, but now used the FFPT network more frequently than before. Approximately 37% of passengers were new users, of which 43% had switched from private cars, 32% from cycling and 25% from walking. However, despite the increase in numbers using the transport network, the FFPT did not have a significant effect on reducing car use overall. The cost of the free bus experiment to the public transport company De Lijn quadrupled in 10 years from EUR 967,000 in 1997 to EUR 3.4 million in 2007. Following the financial crash in 2008, it was no longer feasible for the regional or municipal authorities to continue meeting the cost of the scheme. Therefore, fares were reintroduced in 2014, although transport remained free to specified user groups such as pensioners and those under the age of 19. Dunkirk In 2018, Dunkirk and surrounding regions (cantons) introduced a universal FFPT on the ‘DK’BUS’ bus network, alongside an ongoing restructuring of the network serving the Dunkirk urban agglomeration and surrounding area of some 200,000 residents. The Dunkirk FFPT was implemented to increase accessibility and mobility for local inhabitants, with an overall objective to double the number of journeys by bus to more than 10% of all journeys by 2020. Other aims included improving accessibility to the bus network and other core services, and increasing the purchasing power of low-income groups. The project is being led by the Urban Community of Dunkirk (CUD). The project began in 2014 with a series of meetings with residents on the different proposals. In 2016, there was a public inquiry on the developed plan. Investments have been made in the capacity of the transport network and connectivity since 2016. The bus fleet has been modernised and bus numbers have increased from 100 to 135 – 70% of these now run on liquified natural gas (LNG) and there are three electric buses. Seven new bus routes have been added and the 18-line bus network is now connected through three new ‘exchange’ hubs, increasing the overall transport offer to the city and surrounding area.

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An initial evaluation by VIGS association for the period January to May 2019, compared to the same period in 2017, found that the number of trips increased by 85% and that bus use increased by 65% during the week and by 120% at weekends. A survey of 2,000 users found that the network is being used more intensively than before by existing users and that new users comprised 50% of all users. Almost half of new users (48%) had moved to the bus from private cars and the overall modal shift for all passengers from car to bus was 24%. The project has received extensive coverage in the media. The survey found that this had given the public transport network a positive image and 68% of users surveyed claimed the new free network enhances the image of Dunkirk. Service quality has improved. Prior to the introduction of FFPT, ticket sales raised only EUR 4.5 million or 10% of the annual running costs of the transport network. The resulting shortfall was met by an increased ‘versement mobilité’ (VM), a hypothecated urban regional transport/mobility payroll tax levied in France on employers with more than 11 employees. The VM now contributes 70% to the funding of FFPT and the remaining 30% (EUR 15 million per year) is provided by the municipal authority. Tallinn In 2013, Tallinn became the largest city to introduce a universal FFPT policy across its tram, trolley bus and bus network for 420,000 registered residents. Residents who are registered pay EUR 2 for a smartcard (the ‘Green Card’) after which time all journeys are free. FFPT was introduced following public consultations that showed that 49% of residents were dissatisfied with paying for public transport. The objectives of the scheme were to promote modal shift from the car to public transport, improve the mobility of low income and unemployed residents and increase the number of people registered as being resident in Tallinn. Public transport in Tallinn already enjoyed a very high modal share with 40% of all journeys made on the network prior to FFPT. Ticket sales of EUR 12 million in 2012 made up around one-third of operating costs. Following the introduction of FFPT, the shortfall in revenue was more than covered by another 25,000 residents who reregistered in the municipality, as the Tallinn municipal authority receives EUR 1,000 of each registered resident’s income tax per year. The results from several initial evaluations of the impacts of FFPT in Tallinn have been published. It was found that after 3 months, the share of public transport increased by 3% overall, of which 1.2% was attributed to the FFPT policy. Car use decreased by approximately 5%. However, WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

STUDY ON FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

average passenger trip length decreased by 10%, which suggests more broadly that there was also an undesired modal shift away from walking (which previously made up 30% of all journeys) to public transport. The modal share of public transport increased by 23% in low-income, out-ofeducation and unemployed socio-economic groups. This suggests that FFPT led to additional trip generation for these user groups, increasing their mobility and making the city more accessible to them – as was intended. A recent study by the National Audit Office analysed whether economic feasibility had been taken into account during the planning, organisation and funding of county bus transport between 2017-2019. Its main findings were that funding for public transport services is unequal between Estonian counties, and state expenditures in funding public transport has risen rapidly. Additionally, it was found that the bus network is not designed to meet people’s mobility needs as it got planned from the view of current public transport users only, not car users, and overall the free public transport has not reached its goal to reduce car journeys, as more than half of all trips to work are still being completed by car. However, data has not yet been collected on any resulting economic benefits such as increased employment opportunities.

• • •

sustained modal shifts to public transport due to the price elasticity; greater potential for long-term behavioural change; reduced network costs through eliminating administrative and ticket sale functions.

However, full-scale universal FFPT requires significant investment in new transport infrastructure. This is because the transport network has to be able to cope with the increase in demand and meet standards of service effectiveness and quality. Otherwise passengers could stop using public transport and its modal share would drop. Full-scale FFPT also requires new sources of funding to make up for the shortfall from ticket sales. Schemes that have been successful in this have done so through: • general taxation – Luxembourg (since 2020); • hypothecated local taxation – Dunkirk (since 2018); • an increased allocation of income tax from residents – as for Tallinn (since 2013). A final caveat is that, while results from Dunkirk and elsewhere show that full-scale FFPT can result in a significant increase in public transport use and a reduction in private car use, the overall share of public transport for all journeys is still small, typically around 10% of the total. ***

Challenges, opportunities and transferability The implementation of most FFPT schemes in cities around Europe has been limited in scale, such as: • FFPT targeted over the long-term at particular age groups and socio-economically disadvantaged segments of society to promote social equity; • FFPT implemented for short-term promotional campaigns to increase the modal share of public transport, as has been used with some effect in Gothenburg; • FFPT used tactically to try to improve air quality at critical times, such as was done during air pollution incidents in Milan, Turin and, most recently, in Prague; • FFPT for key workers during the coronavirus (COVID19) lockdowns across western Europe, as was done for NHS staff in the United Kingdom. Hence, a key advantage of limited FFPT is that it offers considerable flexibility in approach, and existing revenue and funding structures, based on varying degrees of public subsidy alongside sales of tickets and annual passes, are maintained. In comparison, distinct advantages offered by full-scale FFPT implementations include: • wider social benefits to all low-income households; • reduced overall employment costs for employees and employers;

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Achieving sustainable cities: The link between Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) and Road Safety

Gerald Ollivier Lead Transport Specialist, The World Bank India

Abhishek Behera Project Lead, Neighborhood Projects at City of Toronto

Prerna Mehta Associate Director (UD) WRI India

Alina Florentina Burlacu Senior Transport Specialist The World Bank

magine a city with safe roads, where people and traffic mix make for streets that are healthy, green, and liveable. A city that can finance improvements to public space and connectivity by capturing value created through integrated land use and transport planning. Such a vision has never been more relevant for a rapid development of urban areas than it is today.

transit , walking and cycling, as primary modes of transport and which supports vibrant, diverse, and livable communities. This is achieved by concentrating urban densities, communities, and activities within a 5-10 minute walking distance from mass rapid transit stations (both bus and rail-based), developing quality urban space and providing convenient and efficient access to a diverse mix of land uses.

Fortunately, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) can play a major role in achieving this vision. TOD is a planning and design strategy that focuses on creating urban development patterns which facilitate the use of public

The TOD Basics

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An efficiently planned TOD ensures seamless integration of public transport with different modes of transportation

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SUSTAINABLE CITIES

that are accessible, safe, less cumbersome, and comfortable; with the highest priority being given to pedestrians followed by people on cycles, and the least to private vehicles. Following that priority order, a TOD project integrates best practices of land use planning, transportation planning and urban design and is supported by innovative financing models of public private partnerships and infrastructure development to create livable communities. TOD can be designed at multiple scales of site, station area, corridor, and city or regional levels and help limit the spread of urban sprawl. It increases access to jobs and services, and reduced demand on private vehicles help decrease congestion and improve air quality. TOD & Road Safety – the missing link Owing to these benefits amongst many others, cities around the world – especially in low- and middle-income countries are adopting TOD planning practices for smart growth and improving quality of life for their residents. However, an enhanced integration of walking and cycling networks with public transit means higher number of pedestrians and bicyclists accessing the transit station and the developments within that area.

Cities. This resource focuses on providing stakeholders with a robust, cyclic process for decision making to implement TODs at multiple scales, adapted to local contexts and constraints. These five steps have been adapted, using the Safe Systems approach, to include road safety considerations within the framework. The Safe Systems approach is more ‘forgiving’ than the traditional approach for preventing collisions. It considers human beings as vulnerable and fallible, and prone to errors. The Safe Systems approach calls for a shared responsibility between all those accountable for the safety of the system, including all road users. The five steps now include: 1. Assess: To evaluate the road safety status of a city by evaluating the existing conditions, focusing on demographics and road crash data assessment; infrastructure conditions and spatial assessment; and policies, regulatory frameworks, and capacity assessments. 2. Enable: To develop an enabling environment that facilitates institutions and stakeholders to be aware of road safety challenges and allows a TOD project to fill gaps identified in the previous step and act as a catalyst for achieving road safety 3. Plan & Design: To plan and design infrastructure that addresses networking challenges within a TOD station area

Road safety considerations are critical within a TOD project and need to be included at every stage of the process. If we review the main resources and research on TOD planning made by cities, countries, and various organizations, we will find that road safety is often not included as a high priority consideration by local governments, planners, engineers, developers, and other stakeholders. What can we do? The World Bank developed the five-step TOD framework under the Global Partnership for Sustainable WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

and the elements designed are equitable and equipped to cater to the increased volume of users and their requirements. 4. Finance: To develop innovative financing tools for the local authorities, enabling institution, developers and property owners that help allocate funds and provide incentives for ensuring road safety. 5. Implement: To overcome barriers for implementing road safety within a TOD station area by addressing various gaps as identified and evaluate the effectiveness through key road safety performance indicators. URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

RAIL INFRA & MOBILITY BUSINESS SUMMIT & AWARDS 2021 (SECOND EDITION) DECEMBER 21, 2021 | NEW DELHI, INDIA

With the aims to provide extreme recognition to the industry and leaders for their extraordinary contribution towards infrastructure development in the world through their innovative ideas, products and services, Urban Transport News in collaboration with leading industry, is announcing the second edition of Rail Infra and Mobility Business Summit & Awards 2021 (RIMBSA 2021). The program is scheduled for December 21, 2021, in New Delhi, India. KEY DATES  Submission of Nominations for Awards: 1 Sept. – 31 Oct., 2021  Online Delegate Registration: November 1- 30, 2021  Announcement of Winners: 11 November 2021  Summit & Awards Ceremony: December 21, 2021 AWARDS CATEGORIES

CORPORATE Rail Business  Modern Mass Rapid Transit Project of the Year  Rail Solution Provider of the Year* (in 20 sub-categories)  M&P Solution Provider of the Year  Rail Business Start-up of the Year Infra/Construction Business  Modern EPC Company of the Year  Infra Solution Provider of the Year  Tunelling Solution Provider of the Year  Infra Business Start-up of the Year Mobility Business  Modern Bus Transit Project of the Year  Green Mobility Project of the Year  Logistics Solution Provider of the Year  Shared Mobility Solution Provider of the Year  Micro-Mobility Solution Provider of the Year  E-Mobility Solution Provider of the Year  Smart Mobility App of the Year  Mobility Business Start-up of the Year

Consultancy Business  DPR Consultant of the Year  Project Management Consultant of the Year  Infra Designer & Architect of the Year  Rail & Transport Training Provider of the Year  Transport Research Institute of the Year  Infra PR Solution Provider of the Year  Manpower Solution Provider of the Year Innovation  Railway Innovator of the Year  Infra Innovator of the Year  Mobility Innovator of the Year

INDIVIDUAL         

Rail Business Leader of the Year Infra Business Leader of the Year Mobility Business Leader of the Year Modern Infra-Man of the Year Modern Infra Women of the Year Infra Consultant of the Year Infra Architect of the Year Transport Researcher of the Year Inspiring Business Leader of the Year

**1. AFC & Ticketing 2. Camera & Recorder 3. Body Structure 4. Electrical & Power Supply 5. Fasteners & Fittings 6. HVAC (Air Conditioning 7. Instrumentation Equipment 8. Lift & Escalator 9. Measuring & Calibration 10. Mechanical Equipment 11. Rolling Stock 12. Signalling, 13. Telecom 14. Track & P-Way 15. Train Software 16. Sensor Technology 17. Cybersecurity 18. Steel & Metals 19. Brakes and 20. Operation & Maintenance (O&M).

Rules    

Three awards (1st, 2nd & 3rd Position) will be given in each category/sub-category. The winners will be awarded with an artistic trophy along with 'Certificate of Appreciation'. The winners will be selected by a team of industry experts and our editorial advisory board. The evaluation of winners will be done based on their past, present (ongoing projects), and innovative achievements irrespective of the age of the person or business entity.  The nomination fee is non-refundable.

Eligibility & Nomination Guidelines  Nominations are open to all national/international personalities/business entities irrespective of their age and size of the business.  The nominee must have at least one representative office / person in India.  The nomination form must be filled by an authorized representative of the firm/company/individual.  Nomination can be submitted for more than one category subject to the relevancy of the business of the company/firm/individual.  The nomination received from the blacklisted company will not be entertained.

How to submit nominations

Nomination Fee

Step 1: Fill Nomination Form Online Step 2: Receive Invoice for Payment of Nominations Fee Step 3: Pay Nomination Fee and Get Confirmation E-mail

INR 25000 + GST 18% USD 500 EUR 450

Rail Infra & Mobility Business Summit Summit Theme Investment, Financing and Business Avenues in Railways, Infrastructure and Mobility Industry in India Challenges & Solutions Audience Profile    

Minsters, Secretary level Officers from Key Ministries and Govt. Departments CEO, MD and Experts from Metro, Railways, Transport, Mobility, Infrastructure, R&D and associated Industry Delegates from domestic and multinational companies engaged in Railways, Infrastructure, and Mobility Industry. Key Opinion Leaders, Researchers, Scientists and Academicians from the relevant Institutes, and Organisations.

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Meet Milind, A Global Professional in Rail & Transport Industry Milind Nirmal is an engineering and planning professional with over 25 years of experience in engineering consulting. Presently, he is in a leading role at German firm DB Engineering and Consulting GmbH as Executive Director, Asia Pacific. He has built successful businesses focusing on incoming orders, team building, sustainability, Profit and Loss, compliance and ethical business principles. His recent experience primarily spans the Railway Industry covering urban rail, heavy rail and high speed rail. Also responsible for setting up a successful offshore engineering unit. At the outset, please accept our heartiest congratulations on your elevation as Executive Director, Asia Pacific Region at DB Engineering & Consulting. How long have you been in the engineering and infrastructure industry? Thank you for your wishes. My career in this industry spans 28 years, with the last 14 years almost exclusively in the railway engineering business. Please brief our readers about the role and presence of DB Engineering & Consulting in the Asia Pacific region. What the future of Asia Pacific holds for DB Engineering & Consulting? DB Engineering & Consulting (DB E&C) is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn (DB) and has already been well established within APAC for several decades. We have been at the forefront of flagship projects such as the Taiwan High Speed Rail, the China HSR PDL’s, heavy haul mining freight in Mongolia besides other key projects in Singapore, Thailand, Korea and Australia. We have over 400 staff and experts in these locations covering civil engineering, structural engineering, railway systems, track and rolling stock. DB E&C’s Regional Headquarter for APAC is located in Bangalore, and we have country offices in Australia,

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

China, India and Singapore and project offices in multiple locations. DB Engineering & Consulting priorities in the APAC market are to bring the expertise of Deutsche Bahn to meet customers requirements. We have different strategies for different markets along the value chain. The focus is quality and excellence in our delivery and we offer services from feasibility to engineering, project management, supervision and testing and commissioning. DB E&C has a large portfolio as well of products in Consulting, digitalization and predictive maintenance. From a global perspective, APAC will see the largest investments in rail infrastructure in the next decades and therefore we see that this will possibly be one of the biggest international markets for DB E&C. How does DB help policymakers in the planning of major infrastructure projects? The beginnings of railway in Germany date back to 1835. Deutsche Bahn and its predecessors being the national railways of Germany, have been in existence in various forms since then. In 1994, the present Deutsche Bahn AG (DB Group) was founded to start a new age in railway history in Germany, with two state-run railways now combined into one privately-run company. Since then, DB has scripted a story of

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INTERVIEW

huge success. So DB E&C is able to apply the experience of almost 190 years to enable policy makers around the world transform their railways through planning of new networks, modernisation of existing networks, technology and innovation interventions, restructuring and reorganization as well as increase efficiency, reduce costs and build revenue.

participants all start out already at a disadvantage.

How many projects is the company currently executing in the Asia Pacific Region?

Unfair risk allocations in a price sensitive market can lead to severe delays and failures of the partners at the very least, and huge inflation costs for projects at the worst. This leads to higher ovarll prices at poorer quality and avoidable delays. Clients do not look at lifecycle costs, but more at capital costs, and how to reduce these best and this is a big mistake

DB E&C has a long history of working in APAC, starting from 1966. In fact the very first international project of DB E&C was in 1966 in Vietnam where we carried out Advisory services for the standardisation of buses and planning of a workshop for Urban transport for Saigon City. We have complete over 400 projects spanning China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. DB E&C has also worked in Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea. Closer to the Indian subcontinent we have successfully completed major projects in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, India, DB E&C currently has its presence in South East Asia, China, Australia and India and we have multiple ongoing projects. It would be difficult to list them all, but some of our major projects include the Dedicated Freight Corridors in India, several metros and high speed rail. In Australia for example we are working on Melbourne Metro and Canberra Light Rail. In China our major project currently is the Lanzhou metro where we are implementation monitoring consultants. DB E&C was also instrumental in the first high speed PDLS for China as well as South Korea. What are the major hurdles you see in India when it comes to infrastructure projects compared to other global countries? What are the lessons to be learned? India is a unique market with huge opportunities, along with accompanying challenges. India is a nation that is keen and hungry for development and is rightly investing huge amounts into infrastructure development, especially in transportation. The infrastructure industry has done several studies on this topic and of course issues such as land acquisition, utilities, finances, delayed payments are at the top of the list and well documented, so I will not focus on these issues. From my viewpoint there are several areas where we lag behind developed nations and I am talking with a long term view. Across the lifecycle of a project, India does not invest enough in proper detailed planning and definitely not enough time in project preparation. Project reports are superficial and timelines are unrealistic and are compounded by land handover issues, so the project WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

The tendering processes though now digitalised, are still archaic in their construction. This leads usually to getting either the project partners at low prices but short on experience and quality, rather than the best fit and quality for delivery at the right price.

The current tender processes often result in getting the wrong delivery teams on board, whether they are consultants or contractors. To complicate matters, in the railway industry, there is a huge shortage of suitably skilled and experienced manpower. This leads to a cycle of lower prices and higher manpower costs. These two parameters cannot mutually coexist, The good news is that many of these hurdles can be easily fixed by simple changes. More thought out, targeted tenders, investment or incentives for hiring fresh graduates to build up manpower shortage are all easily achievable if the industry works together I do not believe that “Make in India” – which is a popular slogan now - is the key. We need a paradigm shift to where we can say that this project is “Made in India” and this tag should be synonymous with high quality of projects. We are building infrastructure for the next 100 years and the quality and durability should not be sacrificed at the altar of cost. S-Bahn Berlin was inaugurated in 1924 and now is the backbone of urban transport and is continuously expanding and upgrading. What is your take on the land acquisition issue in India? What part has it played in preventing private investment in the urban mobility industry? There is no doubt that land acquisition is a critical part of the development of infrastructure and especially long distance transportation where the amount of land to be acquired is huge. This is probably the largest single cause of project delays, as handing over of project sites to the contractor is the sole responsibility of the government. The processes do require time, but could be made much more efficient through fair systems for purchase of land at prices which are correctly indexed. Digitization of land records and a central repository of this information could help. With proper data, infrastructure could also be designed to minimise the land acquisition. Currently this is a very labour intensive task. URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

INTERVIEW

The private sector is willing to invest - if the risk/reward ratio is acceptable. No developer or investor wants to go into a project with the intention of delaying the completion, or with the possibility of losing money. In urban mobility the risks associated with land acquisition are much higher due to higher values, mismatch in market value and government guidance values and the possibility of delays due to legal challenges to property acquisition. This is definitely a risk that is with the government, and the government should ideally complete all the acquisition before the start of the project. This would allow for the client to hand over unencumbered sites to the developer without the risk of delays to the project related to acquisition. How do you view the Indian government’s ambition to create metros, RRTS and high-speed rail networks in the country? I have been following the RRTS project since it was already a concept in 2012 with the NCR planning board. The project brochure at that time indicated a concept similar to the S-Bahn network of Berlin, which gave me a sense of pride as this is operated by DB E&C. The project in its current concept is closer to the DB Regio concept (DB's regional trains) as it goes a longer distance into the neighbouring regions at speeds comparable to DB offerings on the German Network. The RRTS is an absolute game changer for urban and regional development in India. It will create fast transportation networks, decongest cities, create jobs and industry in tier II and tier III cities This model needs to be replicated in other major cities in India.. Rural – Urban migration could be reversed with an RRTS system, especially when coupled with other infrastructure development initiatives. The RRTS will also contribute to the reducing emissions in the fight against climate change. The high speed rail network is necessary. Following the brilliant success of DB in Germany, India should simultaneously look at existing network improvements to enable higher speeds. This can be done concurrent to the development of the High Speed Network. The German network is similar to India in the sense that there is mixed traffic and the network is polycentric, connecting large Tier I, Tier II and smaller cities. There are many synergies that can help India become a member not just of the “High Speed” club, but of the club of countries that use rail as their main means of regional transport. As far as metros go, I take the example of Berlin, where the public transport network is designed so well that you do not need a car to move around the city. Trams, LRT, metros, buses and regional trains work seamlessly together. Transit times are minimum and the end to end trip durations are almost perfectly planned.

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India’s major cities and minor cities should move away from the current “metro” approach to an integrated public urban transport approach for the convenience of commuters. We need to not just plan and implement a metro, but plan and implement a citywide integrated transport plan, of which a metro / LRT / tram or bus would play a part. What is your assessment of the opportunities and challenges in the Asia Pacific Market for DB Engineering & Consulting? The majority of investment in rail globally is in Asia Pacific and this trend will continue in the coming decades. Therefore as DB E&C we see APAC growing to be one of our biggest international markets in the future. The products that DB sees that would be in demand in APAC are clearly dependent on the market, the level of technology deployment and budgets of clients. Traditional engineering and design is on the decline. In the future there will be a higher reliance on automation, design automation and AI. We see big opportunities in the O&M market, digital operations of railways, predictive maintenance and asset management. These products will be significant for railway owners in the future as they look at more efficient and economic operations and keeping lifecycle costs in mind. We do not see any significant challenges to DB E&C in APAC. We differentiate ourselves from our competitors through the DNA of Deutsche Bahn which is synonymous with excellence and German planning and engineering. We offer services and products across the entire lifecycle of rail projects from planning, engineering and management consulting, operations, management to obsolescence management and de-commissioning of railways. We bring the full strength of the DB Group to our clients. As DB E&C believes in working locally, we are able to meet local requirements of language, culture, work ethic through our local employees, but backed by the quality, systems, processes and management of Deutsche Bahn. Anything else you want to share with our readers. Paraphrasing Victor Hugo and our former PM, India is a nation whose time has come. As Indians, we should inculcate a sense of pride in being able to do jobs better, to be good citizens, pay our taxes on time and treat public property with respect. We can realize the dream of modern rail transportation by working together, for each other and keeping in mind basic principles of ethics, transparency, commitment and community. ***

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Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in City Bus Services in India expertise in planning and managing a bus service with private sector’s capabilities to access finance and introduce cost effectiveness in bus operations and maintenance (O&M).

Shilpa Kharwal Senior Project Associate Sustainable Cities & Transport, WRI India

ublic Private Partnerships (PPP) in city bus services in India have been prevalent for many years now, but they have gained momentum in the last two decades. The renewed adoption of PPPs started when several small and medium sized cities, that lacked technical and financial resources, initiated bus services for the first time. PPPs emerged as a way for these cities to combine public sector’s

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PPPs follow either a Net Cost Contract (NCC) or a Gross Cost Contract (GCC) or their hybrids. In all, public sector is tasked with bus planning and management and private sector is responsible for bus O&M. The difference lies in distribution of risk among the two stakeholders. Risk is introduced by the allocation of responsibility of passenger fare collection as the main source of income. This blog examines the two types of PPP contracts, their use to implement city bus services over the last two decades, their success and the potential challenges of each. NCC: Balancing Profits and Service Quality In NCC, private operators are responsible for collecting passenger fare, which is their income for bus O&M. As per route profitability, private operators either pay a premium to authority or collect a fee from them.

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PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

In 2006, Indore started its city bus service using NCC. Within a year, it upgraded its skeletal services to a fleet of 110 buses. Indore’s rapid bus deployment and established assurance of receiving a fixed premium from operators prompted other similar-sized cities such as Amritsar, Jodhpur, to adopt the Indore Model — a reference to the NCC variant — to structure their own service models. These were also the cities that received funds from Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission to operationalize buses. However, after initial success, services in most of these cities either plateaued or were terminated. The cities failed to contextualize the model to their local conditions, lacked technical capacity and depot spaces and adopted poor planning. This led to inadequate services that had lower ridership, diminishing operational viability for the private operators. For example, in 2010, operators in Aurangabad terminated services to avoid losses from low ridership which in turn was from poor route planning and lack of depots.

— Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC). In doing so, the city avoids higher operational costs due to inbuilt profit margins of private operators. It also eliminated the need to invest in depots by leasing existing MSRTC depots. MSRTC receives payments on actual expenses incurred by them for bus O&M. Making PPPs Work PPPs have emerged as a way for cities that lack financial resources to introduce or scale bus services. With a burgeoning demand for mobility, PPPs hold the potential to serve as a solution to cover the investment needs of the bus sector and ramp up bus services. However, irrespective of the adopted model, almost all cities have faced challenges with PPP in achieving desired service quality levels to make it ubiquitous. The full potential of PPPs in bus operations can be realized by ensuring alternate revenue generation sources, adopting data based planning practices, improving monitoring mechanisms, strengthening tendering and contracting and building technical capacity.

To meet their costs or to generate profits, operators in these cities, including Indore, modified routes, overloaded buses and skipped bus maintenance. The resulting services were unreliable and unsafe with few takers leading to cyclic reduction in ridership and revenue. This is a typical eventuality for NCC model as revenue from passenger fares, which is kept affordable, does not always cover the mounting costs of operating buses. GCC: Ensuring service quality With the realisation of limitations of NCC in ensuring service quality, cities started to opt for GCC. Under GCC, the public agency retains the responsibility of fare collection, in addition to service planning and management. Private partners receive an assured and mutually agreed fixed payment for bus O&M. GCC allows public agencies to have greater control over service quality, as payments to operators are linked to service performance. Cities, however, face technical challenges in measuring performance and enforcing related penalties and incentives. Public agencies also depend majorly on passenger fare revenue to pay operators. If collected revenue is insufficient, payments to operators are often delayed, who in turn, suspend services. Bhubaneshwar, which started bus services in 2018 on a GCC model, has overcome this challenge by securing annual financial support from the State Government. The city SPV, Capital Region Urban Transport, has also outsourced major functions such as ticketing, revenue assurance and quality assurance, to reduce expenses. Aurangabad restarted its bus service on GCC in 2019 by contracting operations to another public sector undertaking

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Use of Public Private Partnerships (PPP) to introduce and scale bus services is becoming common in Indian cities. PPPs help combine public sector’s expertise in planning and managing bus services and private sector’s capabilities to access finance and introduce cost-effectiveness in bus operations and maintenance. As discussed in earlier, PPPs are conducted either through a Net Cost Contract (NCC) or a Gross Cost Contract (GCC) or their hybrids. Evidence suggests that some cities like Indore have used PPPs well, but several others have faced challenges in utilizing the benefits. To realize the potential of PPPs in bus operations, there is a need to identify and address the inherent and localized challenges in bus service planning and improve the execution of PPP contracts. Key interventions that can make PPPs work include: WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

Ensure funding support Bus systems inherently make losses because fare revenue — the main income source for operators — falls short in covering bus operations costs that increase with rising fuel prices, aging fleet, traffic congestion, etc. As fares must be kept affordable to ensure equity, and with limited government subsidies and revenue from alternate sources to compensate, operators compromise service quality. Resulting reliability, comfort and safety concerns discourage commuters from using buses.

measurable indicators such as bus occupancy, trips completed etc. to assess service performance. Contracts also need to define and cap penalties for underperformance and incentives for achieving/exceeding performance benchmarks. Currently, PPP contracts are unclear on fixing penalties, which in turn are linked to qualitative measurement indicators which are open to interpretation and thereby arbitration. Cities, barring Delhi Cluster bus operations, have not included incentive-based mechanisms to improve performance. Develop Technical capacity

To overcome revenue deficit, while keeping fares affordable, regular financial support from government is required. Support can be in the form of viability gap funding (VGF) — a type of financial support that covers cost-revenue gaps based on system performance. Gujarat state government provides VGF to its urban local bodies to operate buses on a PPP basis from the state budget. Bus agencies need to reduce the need for VGF by using alternate revenue generation sources like real estate development, advertisement, branding, etc. Improve Service Planning and Monitoring Inefficient bus service planning impacts service coverage, quality and reliability which in turn leads to a cyclic reduction in ridership and revenue. Cities need to adopt a data-based approach that considers land use associated travel demand patterns to create network-level route plans that are integrated with other public transport modes. Bus agencies also need to periodically revise route networks as travel patterns in cities are dynamic. In 2018, Gurugram launched its bus service after extensive technical analysis and used passenger feedback to design and implement routes. It resulted in continuous ridership growth, until the pandemic stalled services. However, a data-driven approach will require robust data collection mechanisms and technical trainings for public and private staff. Data based approach is equally important to monitor services and ensure quality. Use of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) is essential for cities to collect and analyse operational data for performance measurement.

Limited technical capacity within the public and private sector impacts service planning and operations. To overcome this, there is a need to identify right qualifications for various job responsibilities and hire appropriate candidates with long term employability assurance and retention benefits. Additionally, periodic trainings are required for both public and private stakeholders as bus service planning and operations require specialized skills. Trainings need to focus on data collection and analysis, route network planning, long-term planning, bus procurement, bus maintenance, operations and monitoring, contract management and use of ITS. Trainings can be conducted by existing centres of excellence established by governments, such as Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) or by involving specialized institutions. There is also a need to capitalize on existing procedures and guidelines developed by established state-owned bus agencies over the years and use them for training purposes. Currently, there is a greater push to use PPPs for bus services. Cities are adopting PPPs to deploy electric buses under the ongoing FAME II scheme. The recent Union Budget 2021 announcement to launch a scheme for augmentation of bus service in urban areas also mentions deployment of PPP models to finance acquire, operate, and maintain over 20,000 buses. However, in their current form, PPPs fall short. By building resilient business models and tackling planning, contracting and technical capacity issues, cities can create robust PPP models and help develop reliable and efficient public bus transport services. ***

Strengthen Tendering and Contracting While cities have ironed out several issues in tendering and contracting bus operations to private parties, further improvements are possible. Cities can facilitate greater participation form the private sector in bidding process by providing clarity on risk related aspects such as revenue models, route plans and depot development. This will help them secure competitive deals.

Co-authored by Udit Khandelwal, EPP consultant with the Sustainable Cities and Transport program at WRI India.

Once operators are selected, contracts need to specify WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

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Navnirman (NGO) introduces Froto E-Rickshaw to facilitate last mile connectivity at Delhi Metro stations

elhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has partnered with NAVNIRMAN (NGO) to operate E-Rickshaw operation under their brand name froto from Shakurpur and Rithala metro stations. The first ERickshaw service was flagged off from Shakurpur metro station on dated 30.07.2021 and similarly at Rithala on dated 01.08.2021 by Harvir Singh, President of NAVNIRMAN (NGO). In the wake of the corona pandemic, NAVNIRMAN (NGO) inaugurated the services in the presence of a limited number of NGO members with strict compliance with the covid-19 protocol. The first organized fleet of 40 E-rickshaws was inaugurated from Shakurpur and Rithala Metro station and will be plying from 6 AM to 11 PM daily providing last-mile connectivity to nearby localities of Metro stations. NAVNIRMAN (NGO) is working for the betterment of ERickshaw operators and understands the need to implement an organized eco-friendly from & to (Froto) transportation system at metro stations and nearby areas. Delhi Metro is a trendsetter in the field of public transports by integrating its service with other modes of public transport, enabling the commuters to smoothly interchange from one mode to another. It is well-known fact that DMRC has its long story of successful achievements and

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changed the scenario of public transport in Delhi. First time ever an NGO successfully implemented the project of E-Rickshaw operation with a view to providing convenience to DMRC’s commuters by ensuring last mile connectivity from the metro stations. NAVNIRMAN (NGO) expressed its gratitude towards Delhi Metro that this green project could be initiated only by the overwhelming support, received from DMRC. It is well-known fact that the facility to park and charge the ERickshaw is an important logistical need to make the project successful. Parking and charging of E-Rickshaws is an integral part of this green project so the charging station for these electric vehicles has also been set up to ensure seamless service to the passengers of DMRC throughout the day. NAVNIRMAN (NGO) has a team of social workers, who are dedicated to protect the environment and managing the congestion by organizing even existing E-Rickshaw operators at Metro Stations. E-Rickshaw, being a zero polluting vehicle, will help to save the environment from global warming and other hazards. E-rickshaws have become a popular mode of transport for providing last-mile connectivity. E-rickshaws can be the best alternative to petrol or diesel-run vehicles as they are operated on battery. These rickshaws do not emit smoke and thus, will not

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LAST MILE CONNECTIVITY

contribute to increase air pollution. Moreover, there are a lot of advantages of e-rickshaws as these are economical modes of transport and can be easily afforded by a common man, Free from noise pollution and having Easy maintenance.

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Initially, 40 froto E- rickshaws have been introduced into service from both of the stations which will be increased in the next few months. These froto E- rickshaws will provide its last-mile connectivity within an area of 5-6 KM around Metro stations. The fares have been kept very nominal at a base price of Rs. 10 for the first 2 kms and Rs. 5 for subsequent KM. The commuters can also book vehicles through the froto app and pay digitally for their rides. Froto e-rickshaws managed by NAVNIRMAN (NGO) are providing last-mile connectivity to the passengers of DMRC in a organize manner as they understand the need to implement an eco-friendly To & Fro transportation system at and around metro stations.

The Battery Operated Electric Rickshaws is a new mode of transport and introduced in the state of Delhi in 2010. The number of these types of E-Rickshaws has increased from 4,000 in 2010 to approximately 1, 00,000 in 2021. However, a large number of unregistered ones ply on the city roads, mainly around metro stations. E-Rickshaw is not only the best mode of transport for last-mile connectivity but also a source of employment generation for the poor. Apart from providing a comfortable and hassle-free last-mile connectivity to the commuters, this project envisages to bring about a visible improvement in the lives of the people from the bottom of the pyramid.

(Shri Harvir Singh, President of NAVNIRMAN-NGO inaugurating froto e-rickshaw in Delhi) )

Froto is a technologically upgraded user-friendly android based mobile application, which provides digital solutions to commuters of DMRC for daily rides. The salient features of Froto App are as follows:• •

Froto provides an App-based E-Rickshaw booking facility. Froto provides a convenient, safe and affordable from – to eco-friendly transportation system.

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Froto provides a hassle-free digital solution to book the rides from and to Metro Stations. Froto enables the commuters of DMRC to integrate from one mode of public transport to another mode i.e. Metro to E-Rickshaw.

E - Rickshaw could be a better solution for last - mile connectivity not only for the metro station but also for bus stands, particularly, in the residential colony where streets and roads are narrow and planning of buses are difficult. NAVNIRMAN (NGO) thinks about the strengthening last mile services of DMRC in the interest of metro commuters and thus implemented this green project, which could be a more effective mode of transport. Further, this type of operation shall manage the congestion at the entry/exit gate of metro stations. NAVNIRMAN (NGO) has hundreds of erickshaw operators / NGO members, who belong to the deprived sections of our society and they have only the option to earn their bread and butter while feeding commuters to DMRC by e–rickshaw operation from early morning to late night. NAVNIRMAN (NGO) is a registered nonprofit organization under the Society’s Registration Act of 1860 and is dedicated to protect the environment by promoting/operating e- vehicles. The prime motto of NAVNIRMAN (NGO) is to promote more use of public transport systems in place of personal vehicles that will help to cut down carbon emissions, noise pollution and city traffic. *** URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

How data sharing and AI tools lead to healthier mobility?

It’s good to know what is happening in real time, but it’s even better to be able to predict what will happen in the future. Florian Kittelmann Global Head of Mobility Orchestration and Data Innovation, Alstom Transport

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Predicting future passenger flows to ease congestion and ensure a healthy fluidity, during a pandemic with changed travel patterns, is a significant challenge for authorities and transport operators in urban metropolises around the world, as is meeting the environmental targets necessary to protect a fragile planet. The solution to these challenges can be found in a mobility approach that positions rail as the backbone of urban transport systems, interconnected with a diverse range of first- and last-mile solutions. For this type of multimodal system to be truly effective, operators must work together to both orchestrate and optimise their services through a transparent system of data sharing. Rail as the backbone of mobility However, rail alone cannot solve every urban transport problem and it is increasingly important to understand how

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USE OF AI IN MOBILITY In the European Union, urban metros and regional and highspeed trains emit up to 80% less carbon per passenger kilometre than private cars. Rail is also by far the safest mode of collective transportation. Orchestrating multimodal mobility Passengers need multimodal mobility services that are consistent and reliable, especially in terms of the time taken to get from A to B every day. If the length of a commute varies by a large margin each day and is unpredictable, passengers may be reluctant to take collective transport. One key to reliable transportation is dependable and affordable first- and last-mile transport options, such as scooter and bike shares. Another is easy access to accurate information on all the transport options in a passenger’s city. Currently, operators may provide multimodal information on mobile applications, but it is usually partial, pieced together by third parties from publicly available information, and is not always relevant. For multimodal mobility to work effectively, commuters need easy access to reliable information on all the transport options in their city. This requires local operators to work together to consolidate and share data. To enable truly seamless transport, operators, telecommunications companies and local authorities must consolidate and share data effectively. Without this cooperation, no single operator can provide passengers with the level of reliability they need to use public transport day to day. A whole range of information, from ticketing, track and train sensors to weather reports, news, social media and CCTV can all power the data-driven analysis that will allow passengers to see the full range of transport options and capacity in real time. Optimising collective transport

other forms of transport link into the local ecosystem. While rail may be the beating heart of collective mobility, it must be connected with first- and last-mile solutions, enabling seamless transfers for door-to-door travel. For this to happen, operators need the right tools to both anticipate and adapt to demand.

Quality data can help manage the flow of passengers into a system, but only if the system is flexible enough for operators to adjust their services to both demand and external factors. Accurate, consolidated information is just one part of the battle of ensuring seamless journeys on collective transport. For data to be considered reliable by the passenger, it must also be optimised, enabling transport supply to be adjusted to meet demand.

Orchestrating mobility means integrating traditional forms of collective transport, such as trains, metros and tramways, with new means of transport, such as bike and taxi shares. As citizens move away from private vehicles to more sustainable forms of travel, Alstom is shifting its focus to a global mobility offer.

Data from bike share operators can help a metro operator predict how many extra passengers may use its service on a rainy day, rather than cycle to work (and vice-versa). However, if the operator is unable to accommodate a surge in passengers in real time by running more trains, and passengers need to wait to get on trains that are more crowded than usual, the two transport systems are orchestrated but not optimised.

At the centre of this offer is rail, the greenest and safest mode of transport. By opting to take collective transport instead of using a personal vehicle, passengers reduce road congestion while actively lowering their carbon footprint.

Seamless mobility therefore involves two key elements. The first is reliable information about the available transport options, based on shared information from all operators. The second is a technologically advanced system of data analysis and artificial intelligence that adjusts supply to meet demand.

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URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

USE OF AI IN MOBILITY

Predicting future mobility

About Author

In addition to enabling operators to adapt to real-time changes in their networks, data can help simulate and predict future passenger flows. This kind of data analysis has become especially important since the COVID-19 pandemic has changed travel patterns around the globe. Many people are now working from home, while others have changed their work schedules to avoid rush hour travel.

Florian Kittelmann is the Director for Mobility Orchestration and Data Innovation at Alstom. With his dedicated team, he works hard to resolve the “Data Challenge” faced by operators, maintainers and transport passengers, using artificial intelligence and visualization tools.

By compiling data from technology such as signalling systems, flow management systems and centralised operational control centres, operators are able to see the impact of certain events – from the pandemic to daily influences such as weather, sports matches and traffic – on passenger flow. Advanced AI solutions are then able to suggest solutions to operators for reducing congestion and redistributing resources during these events. By predicting influxes and adapting to them before they take place, operators are able to ensure a seamless journey for passengers.

Florian is graduated from Paris Business School ESCP in 2007 and obtained his Diploma in Industrial & Software Engineering from the Technical University Berlin in 2008. He started his career in the automotive and consulting sectors and now looks back at a decade of global leadership roles in the railway industry across Services, Strategy, Commercial and Project Management divisions. When he is not busy creating the future of mobility, he spends time exploring the countryside with his family, which gives him interesting perspectives on the different mobility needs between urban and rural areas..

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How railway digitalisation is on the rise in India? Indian Railway, India’s governmentowned 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.

he Vande Bharat Express is India’s first Semi High - Speed Train operating between New Delhi and Varanasi, a city about 760-km 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 WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

Dr. Kirthi Kumar Nagalpur

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 broadbandbased passenger services. Like 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 enabler for global railway digitalization. URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

DIGITALISATION IN RAILWAYS

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.

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.

Long-term vision: Digital train operations and gigabit trains 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 train-to-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

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

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DIGITALISATION IN RAILWAYS

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 passenger convenience and mobile broadband services 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.

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 co-existence 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. ***

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.

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

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Multi-Modal Integration: The key to transforming India’s transport systems

n India, urbanisation is increasing rapidly, offering economic opportunities across various sectors. This leads to domestic immigration of the working-class population to these urban centres, boosting its productivity, further leading to more economic activity through the establishment of more business centres and markets. This development cycle, through an analysis of its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), shows that urban centres are the engines of economic growth, and their contributions to GDP will continue to grow. However, the needs of a rising population in an urban landscape must be met. Rapid urbanisation means more pressure on infrastructure, increasing congestion, rising pollution. and unmanageable urban sprawl. In the last few decades, governments have tried to meet the increasing travel demand. But the pace of rising demand has consistently beaten the rate of infrastructure development. Ever-rising transport demand which corresponds with economic growth has been difficult to meet in the absence of integrated planning of land use and transport.

Vinay Kumar Singh Managing Director National Capital Region Transport Corporation

Supporting infrastructure to keep pace with rising economic activity, therefore, is essential. Along with urban development programmes such as the smart cities mission, AMRUT and housing for all, among others, the focus on mobility infrastructure is equally important to ensure that the economic potential does not get constrained. Policy planners have been advocating public transport solutions to free up Indian cities from traffic congestion and high pollution levels. These high-investment and high-

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URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

MULTI MODAL INTEGRATION IN RRTS

operational expenditure projects have been approved because of the long-term, socioeconomic benefits they bring with them. India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing markets for urban rail systems. The government has invested intensively in urban transport systems such as metros across tier1 and 2 cities, inter and intra-city high-frequency bus services, monorails and so on. However, despite these projects being successfully implemented, ridership numbers have been far below the projections of the policymakers. These numbers have further been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. From a commuters’ viewpoint, these projects provide an affordable, reliable, safe, fast and green alternative to other transport modes. However, there is scope for improvement in multi-modal connectivity. Unimodal and multi-modal networks involve transfers points where users can move from one mode to another. The walking and waiting time during these transfers discourage people from opting for public transport. Urban transport systems require several functions to be performed in a well-coordinated manner for a seamless travel experience. Unfortunately, there is a lack of coordination among the agencies. Every agency is looking at commuters with a myopic view as their exclusive users, and not as one who wants to travel from one point to the other on more than one mode seamlessly. Public Transport agencies operate in isolation and have so far resisted plans of cross-integration in many cases. Public transport platforms such as the Indian railways, metro trains, regional rapid transit system (RRTS), interstate buses, bus rapid transit (BRT) as well as aviation can no longer operate in isolation. There also remains the choice between public and personal transport. This depends on several factors such as duration, route, purpose, fare, convenience and comfort. To ensure that these advanced transport modes become the natural choice for commuters, from every stratum of our society, we need to provide for the end-to-end travel requirements. Addressing these challenges requires enabling the convenience and comfort of door-todoor trips by ensuring integration based on well-established global transport integration frameworks. In an international forum I attended, the transport integration framework was outlined at two levels. First, the physical integration primarily comprising the implementation of efficient interchanges at stations/stops/terminals to minimise back-tracking, walking distances, level changes between services, and provide safe (off-street) and secure (well-lit) and Weatherprotected facilities.

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

Second, the service integration comprising network structure of route alignments and stoppage locations, level of services, schedules, fare structures and passenger information. Despite an increased focus on the implementation of advanced public transport systems, the lower modal share of these systems has raised questions on the core objectives, not only from the perspective of financial viability but also from the perspective of the economic return from these projects. This includes the impact on the lives of citizens, reduction in pollution and lower congestion on roads. Therefore, solving these challenges calls for focused action with an emphasis on integrating multi-modal services at the planning stage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day 2020 address, emphasised the government’s commitment to bring in a paradigm shift in infrastructure by integrating key modes of transportation. He highlighted that it is critical to move away from the era of “working in silos”. The opportunity is now to make our cities more accessible by enhancing multi-modal integration and improving the commuter’s experience. Hong Kong’s public transport system serves as a good example. Its transport system includes railways, trams, buses, ferries and taxis. With multi-modal integration, Hong Kong has achieved public transit modal share close to 90%. Other great examples include Tokyo, Singapore, London, Madrid and Paris. The creation of the Unified Metropolitan Transportation Authority (UMTA) in Indian states has been advised by the Centre, but hasn’t proliferated across the country. Given that the public transport agencies are still taking a narrow view in many cases and not opening up for integration, empowering the UMTA to take ownership of the transport ecosystem will help reach this goal. It is also the responsibility of the upcoming projects to ensure integration with the existing modes of transport, and at the same time, it is equally important for the authorities to support this. With this in view, at National Capital Region Transportation Corporation (NCRTC), we plan to connect several nodes of NCR, by way of the country’s first RRTS. We have been interacting with authorities to holistically integrate all public transport networks in the region. Multi-modal integration, which is central to our planning, is a key enabler in increasing ridership as it incentivises commuters to shift from private transport. For example, the Sarai Kale Khan RRTS station will be a mega multi-modal transit hub of NCR, where all the three priority RRTS corridors will converge and integrate with the existing Delhi Metro station, Nizamuddin Rly Station, and ISBT.

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Moving from compulsion to choice: Ways to retain Cycling as the forever normal

Azra Khan Project Associate Sustainable Cities & Transport, WRI India

Swarna Dutt Project Associate Sustainable Cities & Transport, WRI India

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he impossible has already happened and slowly, it is becoming the new normal. With cases of COVID-19 reaching 4 million mark in India, cities continue averting public transport and big investment project like metros and monorails. Also, public spaces are closed to citizens and recreational activities are becoming prey to social distancing norms, affecting a common urban commuter. Amid this all, there is one ray of hope. The pandemic has resurrected cycling. With social distancing becoming the new norm, cycling seems to be the one stop mobility solution for all commute troubles. Though India has had an age-old tradition of cycling, in the last few decades with the advent of motorization it has undergone a decline. Under the current norms, urban cycling is gaining popularity sheerly out of necessity and begs the question: Is this surge temporary? Would we go back to the “old normal” once our spatial inhibitions are lifted?

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

CYCLING FOR BETTER CITIES

The challenge to mainstream cycling in Indian cities is not new, but the pandemic has given the opportunity to convert this temporary surge in cycling to a sustained new normal. WRI India’s July 28 webinar on How Cities can Build Back Better in the New Normal with Cycling, first of the many upcoming discussions on #PedalKaro, set the context for ongoing challenges around cycling and tried to zero down to the major problems associated with it. The webinar’s panel comprised Maud de Vries (Co-Founder and Managing Director, BYCS, Amsterdam), Carlosfelipe Pardo (Senior Manager, City Pilots, New Urban Mobility Alliance), Rutul Joshi (Associate Professor, CEPT University, Ahmedabad) and Dr. Bhairavi Naik Joshi (Director and CEO, BYCS India Foundation) and was moderated by Amit Bhatt (Executive Director Integrated Transport at WRI India).

to Development Controls Regulations related to streets and buildings have indirect impact on the cyclists and pedestrians. Granularity is mostly ignored in street design process and absence of inactive building facades creates an isolated experience. Opportunities to observe other people is something that incentivizes the walker and cyclists to move through the environment.

Following are the six broad points that emerged from the conversation:

regular usage of cycle. Some tried and tested initiatives by state governments like Saraswati Cycle Yojana, Sabboj Sathi and Bicycle to Girls have been instrumental in protecting the rights of education for young girls. Similarly, schemes like Cycle to Work and Cycling Kilometric Allowance encourages the employees to cycle to their workplaces. Also, policy driven initiatives to discourage hectoring of motorized vehicle users, through cycle friendly parking regulations and taxations is needed immediately.

1. Modifications in Urban planning and Development Control Regulations: Growth pattern of Indian cities is characterized by proliferation, leading to sprawls, which is further accompanied by disjointed road infrastructure. Change in urban planning legislation to promote planned redevelopment and peripheral land augmentation needs to be taken up by states. This would ensure singular mode travel and better connectivity. Similarly, reforms pertaining

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

2. Policy and Welfare Schemes: Transportation policies must support a socio-cultural shift towards cycling. Absence of narratives on cycling policies in the larger development discourse has led to cycling missing out on a clear stratagem. Welfare schemes for gender parity, support to people from the lower economic classes and financial incentive driven schemes for recreational cyclists can play a crucial role in beguiling varying target population towards

3. Equitable mode of commute: Indian cities are dynamic WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

CYCLING FOR BETTER CITIES

in nature, with varying road users. The cycling community witnesses vast variations of users with uneven distribution across genders, age groups and economic classes. Presently, the captive users comprise of gendered livelihood based cyclists, who belong to the lower economic strata and are lost in the city’s bigger picture. Women cyclists are mostly confined to recreational cycling and invisible in the livelihood section. Similarly, a diminishing spectrum of surviving cyclists are school going children. With the increase in crashes related to cycling of children, the mode has been labeled as unsafe. It is time to include the needs and preferences of under-represented groups to make cycle a mode for all. 3. Frontline Advocacy: Coordinated volunteer efforts can have significant results when focused locally. Similarly, effective advocacy can play a pivotal role in bringing together different stakeholders, maximizing their efforts, and increasing the outreach. In this regard an Amsterdambased social enterprise named BYCS, has been working on focused advocacy programs in more than 100 cities globally. One of the programs is to work with cycling advocacy champions (Bicycle Mayors) from different cities. Recently, BYCS Amsterdam decentralized their global program through BYCS India Foundation. Through these efforts the focus is to bring together different stakeholders to initiate and scale ideas around cycling. This is particularly important to tie the efforts together for maximized and sustainable impact.

trip purpose, etc., through usage and models (for e.g. cargo cycles, pedal tricycles, etc.) to revival of cycle advertisements, all play an additive role cycle market.

user-based cycle assisted e-bikes, campaigns and in expanding the

The re-emergence of Urban Cycling due to COVID-19 is a blessing in disguise and Indian cities should consider on plans to do away with skewed perceptions and make bigger investments to make this new normal, sustainable. There is also an opportunity for cycling advocates to model more inclusive forms of cycling development. It is long overdue to listen to residents – all groups of them – when redesigning city mobility. What we majorly lack is One Collective Voice, which is essentially the human infrastructure of cycling. An organized, cycling advocating group comprising of different local support groups, international think tanks and manufacturing industry, that presents a clear request and makes the case for achievable goals with broad benefits to the community is hard for an elected official to ignore. A collective effort to bring a change from #PedalbyCompulsion to #PedalbyChoice is need of the hour. ***

4. Contextualizing global best practices and learning from developed countries: Investing in bicycle infrastructure and bicycle supporting street design is quintessential. With a sea of infrastructural and design options, tried and tested in developed countries, Indian cities simply need to contextualize them based on local conditions like weather, user type, urban and street attributes. Adaptable and evidenced-based design strategy via tactical urbanism are the initial stepping stones, which needs to be bodied forth by permanent solutions, for best outcome. Apart from developed countries, cities from developing countries like Bogota have revitalized cycling, with the share of cycling trips increasing 10-fold in two decades. Many Latin American countries, which share similarity in mobility pattern with Indian cities are good examples to look up to for learnings. 5. New dialogue for better outreach: Conversation style to onboard new cyclists and retain the existing cyclists needs a paradigm shift. The universal message to increase the mode share of cycling can be supplemented by segmented narratives for specific groups. For example, an image of alternative lifestyle and cycling being the #newcool can work for recreational and young cyclists whereas comfort and safety-oriented experience can be the dialogue to retain captive users. Cycle manufacturing industry also play a vital role in enticing the potential cyclists. From addressing the key obstacles of age, distance, WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

Physical Progress Report of Metro Rail Projects in India

rban transport, which is an integral part of urban development, is a state subject. Hence, respective State Governments are responsible for initiating, developing and funding urban transport infrastructure including metro rail projects. The Govt. of India considers financial assistance for metro rail proposals in cities or urban agglomerates, on the basis of extant policy, feasibility of the proposal and availability of resources, as and when posed by the concerned State Governments. According to the latest data shared by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the ministry has received proposals from eight State Governments/Union Territories (UTs) for implementation of Metro Rail / MetroLite / Metro Neo / Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) projects.

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

Operational Metro Rail Projects As per the data shared by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), a total of 699 km metro rail systems are operational in 13 cities of India. These are: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Kolkata – 39.2 km Delhi – 348.5 km Bangalore – 48.1 km Gurgaon – 12.1 km Mumbai – 11.4 km Jaipur – 12.0 km Chennai – 54.1 km Kochi – 25.0 km Lucknow – 22.9 km Hyderabad – 67.0 km Noida – 29.7 km Ahmedabad – 6 km Nagpur – 22.9 km

The following cities will add more kilometres in their metro rail network in few months as trial runs are under completion stage:• • • • • •

Mumbai – 20.0 km Pune – 6 km Navi Mumbai – 11.1 km Bangalore – 7.5 km Delhi – 1.3 km Kolkata – 2.33 km WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

METRO RAIL PROGRESS IN INDIA

Status of Metro Expansion Work As per the data shared by MoHUA, the present status of expansion works of various metro rail projects in the country is given as below:City/Project Name

Progress

Delhi Metro Phase III

99.8%

Delhi Metro Phase IV

15.0%

Patna Metro Phase I

1.0%

Bangalore Metro Phase II

56.5%

Bangalore Metro Phase 2A & 2B

1.0%

Ahmedabad Metro Phase I

70.3%

Ahmedabad Metro Phase II

0.74%

Surat Metro Phase I

1.23%

Bhopal Metro Phase I

1.8%

Indore Metro Phase I

0.82%

Kanpur Metro Phase I

15.0%

Agra Metro Phase I

5.5%

Mumbai Metro Line 2A

95.1%

Mumbai Metro Phase 2B

10.5%

Mumbai Metro Line 3

67.5%

Mumbai Metro Line 4

30.4%

Mumbai Metro Line 5

28.3%

Mumbai Metro Line 6

33.5%

Mumbai Metro Line 7

96.0 %

Mumbai Metro Line 7A (9)

12.3%

Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1

70.0%

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City/Project Name

Progress

Nagpur Metro Phase I

93.1%

Pune Metro Phase I

59.0%

Kochi Metro Phase 1A

57.85%

Kochi Metro Phase 2

0.2%

Chennai Metro Phase 2

0.2%

Kolkata Metro Line 2

80.0%

Kolkata Metro Line 3

30.0%

Kolkata Metro Line 4

23.0%

Kolkata Metro Line 6

59.0%

Delhi – Meerut RRTS Phase 1

14.9%

Apart from the above, the Ministry has received proposals from various state governments/UTs for new and expansion of existing metro rail network such as Delhi Metro Phase IV (43.67km), Delhi Metrolite (19.09km), Nagpur Metro Phase II (43.8km), Nashik Metro Neo (33.0km), Pune Metro Phase 1A (4.4km), Thane Metro (28.8km), Kochi Metro Phase 1A (2km), Kochi Metro Phase 2 (11.2 km), Noida Metro Extn. (14.95km), Gorakhpur Metrolite (27.84km), Jammu Metrolite (23km), Srinagar Metrolite (25km), Chennai Metro Phase II (118.9km), Delhi-SNB-Sotanala RRTS (140.3km), DelhiPanipat RRTS (103.02km). ***

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

Kochi Metro turns 10, promises to fast track development

ochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) completed 10 years on August 2, 2021. The company was formed on August 2, 2011, as a special purpose vehicle to implement the state’s first metro rail service in Kochi. This year, in the wake of the Covid pandemic, the officers have not arranged any celebrations. Though the first phase of the project, from Aluva to Petta, has been completed, KMRL has much work remaining to take the project further. The plans include the completion of Phase 1A and Phase 1B of the Kochi Metro -- from Petta to Tripunithura. KMRL officers said the work would be completed in 2022. Meanwhile, the Union government is expected to give the nod for the second phase of Kochi Metro from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kaloor, to Kakkanad. The preparatory work is already under way. The Kochi Metro agency has also launched feeder services including autorikshaws to ensure last-mile connectivity.

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

Today, we pledge to fast-track Kochi’s development and help the city and its people move towards a greener, sustainable future. K R Jyothilal Managing Director Kochi Metro Rail Ltd

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ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

The Kochi Metro is a mass rapid transit system serving the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It was opened to the public within four years of starting construction, making it one of the fastest completed metro project in India. The Kochi metro project is the first metro in the country which connects rail, road and water transport facilities. The first phase is being set up at an estimated cost of US$730 million. In October 2017, Kochi Metro was named the Best Urban Mobility Project in India by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), as part of the Urban Mobility India (UMI) conference hosted by the Ministry every year in association with Institute of Urban Transport and Urban Transport News.

by women. The system is also involved in sustainable initiatives with the introduction of non-motorized transport corridors in the city, installation of solar panels for power and vertical garden on every sixth metro pillar. Apart from the regular tickets, it has also adopted a single card, single timetable and a singular command and control. This debit card along with the Kochi One Mobile App will allow passengers to access all modes of public transportation as well as be utilized for mercantile and internet transactions and will introduce the 'click and collect' feature in the near future where goods ordered online can be collected in the metro stations. Every Kochi Metro station is designed on a specific theme around Kerala culture and geography.

The construction work was started in June 2013 and a 13.4 km section of the line from Aluva to Palarivattom was opened to passengers on June 17, 2017 by Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. A second 5 km section from Palarivattom to Maharaja's College Metro station was inaugurated on 3 October 2017. Another 5.65 km section from Maharaja's College Stadium to Thaikoodam was inaugurated on 3 September 2019 by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri. Kochi Metro also includes the technology for driverless trains and is hoping to implement this in the near future.

The government led by E. K. Nayanar ideated the project in 1999. The cabinet meeting held on July 21. 1999 and government, assigned Rail India Technological and Economic Services (RITES) for the feasibility study for a metro rapid transport system in Kochi. The technoeconomic feasibility study for a Metro Rapid Transit System in Kochi was completed in 1999, which was begun in the same year, by Rail India Technological and Economic Services (RITES). The techno-feasibility study report was submitted to the state government in 1999.

Kochi Metro was lauded for its decision to employ Kudumbashree workers and also members of the transgender community. It is the world's first rapid transit system whose entire management operations are handled WWW.URBANTRANSPORTNEWS.COM

On December 22, 2004, the state government assigned the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) the task of preparing the detailed project report (DPR) for the Kochi Metro Rail project. It was expected to start by 2006 and complete by 2010. But the project was delayed because the Central Government expressed serious doubts about the economic viability of the project. In 2008, the state government approved the Kochi Metro rail project in a cabinet meeting held on January 2, 2008 and sent to Central Government for ratification. The Kerala government hoped the centre would approve a funding structure similar to that used for the Delhi Metro, but they were turned down. The Union Government supported using public-private partnership (PPP) on the build-operate-transfer model. The state government wanted it to be in public sector, which was not acceptable to the Central Government. A Cabinet decision was taken to form a special purpose vehicle (SPV) called Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL). URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

Kochi Metro Timelines • • • • • • •

September 13, 2012: Foundation stone was laid down by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. June 7, 2013: Construction began with the piling works for the viaducts near Changampuzha Park. January 13, 2016: First trial run of metro train flagged off by then Chief Minister Oman Chandy. May 8, 2017: CMRS given its node to open metro service for public. June 17, 2017: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off first train on 13.4 km section between Aluva and Palarivattom. October 3, 2017: Second section between Palarivattom and Maharaja’s College (5 km) opened for public. September 3, 2019: Third section between Maharaja’s College and Thaikoodam (5.3 km) opened for public.

Kochi Metro Rail Network Kochi Metro Phase 1 Route: Aluva - Petta - SN Junction (27.6 km) Stations: 24 Stations Project Cost: Rs 5,181.79 Stations: Aluva, Pulinchodu, Companypady, Ambattukavu, Muttom, Kalamassery, Cochin University, Pathadipalam, Edapally, Changampuzha Park, Palarivattom, JLN Stadium, Kaloor, Lissie, M.G Road, Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam South, Kadavanthra, Elamkulam, Vytila, Thykkoodam and Petta. Under Construction: Vadakkekotta, SN Junction Depot: Muttom Kochi Metro Phase 2

Major Contractors • • • • • •

General Consultant: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Civil Contractors: Era Infra Engineering, Larsen & Toubro, Cherian Varkey Construction Company-RDS, SP Singla Constructions and Soma Constructions Design Consultants: EGIS Rail and Indian Institute of Architecture (Kochi Chapter) Rolling Stock: Alstom Transport Signalling, Telecom & Train Control: Alstom Power Supply & Traction: Ardanuy Ingenieria

Route: Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium - Info Park (11.2 km) Stations: 11 Stations Project Cost: Rs.2,577.00 Stations: Palarivattom Junction, Palarivattom Signal, Chembumukku, Vazhakkala, Kunnumpuram, Kakkanad Junction, Kochi Special Economic Zone, Chittethukara, Rajagiri, Info Park I and Info Park II.

INDUSTRY EVENT CALENDER 2021

Dates

Event Name

Venue

February 22-25

SmartRail

London, UK

February 24-26

International Railway Summit

Berlin, Germany

February 24

Rail Business Awards

London, UK

March 3-5

Eurasia Rail

Konya, Turkey

April 20-21

Safety of Passengers

Warsaw, Poland

May 12-14

Electrotrans

Moscow, Russia

May 20-21

Smart Ticketing & Digital Services Forum

Budapest, Hungary

June 1-July 31

Urban Rail & Equipment Business Virtual Show

Online

June 16-18

Rail Solution Asia

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

June 21-23

Conference on Railway Excellence

Perth, Australia

June 28-30

Rail and Metro Infrastructure 2021

Online

September 7-9

Railtex & Infrarail

Birmingham, UK

September 13-15

Transport Security Congress

Miami, USA

October 11

2nd Rail Infra and Mobility Business Awards 2021

New Delhi, India

October 12-13

Middle East Rail 2021

Dubai, UAE

October 18-20

SmartMetro

Vienna, Austria

October 29-31

Urban Mobility India Conference & Expo

Kochi, India

November 9-10

MOVE

London, UK

Nov 30 – Dec 2

SmartRail Europe

Rome, Italy

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URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SEPTEMBER 2021

EDITORIAL CALENDER AND ADVERTISING RATES 2021-22

URBAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE Issue

Cover Story

Featured

May 2021

Rail Business

Future of Urban Railways

Rail Technology

Innovation in Rail Industry

July 2021

Infra Business

Role of EPC Industry

Construction Technology

Innovation in Urban Infra Industry

Sept 2021

Machinery & Plants

Role of Support Industry

Equipment Market

Automation Equipment

Nov 2021

Green Mobility

Future of Electric Vehicles

Charging Infrastructure

Hydrogen Fuel Technology

Jan 2022

Multi-Model Transport

Mobility as a Service (MaaS)

Role of Micro-Mobility

Year End Review 2021

Mar 2022

Autonomous Vehicles

Role of IoT, AI in Automation

Ticketing & Payment System

Rail & Transport Budget 2022

ADVERTISING RATES 2021-22 CONTENT BASED ADVERTISING

Ad Position

Ad Size (Full Page)

Rate (per insert)

Cover Page

210mmx220mm

₹50,000 ($1000, €900)

Content Type

Rate

Inside Cover Page

205mmx265mm

₹30,000 ($600, €540)