Chronicle Development Updates On Metro Rail Projects : Metro Rail News

Due to Covid-19 entry in Bengaluru metro stations being limited

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14/01/2022

Due to Covid-19 entry in Bengaluru metro stations being limited

Bengaluru (Metro Rail News): According to a press release issued by the BMRCL on Wednesday, January 12, Bengaluru commuters may soon be unable to wait for their train inside metro stations, as the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has set a limit on the number of passengers allowed in metro trains and stations at any given time. As a result, the number of persons permitted to wait inside metro stations is now limited to the number of seats available in each metro train. The ruling will take effect immediately.

The press release stated, ” It is brought to the notice of Namma Metro Commuters that, with immediate effect, entry of passengers into the stations will be restricted for allowing limited occupancy in trains to the extent of available seating capacity”. “If passengers notice that a train’s seating capacity is full, they must board the leaner coaches/following trains where the appropriate room is available,” according to the press release.

Apart from that, the BMRCL has announced that, due to the weekend curfew in Karnataka, train frequency will be decreased from 20 to 30 minutes on Saturdays and Sundays.
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In the last week, Karnataka has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases. The number of cases increased by 14,473 in 24 hours on Tuesday, January 11, with 10,800 in Bengaluru.

On Tuesday, the state’s COVID-19 test positivity rate was 10.3 per cent. In the meantime, 1,356 people have been released from hospitals across the state. The total number of active cases in the state was 73,260, including 59,000 in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, 32 children under the age of 15 in Vijayapura district tested positive for the coronavirus.

They comprised two children aged 2 to 5, five children aged 5 to 11, and 25 children aged 11 to 15. District Commissioner P Sunil Kumar included two children aged 2 to 5, five children aged 5 to 11, and 25 children aged 11 to 15.

Underground Contracts for Chennai Metro Line-4 were awarded to ITD Cem

Narendra Shah

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14/01/2022

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Underground Contracts for Chennai Metro Line-4 were awarded to ITD Cem

CHENNAI (Metro Rail News): ITD Cementation India Ltd. was awarded two underground construction contracts by Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL) on Wednesday for the 26.1 km Line-4’s 10 km underground packages UG-01 and UG-02 connecting Power House Ramp – Light House Station.

In February 2021, CMRL announced contracts for tunnelling and station packages of the 118.9 km Chennai Metro Phase 2 project, which has a 48-month deadline and is supported by an Asian Development Bank loan of $780 million (about Rs. 5890 crores) (ADB).

When the technical bids were opened in August, it was discovered that six companies had submitted a total of ten offers. As a result, ITD Cem was the lowest technically qualified bidder in November 2021.

Package UG-01

ITD Cem’s Bid: Rs. 1905.91 crore
Final Negotiated Contract Value: Rs. 1896,38,89,573 (1896.38 crore)

Through 5 stops, this 5.15 km route with twin tunnels connects Bharathidasan Road Station to Light House Station. The building of four of them are included in this package: Bharathidasan Road, Alwarpet, Kutchery Road, and Light House. In addition, Thirumayilai Station (interchange with Line-3) will be built as part of Line-3’s Package UG-04, which is currently being re-tendered.

Construction of underground stations at Light House, Kutchery Road, Alwarpet, Bharathidasan Road including underground stabling yard and cross over at Light House Station and associated twin tunnel, project start from chainage 0+001m to end chainage 5+150m (down line) are some of the brief scopes.

Package UG-02

ITD Cem’s Bid: Rs. 1856.14 crore
Final Negotiated Contract Value: Rs. 1846,86,75,347 (1846.86 crore)

With five stations at Kodambakkam Flyover (previously Meenakshi College), Kodambakkam, Panagal Park (with a crossover), Nandanam, and Boat Club, this 4.877 km section with twin tunnels connects a ramp west of Kodambakkam Flyover Station to Boat Club Station (Adyar Gate Junction).

Construction of underground stations at Boat Club, Nandanam, Panagal Park, Kodambakkam, Kodambakkam Flyover including underground crossover at Panagal Park Station and associated twin tunnel, cut & cover box, U section, and ramp project start from chainage 5+150m to end chainage 10+0.27m (down the line) are some of the brief scopes for this package.

With this achievement, contracts have been issued for all five packages of the 26.09 km Line-4 (Poonamallee – Light House), making it the first of three lines to attain this milestone. ITD Cem is anticipated to start basic groundwork in March, with complete construction beginning in June.

Contractors	Scope Package
Altis – VCL JV	DPT-01: Construction of Poonamallee Depot

HCC – KEC JV	Package C4-ECV-02: 7.945 km elevated section with 9 stations from Porur Junction to Poonamalle Bypass
Larsen & Toubro	Package C4-ECV-01: 7.955 km elevated section with 9 stations from Power House to Porur Junction (Line-4 & Line-5)
ITD Cementation India	Package C4-UG-01: 5.15 km underground section with 5 stations from Bharathidasan Road to Light House
ITD Cementation India	Package C4-UG-02: 4.877 km underground section with 5 stations from PowerHouse Ramp to Boat Club

Pune Metro: One-side Tunnel Digging Completed at Budhwar Peth

Narendra Shah

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14/01/2022

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Pune Metro: One-side Tunnel Digging Completed at Budhwar Peth

PUNE (Metro Rail News): The PCMC to Swargate stretch of Pune Metro Rail Project has a 6km underground tunnel system starting from Shivaji Nagar to Swargate. This 6km stretch includes Shivaji Nagar, Civil Court, Budhwar Peth, Mandai, and Swargate underground metro stations.

The underground section comprises of two tunnels i.e. one for coming and the other for going. And, out of these two tunnels, Shivaji Nagar to Swargate one-side tunnelling work has been completed today. Today, on 14th January 2022, marks the completion of the one-side tunnel work. From the total 12km underground tunnel stretch, 10.8 km (90 per cent) tunnel work has been completed.

On 14th January 2022, the TBM Pavana achieved a breakthrough at Budhwar Peth. It had started digging from Swargate crossed Mandai, and completed the tunnel digging work at Budhwar Peth metro station.

The complete underground tunnel work will be completed when the 4th TBM reaches Budhwar Peth byMarch 2022.

As of date, Swargate has 45 per cent of the physical work completed followed by Mandai at 20 per cent, Budhwar Peth 40 per cent, Civil Court at 75 per cent and Shivaji Nagar at 70 per cent.

The underground stretch is a very challenging and crucial part of the Pune metro project. Since the tunnel work is nearing completion, further work in the underground section has also begun, the ‘overhead equipment (OHE)’ work has commenced. Signalling and communication-related work are also ongoing. The initial level of track work has also started.

Maha Metro Pune is striving to complete the entire underground stretch work by December 2022. “Without the active support of the citizens of Pune and the administrative bodies, the work on the underground stretch of the Pune Metro project wouldn’t have been achieved swiftly and successfully. Today TBM Pavana has achieved a breakthrough, and one side tunnelling work is completed,” said Dr Brijesh Dixit, MD Maha Metro

K-Rail is challenging Kerala’s much-touted decentralization strategy

Narendra Shah

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12/01/2022

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K-Rail is challenging Kerala’s much-touted decentralization strategy

KOCHI (Metro Rail News): The K-Rail project has been a hotly discussed topic in Kerala. K-Rail is a proposed government-funded high-speed rail line that would connect Kasaragod in the north with Thiruvananthapuram in the south. K-Rail offers a top speed of 200 km/h and claims to cover a distance of 529.45 km in less than four hours, compared to the Indian Railways’ present time of 10-12 hours.

The Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) is rushing to complete this project, and the Chief Minister has taken a firm stance in support of it. However, this speed comes at a cost: more than 10,000 families are expected to be displaced, and 1,198 hectares of the 1,383 hectares that must be acquired will be private land.

The state government’s obstinacy has raised many eyebrows on a regional and national level, prompting the question: Does Kerala need a K-Rail? Kerala is a highly urbanized and mixed-growth ecosystem with a larger metropolitan. The state could bridge the divide between rural and urban systems because of the remittance economy and migration from the interiors.

The service sector accounts for 70% of Kerala’s gross domestic product (GDP). In effect, this reduced the demand for frequent mass transit and restricted mass employment in densely populated areas. In Kerala, even the definition of urbanization has been changed to include the countryside and villages.

The average daily number of passengers travelling by train between the state’s major cities (Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur, and Kozhikode) and some of the state’s minor cities/towns is estimated to be 38,935 people (Mukundan, 2020). Though these figures do not provide a complete picture, they can be used to estimate current connectivity needs.

The typical trip length in Kerala is a short distance. Because of Kerala’s political economy, talented and qualified people are looking for work in neighbouring states. According to the proposed K-Rail proposals, those who commute by speed rail will have to change modes of transportation (to train, bus, or private vehicles) to finish their route. Many of the proposed stations are not located in city or town centres.

Given the time it takes to change modes of transportation, the expense of travel, first/last mile connectivity difficulties, and the discomfort it creates, it’s improbable that many people would choose K-Rail above other options to save an hour or two. Therefore, another issue that needs to be investigated is the viability and future of Kerala’s existing Indian Railway network.

Those in favour of the project argue that it will make Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital, more accessible. In the past, it has been noticed that most people visit the state capital to see the secretariat, the Technopark, the Regional Cancer Centre, and other medical facilities. Instead of the other way around, the government should go where the people are. Why should patients be required to go to Thiruvananthapuram for access to excellent medical facilities when the goal should be to support and improve medical facilities on a local level?

The same logic applies to the concentration on employees who commute to Technopark daily. Daily commuter numbers will not be justifiable for the capital investment and displacement the project causes, with the option of remote working here to stay in some form, paired with digital improvements in the years ahead.

If travel to the capital city is used as an example to assess the demand for a high-speed rail, the other district headquarters have even less to offer, thus complicating the case for K-Rail. Given that Kerala’s population is almost evenly distributed between urban and rural areas, and since alternative modes of transportation are already widely used, attracting commuters from the interior to the limited number of stations would be difficult for K-Rail (11). This is one of the lessons Kochi Metro has learned throughout the years.

Kerala has India’s highest road density. Kerala’s population is ageing, and it will account for 20% or more of the old population in another decade. Kerala will face a new set of issues in the future years due to the rising flight of the younger population from the state in recent years.

In an already-fractured economy, the state must prioritize higher-quality education, job creation opportunities, and environmental protection. Regrettably, the proposed K-Rail fails to meet any of these criteria. Instead, it goes against Kerala’s tradition of decentralization while encouraging involuntary movements through inducement.

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar proposed a rapid rail link between Delhi and Hisar

Narendra Shah

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12/01/2022

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Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar proposed a rapid rail link between Delhi and Hisar

CHANDIGARH (Metro Rail News): The Haryana state government has taken a step forward in improving rail connectivity between Delhi and Hisar. Manohar Lal Khattar, the Chief Minister of Haryana, said the state government has submitted a proposal to the Centre to develop a Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) linking Delhi and Hisar.

The Haryana government backed this idea to improve connectivity and ties across the states. Furthermore, they believe that cross-state commutes will become more convenient. On Monday, the Chief Minister met with Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw and the Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav.

According to Khattar, this train connection will improve communication between Hisar and Delhi airports. In addition, according to reports, this program will benefit individuals in various ways, including making travel more accessible and expanding job prospects for the general public.

Regarding the other projects, Khattar stated that the Ministry of Railways has approved the development of a roadway under Rohtak’s elevated railway line. Aside from that, the Haryana government would begin the land acquisition process for the train route from Palwal to Prithla soon.

In addition, the Chief Minister stated that 10 railway stations would be established on the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor and Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, both of which pass through Haryana, in order to speed up the development of various sectors. According to Vaishnaw, time-bound choices were made to expedite several railway projects in Haryana.

Cochin Shipyard launches Second water ferry

Narendra Shah

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11/01/2022

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Cochin Shipyard launches Second water ferry

KOCHI (Metro Rail News): On Monday, the second of the 23 battery-powered Water Metro boats being built at the Cochin Shipyard was launched. Seventy-five per cent of the work has been completed, and the rest will be completed soon.
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Outfitting and shaft alignment are among the pending tasks, followed by basin and sea trials. After that, the vessel would be turned over to Kochi Metro Rail Limited. Finally, in the last week of December, the first ferry was handed over to the metro agency. Its trial run started at the Vyttila Water Metro station.

According to a press release, fast charging and integrated transportation management and communication technologies will be tested for ten days.

Delhi Metro informs the high court that it has Rs. 6,000 crore in the bank

Narendra Shah

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11/01/2022

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Delhi Metro informs the high court that it has Rs. 6,000 crore in the bank

DELHI (Metro Rail News): The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) told the Delhi high court on Monday that it has Rs. 6,208.03 crore in its various bank accounts, a day after DAMEPL filed a case in the court seeking contempt proceedings against the former for not releasing its complete bank account details.

DAMEPL, a Reliance Infrastructure company, filed an appeal in the high court on January 7 alleging that DMRC is attempting to stall the execution of an Rs. 4.600 crore arbitral award against it by withholding its bank account information. DAMEPL claims that DMRC attempts to thwart the arbitration process by disclosing only a portion of its bank account information, despite the court’s order requiring it to disclose all of its bank account information.

DAMEPL filed the application in response to a DMRC affidavit on January 5. Metro made a partial/limited disclosure of its bank accounts concerning 1,642.69 crores of the total funds 5,800.93 crores that it had disclosed in the court through its last affidavit filed on December 21, 2021.

Justice Suresh Kait ordered DMRC to provide an affidavit detailing its bank accounts and the balance amount on December 22. While DMRC’s properties could not be attached under Section 89 of the Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002, there was no similar restriction on its bank accounts, according to the judgement.

According to the affidavit filed on Monday, out of 6,208.03 crores in DMRC’s bank accounts, 1,642.69 crore is not the company’s earnings. This comprises a committed obligation of 514 crores to staff on leave salary and post-retirement medical expenditures. A provision has been made in DMRC’s books and a 114 crore portion of intelligent card security deposits recoverable to commuters. The case will most likely be heard the following day, on Tuesday.

The Concession Agreement was cancelled in October 2012 by a consortium of Reliance Energy Limited (now Reliance Infrastructure Limited) and M/s Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, SA, alleging DMRC’s failure to repair deficiencies in the structure supporting the Airport Metro Express Line. As a result, the arbitration clause in DMRC’s contract with the consortium was exercised.

On August 25, 2008, the two parties signed a concession deal. DMRC was to carry out the civil works, except at the depot, and DAMEPL, a joint venture of Rinfra and a Spanish construction company — Construcciones Y Auxiliar De Ferrocarriles — with 95 and 5% shareholdings, was to carry out the remaining works, including the project system works.

Reliance Infra was awarded Rs. 4600 in damages by the Arbitral Tribunal in 2017 and the decision was affirmed by a single-judge bench of the Delhi high court in 2018. However, in 2019, a division bench of the same court overturned the award, prompting Reliance Infra to appeal to the Supreme Court. The apex court overturned the division bench’s verdict of January 15, 2019, and upheld the arbitral award favouring DAMEPL in September 2021, citing a troubling trend of courts overturning arbitral awards.

In November, the Supreme Court denied DMRC’s request to review its decision upholding DAMEPL’s 2017 arbitration award, which was enforceable against it. The DMRC indicated that, due to the corporation’s “financial crunch,” taking on a “sudden burden” would jeopardise the public’s interest and that officials were working on a solution. They further alleged that the sum owed to it was around 5,000 crores.

DAMEPL files a contempt petition against Delhi Metro at High Court

Narendra Shah

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11/01/2022

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DAMEPL files a contempt petition against Delhi Metro at High Court

DELHI (Metro Rail News): Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt. Ltd (DAMEPL), a Reliance Infrastructure company, has filed a contempt of court petition against the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). DAMEPL filed a case in the Delhi high court alleging that DMRC had failed to comply with a court order issued on December 22.

DMRC was ordered to disclose full disclosure of its bank accounts and funds within one week of receiving the ruling. DAMEPL’s application reacts to DMRC’s late affidavit, which only offered a partial disclosure. In an affidavit submitted on December 21, DMRC divulged 1,642.69 crores of the 5,800.93 crores it had cited in court.

A DMRC spokeswoman declined to comment on the situation, claiming it was still under investigation. Reliance Infra did not respond to requests for information.

DAMEPL has accused DMRC of knowingly concealing its remaining monies, a clear violation of the Delhi High Court’s decision. “The actions of DMRC demonstrates that it is attempting to thwart and postpone the Arbitral Award’s implementation process, as well as guarantee that the upcoming hearing on January 11 becomes ineffectual,” the motion stated.

The taxpayer is paying an additional interest burden of 1.75 crore per day due to DMRC’s delay in paying the arbitral judgement. In its most recent affidavit, the DMRC said that it had total funds of Rs 5,800.93 crore. However, DMRC funds totalled 1,642.69 crores, project funds totalled 2,412.12 crores, and other than DMRC money totalled 1,746.12 crores.

DAMEPL has asked the Delhi High Court to order DMRC to follow the court’s previous decision in letter and spirit and provide complete details of its bank accounts, together with the relevant bank statements, on or before the next hearing date.
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The Supreme Court confirmed DAMEPL’s arbitration award of Rs 7,200 crore on September 7, 2021, then On September 12, DAMEPL filed an execution petition in the Delhi High Court. The plea asked the court to require DMRC to comply with the SC ruling and reimburse the business $7,200 crore. However, DMRC has only paid DAMEPL a total of Rs 1,000 crore so far.

UPMRC MD Mr. Kumar Keshav has been given a four-month extension by UP Govt

Narendra Shah

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11/01/2022

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UPMRC MD Mr. Kumar Keshav has been given a four-month extension by UP Govt

LUCKNOW (Metro Rail News): The Uttar Pradesh government granted Kumar Keshav, the Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) ‘s managing director, a four-month extension of service. His term was initially set to conclude on February 16, 2022. However, it was extended until June 30, 2022.

This is Kumar Keshav’s third extension in a row. In August of 2014, he was appointed for a five-year term. On August 17, 2019, he received his first two-year extension after five years of service. He was then given a six-month extension, with his term set to expire on February 16, 2022. Kumar Keshav’s appointment has now been extended until June 30, 2022.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a Kanpur Metro Rail Project segment on December 28. According to a press release from the UPMRC, Prime Minister Modi recognised the MD’s remarkable services. “The managing director of Uttar Pradesh Metro received a service extension from the government for remarkable work in providing world-class metros to several cities in Uttar Pradesh,” according to the press release.

Kudos to Kumar Keshav, known as Uttar Pradesh’s “MetroMan,” and his team for launching these large-scale metro projects in the state’s two most populated cities in such a short time, according to the press release. According to the press release, UPMRC achieved a new national record by giving Kanpurites their very own metro in just two years and two months in December 2021.

According to a press release from the UPMRC, Keshav was appointed as managing director of Lucknow Metro (now UP Metro Rail Corporation Limited) seven and a half years ago in 2014. During that time, he and his team gave Lucknow India’s fastest metro project and then broke his record by launching Kanpur Metro Train services in just two years and two months.

These projects brought the cities of Uttar Pradesh international attention, but they also improved the lives of the inhabitants of Lucknow and Kanpur. According to the statement, the name of the fastest constructed underground metro station in Lucknow, ‘Chowdhary Charan Singh Airport Metro Station,’ is also entered in the Limca Book of Records under Kumar Keshav’s guidance.

According to the statement, the Kanpur Metro (Balance Section) and Agra Metro projects are currently being built by Uttar Pradesh Metro at a rapid speed, day and night, without interruption, while Gorakhpur Metro is currently awaiting sanction from the Central government.

Ex-RBI Governor Urjit Patel has been appointed as a Vice President of AIIB

Narendra Shah

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11/01/2022

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Ex-RBI Governor Urjit Patel has been appointed as a Vice President of AIIB

Beijing (Metro Rail News): Former RBI governor Urjit Patel has been chosen as a vice president of the Beijing-based global lending agency AIIB. With the second-highest voting stake behind China, India is a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Jin Liqun, a former Chinese vice-minister of finance, is in charge.

Urjit Patel will serve as one of the AIIB’s five vice presidents for a three-year term. Next month, he is anticipated to take over his position. According to AIIB sources, he will succeed outgoing vice president D.J. Pandian, who is in charge of the AIIB’s sovereign and non-sovereign loans in South Asia, the Pacific Islands, and South-East Asia.

Pandian, who previously served as Gujarat’s chief secretary, will return to the country later this month. On September 5, 2016, Patel succeeded Raghuram Rajan as the 24th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Patel stepped down in December of 2018. “I have decided to step down from my current job effective immediately” due to personal considerations. He was a deputy governor handling the monetary policy department at the RBI under Rajan and was renowned as his “inflation-warrior” until taking over on September 6, 2016.”

Patel has previously worked for organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Boston Consulting Group, and Reliance Industries. Patel’s appointment to the AIIB is noteworthy since India has emerged as the organization’s largest recipient, receiving $6.7 billion in investment for 28 projects, Pandian said at his goodbye luncheon on Saturday.

In addition, the AIIB is working on a $2 billion loan for India to purchase COVID-19 vaccinations with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Manila-based ADB is slated to provide $1.5 billion of the $2 billion loans, while the AIIB considers giving $500 million.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) recently approved a loan of $356.67 million to expand Chennai’s metro rail system. It’s also considering sponsoring a slew of additional infrastructure projects to help the city of Chennai and its environs grow. The bank also financed the Bengaluru metro rail project.

In his parting speech, Pandian sought to debunk the misconception that the AIIB is a Chinese bank, particularly in India. Instead, he claimed that the bank has evolved into a multilateral institution currently the leading lender of Asian infrastructure projects. Except for the United States and Japan, he noted that most developed and developing countries joined the bank.

A readout on AIIB official website said the bank is a “multilateral development bank whose mission is financing the Infrastructure for Tomorrow—infrastructure with sustainability at its core”. “We started operations in Beijing in January 2016 and now have 105 approved members around the world.” We have a $100 billion market capitalization. We are rated Triple-A by the major international credit rating agencies. “It was also added.

Inauguration of Pune Metro to be delayed as PM Modi cancels visit

Narendra Shah

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11/01/2022

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Inauguration of Pune Metro to be delayed as PM Modi cancels visit

PUNE (Metro Rail News): Due to the cancellation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned visit to the city to inaugurate the Pune Metro due to an increase in Covid-19 cases, metro commercial activities on priority length would be delayed, according to officials.

Pune mayor Murlidhar Mohol said, “We had planned to start operations of Pune Metro from January 18, but as PM’s visit has been cancelled the commercial operations on priority stretch will be postponed.” “It is now confirmed that the inauguration programme will be postponed,” he stated. We’ll make a decision on metro operations soon.”

Before the municipal election, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Pune and the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) decided to commence metro operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be invited to the ceremony.

An invitation was sent to the Prime Minister’s office with the cooperation of state leaders. However, when the number of Covid-19 cases in Pune escalated, the Prime Minister’s Office postponed the event, according to other BJP leaders.

“The development of priority portions is practically complete between PCMC and Phugewadi and Vanaz to Garware College,” said Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation managing director Brijesh Dixit. The political leadership will make a decision on when the Pune Metro would begin operations.”

‘Recently, a Delhi Metro team visited the PCMC to Phugewaid section and conducted a safety audit,’ said Maha-public Metro’s relations officer Hemant Sonawane. They have even issued the clearance for PCMC to the Phugewadi section. The Vanaz to Garware segment examination will be completed soon.”

The PCMC-Phugewadi route of the Pune Metro route receives a safety nod

Narendra Shah

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10/01/2022

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The PCMC-Phugewadi route of the Pune Metro route receives a safety nod

PUNE (Metro Rail News): Pune Metros’ the PCMC-Phugewadi elevated stretch, obtained approval from the Metro rail safety commissioner on Friday (CMRS). Last month, the CMRS inspected the entire line and the five stations positioned along with it. The authorization has made it possible for commuters to use the Metro.

The CMRS had also made some minor comments, according to MahaMetro officials, which would be implemented soon. Next week, a close inspection of another high-priority section — Vanaz to Garware College — is planned.

“We have received authorization for the PCMC-Phugewadi route,” said MahaMetro’s general manager (PR), Hemant Sonawane. All major work between PCMC and Phugewadi stations has already been finished, except for some minor station work that will be done in the coming days. As a result, commuter services will be available soon.

Pimpri station opposite the PCMC building, Sant Tukaramnagar station, Kasarwadi, Nashik Phata, and Phugewadi are the five stops on the route. The three-day CMRS inspection on the PCMC-Phugewadi route was completed.

During the inspections, all aspects of commuter flow at the stations, platforms, and approaches to the stations were examined for safety. Commuters are protected by a CCTV surveillance network and an emergency alarm system at each station.

According to a MahaMetro official, each station on the route has at least two entry-exit points. More of these points will be produced in accordance with the requirements. Although the platforms at the stations can accommodate trains with six coaches, the aim is to run three-coach trains on both routes at first. Meanwhile, MahaMetro stated that solar panels would be installed at the stations.

Work of viaduct crossing Harris bridge in the last phase:

The construction of a Metro viaduct crossing the Harris bridge ahead of Dapodi on its way to Khadki is nearing completion. This viaduct will connect the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Metro stations. The viaduct runs between the vehicular bridge’s two wings.

To cross the river, steel girders have been built. The MahaMetro claims that the Metro’s viaduct pillars are not obstructing vehicular traffic on the bridges or at the two ends. Vehicle lanes have been marked with sufficient space, particularly on the Khadki and Bopodi ends of the bridge. The passage of the Harris Bridge is not included in the priority segment. Work on the route outside the priority stretch has also been accelerated, according to MahaMetro authorities.

Exclusive Interview with Mr. Vinay Kumar Singh, Managing Director, NCRTC

Metro Rail News

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10/01/2022

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Exclusive Interview with Mr. Vinay Kumar Singh, Managing Director, NCRTC

Metro Rail News Managing Editor Mr Narendra Shah conducted an email interview with Mr. Vinay Kumar Singh, MD, NCRTC. In which Mr Singh shared his ideas on the growing role of RRTS in the transport sector and threw light on the differences between RRTS and Delhi Metro Rail System. Mr Vinay talked about the upcoming technologies in metros like the Common Data Environment, 3D Models Virtual Reality, Continuous Operating Reference Station (CORS) etc. He discussed that the RRTS are a boon for inter-city connectivity in the NCR region. It will increase the overall productivity of the area by stimulating polycentric development, economic activity etc. Here are the edited excerpts:

Narendra Shah (NS): What major challenges do you see in the transport systems in the National Capital Region?

Mr. Vinay Kumar Singh (VKS): Connectivity options currently available in the National Capital Region (NCR) include time-tabled trains for intercity travel, Delhi Metro Rail, DTC Buses and taxis etc. Given the urban expanse of the region and concentration of economic activity in few central pockets, what is missing is a fast, reliable and comfortable mobility solution for regional commute between urban and sub-urban nodes. This is the gap that the RRTS, a rail-based regional transit system is going to plug in.

Let us take example of Delhi-Meerut connectivity. Existing road connection between Delhi and urban nodes like Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Modi Nagar enroute to Meerut passes through congested roads prone to vehicle accidents, and any further widening of roads in this corridor will involve huge rehabilitation and resettlement issues. The travel time from Delhi to Meerut city centre to city centre, even with private vehicles is more than 3 hours during peak hour traffic. Also, the existing rail transport has low frequency, lacks reliability and has high travel time. Further, as per published data, the line capacity utilisation of Indian Railways network on this route is more than 100 percent. Hence it is not feasible to increase the frequency of existing services significantly.

Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor will allow commuters to travel from Meerut to Delhi in less than an hour. The requirement of better regional connectivity in the form of RRTS has been long identified as one of the most critical interventions required to achieve balanced and harmonised development of NCR.

In line with the international experience, once operational, a high throughput system like RRTS will unlock economic development potential of the entire region, decongest the capital city, and integrate the NCR in true sense by providing transit connectivity to various urban and sub-urban nodes.

2) In what ways will the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) be different from Delhi Metro Rail system?

Metro train systems have revolutionised the way people travel and have enhanced the adoption of mass public transport systems within the geographical limits of a city. However, as I said earlier, RRTS will provide fast, safe, and comfortable mode of intercity commute in NCR.

While implementing the RRTS, NCRTC is building a huge network of networks in the region. Several RRTS stations have been strategically planned so as to enable seamless integration with other modes of transport like metro stations, railway stations, inter-state bus terminals (ISBT), bus stands/ depots, etc. This will help people to travel seamlessly from one point to another and save significantly on travel-time.

If we talk of the difference from Metro systems, RRTS trainsets will have a design speed of 180 Kmph, and a resultant average speed of about 100 km per hour, which is three times faster than the current resultant average speed of Metro trains of 30-35 km per hour.

Further, RRTS trainsets, which are being designed and manufactured in the country, will provide features like comfortable 2×2 transverse seats, overhead luggage racks, USB/ electric charging for mobile/ laptops, onboard Wi-fi for infotainment, and one premium class coach in each train. Another important intervention that we have done is to enable the RRTS infrastructure, be it stations or trains, to carry patients on stretcher/ wheelchair in case of rare medical emergencies. I believe this facility will prove to be a life saviour for people on the corridor by providing them access to the most advanced medical facilities of the country.

3) This was about the passenger experience, further, what are the differences in the underlying technologies that make RRTS first-of-its-kind in India?

True, owing to the high design speed of 180 kmph, every sub-system of the RRTS has application of technology at a different level from its previous applications in India. Moreover, as a strategy we have adopted state-of-the-art, future looking technologies across these sub-systems therefore making it a first-of-its-kind implementation in India.

For example, even in case of underground civil structures, tunnel diameter will be higher owing to provision of luggage racks in the coaches and higher speed. Also, the viaduct girders are heavier and stiffer to support low tolerance track.

For low maintenance ballastless tracks for high speed, Austrian pre-cast track technology, which is considered one of the best available track systems globally, is being installed for the first time in the country.

If we talk of traction, Rigid Overhead Catenary System for design speed of 180 kmph is being installed for the first time in India.

We are implementing European Train Control System Level 2 (ETCS L2) signalling in RRTS, one of the most advanced signalling & train control system in the world. This will be for the first time in the world that combination of the latest ETCS Standard, the latest Digital Interlocking and Automatic Train Operation (ATO) over Long-Term Evolution (LTE) radio will be deployed. ETCS Level 2 system will allow interoperability among different RRTS corridors.

Further, modern system-operated, Made-in-India rolling stock with high acceleration/ deceleration shall be used for RRTS which shall be different from Metro systems.

Last but not the least, for the first time in India, Metro services in Meerut, shall be operated on the same infrastructure of RRTS which is a different service altogether adding to the technological complexity.

4) Can you highlight any major innovations or advanced technologies being deployed in the RRTS implementation?

Certainly, making RRTS a technologically advanced system has been one of the core strategies since beginning. I have always encouraged my team to adopt best-in-class technological solutions for not only enhancing passenger experience but also in the implementation of the project.

We are using innovative IT enabled tools and modules, developed in-house for various aspects of project implementation. The tool for project monitoring and management, called SPEED, developed by our own IT team has been refined iteratively with our own implementation experience and has become so effective that NCRTC is even supporting other public transit organisations to implement this tool for their project management.

In addition to SPEED, we are using many other technological solutions, which are helping us make implementation more effective and efficient. These include Common Data Environment (CDE) which helps teams collaborate and exchange documents on one platform with clearly defined workflows and Building Information Modelling (BIM) which is a virtual reality-based technology that provides a digital representation of the physical and functional characteristics of the RRTS project. BIM uses CDE to share intelligent 3D model and enables document management, coordination, & simulation on a real-time basis, forming a reliable foundation for decisions during the project lifecycle. With 3D models Virtual Reality (VR) views, everyone in the team knows from day one that what kind of structure they are going to construct, making the collaboration between designers and engineers in the field seamless and smooth. This helps us in saving time in resolving conflicts and reducing capex.

Another innovative technology that we implemented successfully, is use of Continuous Operating Reference Station (CORS) network with multiple Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) base stations which are located at stable locations and these stations operate 24 X 7 at a distance of 5 to 10 km along the corridor. This is an advanced technique which eliminates distance dependence, ionospheric and manual errors in surveys and enables availability of accurate reference points for installation of track-system, etc.

5) You have also served as CEO, HSRCL; Group General Manager, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited; Multiple and Key Positions in Indian Railways. How would you use your experience of working in these important portfolios for development of RRTS for NCR?

During my career spanning more than three decades, I consider myself fortunate to have worked in positions where in I could gather good understanding of advanced technologies in the railway sector in addition to enhancing my management knowhow.

In my current role, I have been given to spearhead the RRTS project which is probably technologically most advanced implementation being undertaken in the rail-based infrastructure sector in the country. My past experience of developing the foundation of high-speed project in India has proved quite beneficial. For developing the right knack of leading project implementation, I give credit to my initial stints at Indian Railways and Delhi Metro.

Also, acknowledging how I have learnt throughout my career, I encourage employees across the board to keep learning new technologies and systems, provide opportunities to them for upskilling, remain open to new ideas and initiatives, and challenge the ‘status quo’. Further, in this organisation, I have tried to build a culture which prioritises a commuter-first approach in all our plans, strategies, and actions.

I believe focus on selection and upskilling of a committed and passionate team can do wonders and we are working together to prove this with a timely and successful implementation of RRTS.

6) Do you think RRTS alone can be an ideal solution for mobility needs of a rapidly increasing urban population in India?

Well, certainly RRTS can pave the way as a transformative mobility solution that can play key role in providing sustainable solutions to resolve the multiple crises being faced by our urban centres. However, without a close and dynamic integration of transport and land-use planning, the problem can’t be solved in its entirety.

Currently, with Metro System commuters in NCR provide a “one-hour access” in a radius of about 30 Kms from the city centre. Once RRTS is operational, commuters will be able to travel in a radius of about 100 Kms within an hour. This average speed can be further increased to up to 125 Km/hr if we enable our stations for hopping services. Thus, with RRTS coming in, one can easily stay in their hometowns like Meerut, Ghaziabad, Modinagar, Manesar, Panipat and travel to Delhi within an hour, to access education, employment, healthcare and recreational facilities.

RRTS will enhance overall productivity of NCR leading to greater economic activity, encourage polycentric development in the region, and enhance reach to affordable housing. RRTS will entail a significant modal shift of passenger transport from road to rail, help reduce vehicular congestion, air pollution, and permanent migration to Delhi.

With multi-modal-integration as one of the core strategies, RRTS will lead to creation of a huge network-of-networks in the NCR and increase in share of public transport in the region.

RRTS can be replicated to provide high-speed seamless connectivity to other urban agglomerations. If given a mandate, NCRTC will be glad to play a strategic role to support implementation of similar high-speed mobility projects in the country.

7) What is the time frame decided for completion of the first RRTS project of the country? Is there any plan regarding scale up of the project or any major development envisioned for the ongoing project?

NCRTC has been given the mandate to implement eight RRTS corridors connecting the key nodes across NCR, with Delhi-Meerut, Delhi-Panipat, and Delhi- Alwar being the three corridors to be developed in the Phase-1.

The Priority Section of 17 kms between Sahibabad to Duhai will be commissioned by March of 2023. Commissioning of the full corridor from Delhi to Meerut, along with metro services in Meerut, will happen by 2025. While the target is to commission by March of 2023, but the speed at which our teams are working, we are confident that we will deliver it before the schedule.

The progress of the project is attributed to the indomitable spirit of more than 14,000 workers & 1100 engineers working passionately at the RRTS sites, and cooperation of our key stakeholders – Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), State Governments of UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, & Govt. of NCT of Delhi.

8) Shall definitely like to know your views about Metro Rail News.

The country has seen successful implementation of metro rail projects across its urban centres. In addition, we will now be having multiple high-speed rail projects. In this scenario, a reputed publication like Metro Rail News, dedicated to the sector, is playing an appreciable role in keeping the key stakeholders & decision-makers connected, and abreast with the latest developments in the industry. The wide variety of topics the editorial team at Metro Rail News picks for every issue and the attention to detail with which they address each new story is quite impressive.

Exclusive Interview with Siddharth Chatterjee, Head of Structure Department at WSP Louis Berger India

Metro Rail News

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10/01/2022

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Exclusive Interview with Siddharth Chatterjee, Head of Structure Department at WSP Louis Berger India

Metro Rail News Managing Editor Mr. Narendra Shah conducted an email interview with Mr. Siddhartha Chatterjee, Principal Engineer (HOD) at Louis Berger India Pvt. Ltd. During this conversation, Mr. Chatterjee shared the journey and its prospects. Here’s the edited excerpt:

Q.01. Tell us something about the project – BG Rail Link between Rishikesh to Karnaprayag (Package 3) that you are leading for Louis Berger?

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) has spearheaded the implementation of the construction of the new 125 km long Broad-Gauge railway line from Rishikesh to Karnaprayag in the State of Uttarakhand in India. This new rail link will facilitate vastly improved mobility and connectivity for the residents of the State, in particular for those living in the mountainous areas and for those visiting the State for tourism and religious purposes. As you are aware, the new rail line will also cover the area known as “Char Dham” – the four highly sacred temples. The design and construction of the new line is being implemented in eight packages. Louis Berger SAS in a consortium with lead partner Geodata has designed the 14.263km long section of the line included in Package 3 and is presently supervising the construction of the same. This package includes over 9km of tunnels and 4 bridges (Bridge nos. 4 to 7). Of these, we have showcased “Bridge No. 6” in Bentley’s “The 2021 Going Digital Awards in Infrastructure”.

Q.02. What makes the project so unique and challenging, as we have heard about it on many occasions?

This project is unique and challenging in many ways –

It includes one of the longest railway steel truss bridges in India.
The project is located near the fault zone of the Himalayan region. Location wise it falls under the most critical seismic zone V as per the Indian seismological map. The near-fault effect is further assessed through a Site-specific Response spectrum. This has further enhanced the magnitude of the seismic force for design.
There is very limited space available closer to the abutments to carry out bridge launching related activities. In addition, launching will be conducted over live traffic adjacent to abutments with very limited space.
The steep and rugged mountainous terrain posed significant design challenges, especially foundations. Innovative bridge construction techniques had to be formulated.

Q.03. What, according to you, have been the biggest challenges before you in this project? What for you is the completion status of the project. Would you please tell us specifically? Is there any task that remains incomplete from your side that might cost any delays for the project?

The design of a steel truss bridge of 125m in a very high seismic zone in itself is a very challenging task. In addition, it is located in very difficult rugged terrain where construction is extremely challenging. Hence, developing designs suited to the rugged mountainous terrain with construction-friendly and innovative techniques was a major challenge.

As of date, the design of all project components is complete, and GFC drawings have been issued. As far as construction is concerned, foundation-related activities are ongoing at site along with fabrication of steel truss at fabrication yard.

With the design being completed and the construction of most foundations in progress, no cost escalation is foreseen.

Q.04. How important would this Rail Line Link be strategically for the country apart from tourism and Char Dham Yatra that it will certainly boost?

This new rail link between Rishikesh to Karnaprayag will undoubtedly boost tourism, and it will be a boon for people travelling for the ‘Char Dham Yatra’. In addition, it is significantly going to improve India’s strategic position in border areas because the rail link will provide a faster and more reliable mode of transport for the movement of goods and people.

Q.05. To what extent has your contribution towards the rail line link that is being developed strategically and economically important for the country? Is your work limited to designing and constructing of bridges and tunnels only for this project?

During the design stage, we endeavoured to develop optimum design solutions in terms of project cost, ease of construction, and the least possible impact on the environment, given the environmentally sensitive areas that the rail line will traverse. Our role is presently only for the design of all elements of the project, and subsequent project and construction management

Q.06. Which other major projects you are working upon of this magnitude and scale. Please tell us something about your company and your role in specific?

Louis Berger was founded in the United States in 1953 and, by December 2018, had grown into a US$ 1 billion global consulting engineering firm with over 6,000 staff worldwide. In December 2018, Louis Berger was fully acquired globally by WSP Global headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Today, we are therefore an integral part of WSP, with over CA$ 7.5 billion in annual revenues and over 55,000 professionals worldwide on six continents. WSP is ranked No. 1 in the world in transportation by ENR.

Across the globe, we provide a wide range of services from concept and feasibility studies, design, project management and construction supervision often extending into the O&M stage across diverse sectors including Transportation (Highways, Bridges, Tunnels, Rail, Metro Rail, Light Rail, High-Speed Rail, Aviation, Ports), Property and Buildings, Industrial and Energy, and Environment. We are “Future Ready” and aim to bring “Solutions for a Better World”.

Some of the other landmark ongoing projects of WSP/Louis Berger in India are as follows:

Mumbai Metro Line 3 (33km, fully underground)
Mumbai Metro Line 4 (30km, fully elevated)
Bhopal Metro & Indore Metro (60km in total, part elevated, part underground)
Versova Bandra Sea Link in Mumbai (17km of marine roadway bridges)
Mumbai Coastal Road with significant reclamation works, sea walls, complex interchanges and marine viaducts
Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link with 11km of 4-lane twin tunnels and an iconic cable-stayed bridge of 350m main span
9km long twin roadway Tunnels under River Brahmaputra in Assam

Q.07. Louis Berger is one of the well known global companies in the field of engineering, architecture, structural engineering etc. What had been your experience taking up a challenging Indian project as such? Do you feel need of any addl. Technological upgrade required at your part?

Louis Berger has previously executed several rail, tunnel and bridge projects worldwide, including in challenging mountainous regions. This prior experience enabled Louis Berger to “hit the ground running” on this project, drawing on our experience and expertise across the globe. However, every project is unique in its own way and the present Rishikesh-Karanprayag project posed its own challenges, especially in terms of the high seismic zone and the difficulties anticipated with regard to construction, driving construction technique innovations. Therefore, this project has also been a learning experience, adding to our global knowledge database. With the acquisition of Louis Berger globally by WSP in December 2018, the experience database on similar projects has grown six to seven-fold. We seek continuous improvement, including the innovative use of newer technologies. We are working on introducing 5D BIM for smoother progress during construction on the present project.

Q.08. Is there any message you would like to give to our readers?

At WSP/Louis Berger, we believe in being fully accountable and taking full ownership for the work that we execute on our projects. We understand the responsibility we must bear in the design and project/construction management of public-sector infrastructure works, especially using taxpayer funds in the most optimum manner. We believe in bringing our “Future Ready” approach to our designs and processes, factoring in aspects such as climate change into our designs. Above all, we stand for “zero tolerance” where Safety is considered, operate with the highest integrity and ethics, and work towards ensuring the best quality.