Laying of metro track completed on an 11.4-km-long stretch

Kanika Verma
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Laying of metro track completed on an 11.4-km-long stretch

PUNE (Metro Rail News): The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (MahaMetro) has said that it has so far completed laying of track in the 11.4-km-long stretch on PCMC-Range Hills section and about 540 meters of tracks on Vanaz-Civil Court section of the metro project.

The work of the erection of tubular portals for overhead traction has also been initiated in both sections. The portals and traction help maintain the power supply required for the running of metro rakes.

The MahaMetro has said that work has been expedited in both sections. About 55 portals have been erected so far in the PCMC-Range Hills section while 20 in Vanaz-Civil Court stretch.
Work on commencement of two power substations has also been started to provide uninterrupted power.

The substations are coming up at Vanaz and Vallabhnagar. The work of laying of tracks in PCMC-Dapodi stretch is expected to get over by December. A target has been set to complete similar work taken up in the VanazGarware College route by January end. The metro corridors are coming up in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad in a 32 km stretch. Work has been taken up in four sections. Digging of the tunnel for the underground section is expected to begin in the next few days.

Chennai-based ICF may not make Train-18 in near future

Kanika Verma
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Chennai-based ICF may not make Train-18 in near future

CHENNAI (Metro Rail News): On November 27 Union railway minister Piyush Goyal informed Parliament that Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) will manufacture 160 coaches of Train-18 in 2019-20.

However, top railway officials say that it is unlikely that even a single coach of Train-18 will roll out of ICF this year or in the near future as top companies have raised concerns about specifications for the procurement of a new electrical propulsion system. In November the specifications set by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and Indian Railways research wing were released.

Former chief mechanical engineer (CME) of ICF in a letter to V K Yadav said that chairman of Railway Board (CRB) on November 13 “RDSO has exceeded its brief and included items to which likely bidders have objected to in writing,” said Shubhranshu.

Shubhranshu is now posted at Rail Wheel Plant and was earlier part of the core team which made two Train-18 rakes which now run as Vande Bharat Express on the Delhi-Varanasi and Delhi-Katra route.

His letter is a formal complaint demanding a vigilance inquiry into what he calls the sabotage of the Train-18 project at ICF. Shubhranshu’s letter said the delay in production at ICF has been cited as the reason for floating the proposal of import of 60 train sets (960 coaches) at a cost of ₹25,000 crores. Despite repeated attempts, ICF general manager Rahul Jain could not be reached for comments.

Railway sources told that at least three multinational companies have complained against the specifications, which indicate that the supplier should provide bogies, automatic doors, and a brake system along with the propulsion system.

Railway sources said that RDSO revised the specifications after board officials found fault with the propulsion system in the first two rakes. A vigilance probe is also looking into the procurement of the propulsion system for the first two rakes from a Hyderabad-based company. “The revised specifications will make the competition narrower and the playing field more uneven,” the letter said.

This means ICF would not be able to deliver the third Train-18 before March 2023, even as the nation waits, the letter added. In addition, the production of air-conditioned EMUs for Mumbai suburban and MEMUs for branch lines have also been stalled indefinitely, the letter said. “Now ICF is manufacturing only LHB coaches,” an official said. “We don’t know when ICF will be able to process these tenders due to the issues,” a railway board official said.

First tunnel boring machine for underground metro arrives in Pune

Kanika Verma
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First tunnel boring machine for underground metro arrives in Pune

PUNE (Metro Rail News): The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (MahaMetro) has said that the work of underground metro stretch is likely to expedite in the coming months as first tunnel boring machine (TBM) which will be used for tunneling work has reached the city recently. A total of four machines are expected to be deployed for the tunneling work. The remaining machines will arrive in a phased manner in the next three months.

The MahaMetro said that it took seven days for the first TBM to reach Pune from the JNPT port in Mumbai by road. The machine parts were brought in three trucks because of its huge size and weight. Additional pullers were deployed to climb the ghat section of Lonavla and Khandala.

At some spots, vehicular traffic was stopped for a few hours as a precautionary measure to make way for the convoy of TBM. A senior official from MahaMetro said that the work of the assembling machine has been taken up. About 70% of the work of assembling has been completed so far. The remaining work is expected to get over in the next few days.

The actual excavation work will begin after completion of assembling and preliminary trial runs, the official added. The MahaMetro has said that all the machines to be used for metro tunneling work are of international standards and will work on advanced technology.

Railway Board to import 60 train sets

Kanika Verma
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Railway Board to import 60 train sets

CHENNAI (Metro Rail News): Against the backdrop of a vigilance probe into the manufacture of the country’s first indigenously manufactured train set, Train 18, at Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, the Railway Board has decided to import 60 train sets (960 coaches) from global manufacturers at more than double the cost required to manufacture Train-18 by ICF, sources said.

A senior railway official said, at a conservative estimate, including 10-year maintenance cost, the total allocation would be between Rs 20,000 crore and Rs 35,000 crore, officials said.
“Train 18 was manufactured at Rs 100 crore. Nobody was willing to bid for Train 20 at even Rs 200 crore. So, the minimum cost for the imported train sets will be Rs 250 crore”.

Board officials are of the view that production units like ICF should not be involved in the procurement of train sets as they aren’t mandated to do so. Officials also cited the irregularities in the Train 20 tender, which the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) objected to.

The move to import train sets comes after top railway officials involved in the Train 18 manufacture at ICF including former general manager Sudhanshu Mani have been questioned in a vigilance case pertaining to Train 18 and Train 20.

This has also put brakes on manufacture, despite the first two rakes running non-stop on the Delhi-Varanasi and Delhi-Katra routes. The board is of the opinion that its engineering arm and public sector unit RITES would be the procurement agency for the acquisition of 60 train sets, sources said.

Train 18 is India’s first indigenously manufactured locomotive-less train with high-end features while Train 20 was a project to procure better train sets from foreign manufacturers, which did not take off.

Another senior railway official told that the procurement would also not be according to rules. Rule 704 of the Indian Railway Stores Code, which deals with purchases, states that coaches can only be procured by the Railway Board itself and not any other agency.

“This would make procurement by RITES an irregularity,” said the official. The code is subordinate legislation that is presented in Parliament but is not voted upon. Incidentally, the same code was cited by the Railway Board’s vigilance wing to question the Train 20 tender floated by ICF when Mani was the general manager.

Mani, former chief mechanical engineer of ICF LC Trivedi and former chief accounts officer have been asked to fill in a questionnaire by the vigilance wing on how they ‘approved the tender for purchase of train sets when as per the store’s code only the Railway Board was authorized to do it’.

When contacted, a senior official in the board accepted there was ‘a horrible controversy’ around the train set issue and that it had opened a Pandora’s box. “ICF has not been able to manufacture the third rake due to the vigilance case and other issues,” the official said, requesting anonymity. However, the official said he did not want to clarify on the issue of import of train-sets.

A few officials who have worked at ICF said this ‘crippling’ situation of ICF and other production units has become a tool to justify imports. “Had ICF been allowed to go ahead with the manufacture of the same design of Train 18 at least six more trains would have been turned out by now,” one official said. The situation may have a disastrous effect on the development of indigenous technology.

Maharashtra government to review bullet train project

Kanika Verma
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Maharashtra government to review bullet train project

MUMBAI (Metro Rail News): Uddhav Thackeray Maharashtra Chief Minister said that he has ordered a review of all on-going development projects in the state, including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train.

The bullet train project has faced stiff opposition from farmers and tribals whose lands are to be acquired.

On late Sunday night, he told reporters that “This government is of the common man. Like you asked now, yes, we will review the bullet train (project). Have I stayed the bullet train project like Aarey car shed? No, I haven’t”.

Thackeray said the state government will also come out with a white paper on the financial condition of the state.

He said the state government, which has a debt of nearly Rs five lakh crore is a firm on giving unconditional loan waivers to farmers.

The announcements came a day after the Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government forged by the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress more than a month after the election results were out won the trust vote in the state Assembly with the support of 169 legislators in the 288-member House.

He said that the priorities of the previous BJP-led government in the state in which his party was a constituent – were not “misplaced”, and he further added that there would be no vendetta politics.

8300 Cr Vizag Metro to be taken up in 3 phases over a period of 10 years

Narendra Shah
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8300 Cr Vizag Metro to be taken up in 3 phases over a period of 10 years

VISAKHAPATNAM (Metro Rail News): Amaravati Rail Corporation Limited, which is executing the Vizag metro rail project, has prepared a metro rail master plan for the area under the aegis of the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) at the directions of the state government.

Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development Botcha Satyanarayana announced on Saturday that Visakhapatnam Metro Rail Project will be taken up in three phases during which work on corridors in different routes would be commenced.

The main corridor would be from Kurmanapalem to Madhurawada. While one route will go to East Point Colony, the other to Old Post Office, the Minister stated.

Surveying the different routes for the project, the Minister stated that a comprehensive plan would soon be readied to take up the metro rail project in the city at an estimated cost of Rs 8,300 crore. Further, he mentioned that Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was according to top priority to developing Visakhapatnam on the lines of Mumbai and Chennai.

The 140-km-long Vizag metro rail network is proposed to be executed in three phases over a period of 10 years. In the first phase of the project, the highway corridor will be extended to the Vizag Steel Plant, instead of ending at Gajuwaka. This will increase the length of the highway corridor from 30.8 km (Kommadi to Gajuwaka) to 34.2 km (Kommadi to Steel Plant).

The bidding process for the 43km-long metro rail project began in September 2017. According to the conditions of the bidding process, the AMRC has the right to increase or decrease the length of the project by 15 per cent.

Different Design of Piers (to be proposed) for Visakhapatnam Metro Rail Project.
Different Design of Piers (to be proposed) for Visakhapatnam Metro Rail Project.

Therefore, at the direction of the state government, the AMRC has decided to extend the project to 46.42km. The length of the other two corridors— Old Post Office Junction to Gurudwara Junction (5.29km) and Thatchipalem to China Waltair (6.91km) will remain as per the original plan.

The second phase of the project will cover 77.31km and the third phase will cover 16.4km running from Rushikonda to Bheemili.

Presentation On Visakhapatnam Metro Rail Project Meeting at VRMDA Office on Nov 30
Presentation On #VisakhapatnamMetro Rail Project Meeting at VRMDA Office on Nov 30.Hon’ble Municipal Minister Sri B Satyanarayana , Tourism Minister Sri M Srinivasa Rao VMRDA Chairman, MP VSP,Dist Collector, MLA’s , VMRDA Commissioner, GVMC Commissioner Dist officers participate.

Urban development minister Botcha Satyanarayana said that the tendering process will begin in the next few weeks. “The state government is keen on launching the project as early as possible,” he said.

The various proposals under the project also include trackless metro trains on the beachfront in the second and third phases. The proposal for trackless metro trains is intended at increasing the aesthetic of the beach stretch. The trackless metro corridor will have almost invisible railway lines on the flooring which get operated by magnetic strips and sensors. AMRC officials said that the 140km-long project could be taken up in a mixed-model system with some having elevated corridors and some having other models.

Maha Metro Achieves Target of 80 KMPH

Narendra Shah
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Maha Metro Achieves Target of 80 KMPH

NAGPUR (Metro Rail News): Maha Metro Nagpur achieved a major milestone when its train traveled on Khapri-Sitaburdi route for the first time at 80 KMPH every 15 minutes on 27th November. With all necessary clearances under its belt, Metro successfully started operations at said speed and frequency. The dream that over 3 million Nagpurians had seen for years now, finally became a reality.

But this was not an easy task and had its share of trials and tribulations. But it was the dedication of Maha Metro team led by MD Dr Brijesh Dixit which ensured that this dream becomes a reality. It was the culmination of efforts put in by over a thousand officials, employees and workers that city got to see `Mazi Metro’ at its peak speed.

As commercial services had started, it was impossible to undertake track-related work in the day time. The commercial services stretched from 8 am to 8 pm and hence work could be done only between 10 pm and 5 am. Though adequate lighting arrangements were made, visibility was always an issue.

If executing track work, especially in night hours was a tough task, work involving setting up OHE network was a big effort. Similar to OHE work, Maha Metro team had to overcome many constraints in laying of 132 kV power cable in main areas. There were utilities from the power supply, telecom and water supply authorities running underneath city road.

The 132 kV Cable was laid below these utilities without major damage. Another hurdle was crossing of 132 kV Cable at Nag River at Akashwani Square, Panchasheel Square and Maharaj Bag. It was crossed on specially designed steel structures on Nag River successfully. The non-availability of stations was a major constraint for Signal department.

Initially, Signaling System had been designed considering that all stations would be available at the same time. However signaling equipment had to be accommodated with available stations. Alike Track Department, Signaling team too faced constraints while discharging its duty due to revenue services.

Testing could be done only after revenue operations between 9 pm and 5:50 am. These multiple factors proved a major challenge for Maha Metro while executing project work. Rolling Stock, like other departments, too had its own share of problems. CMRS gave its clearance for running metro train at speed of 80 KMPH and subsequently Maha Metro launched operations every 15 minutes.

Timelines:

  • Approval of civil, track, signal, OHE & rolling stock systems by RDSO & Rly Board – Dec 2017
  • Inspection of rolling stock by CMRS – 20th September 2019
  • Interim Speed Certificate @ 80 kmph by RDSO for CRRC Rolling Stock – 25th September 2019
  • Independent Safety Assessment for CBTC Signaling System – 11th October 2019
  • Railway Board nod to rolling stock to run @ 80 kmph max – 11th November 2019
  • CMRS sanction to run trains in CBTC signaling system at 80 kmph – 22nd November 2019

Alstom-Bombardier consortium bags contract to renew the metros of the Île-de-France region

Narendra Shah
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Alstom-Bombardier consortium bags contract to renew the metros of the Île-de-France region

PARIS, FRANCE (Metro Rail News): The Alstom and Bombardier consortium has been awarded the contract to design and manufacture the new generation of metros for Île-de-France Mobilités and RATP. The confirmed part of the contract covers the delivery of 44 trains for a sum of over 530 million euros. This may be supplemented by an option’s exercise for a total of up to 410 trains. The respective share for Alstom and Bombardier amounts to approximately 265 million euros or 50% of the total.

Initially, the new trains will be deployed on three Paris metro lines (3bis, 7bis and 10) and their entry into service will take place between 2024 and 2026. The options will then be used to equip 5 other lines (13, 12, 3, 8 and 7).

“I am honoured that Île-de-France Mobilités and RATP have chosen to trust us to renew travelling comfort on the historic lines of the Paris metro. Together, we want to turn the region into the world’s showcase for the cutting-edge technologies of the French rail sector,” says Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, President of Alstom in France.

“The combined expertise of our two companies makes it possible to offer RATP and Île-de-France Mobilités a metro equipped with the latest on-board technologies that is part of tomorrow’s modern mass transportation. Passengers will appreciate the special attention paid to the interior atmosphere, level of comfort and quality of on-board services. In addition to optimal performance and reliability, the MF19’s innovation lies in its modularity and scalability adapted to the existing Paris network,” says Laurent Bouyer, President of Bombardier Transport France.

Based on Alstom’s and Bombardier’s steel-wheeled metro solutions, the new trains will benefit from the latest technological developments to increase comfort, availability, accessibility and passenger information, as well as facilitate maintenance.

The fleet will consist of 30 five-car trains for line 10 (76m long) and 14 four-car trains for lines 7bis and 3bis (60.86m long). These first 44 trains will have a driver’s cabin. Each train will be in “boa” configuration with modern passenger information systems, large bay windows and themed, 100% LED lighting. The trains will also offer a pleasant, safe travel experience, with a heating and air conditioning system, USB sockets for charging mobile devices, video protection cameras throughout the entire train, etc.

The environmentally friendly new metros will be eco-designed (20% recycled materials used in their production), making them 98% recoverable at the end of their lifespan. They will consume 20% less energy than the trains currently in service (MF77) thanks in particular to 100% electric braking and 100% LED lighting. These new trains will also make it possible to reduce maintenance costs by 15% compared to the MF01.

2,300 people at Alstom and Bombardier, including 700 engineers, will work on the project as part of the consortium. The two sites of Valenciennes (Alstom) and Crespin (Bombardier) will respectively assemble the complete trains to address the challenge of industrial capacity. Each site will be in charge of studies, design, train assembly, testing/validation and certification.

Alstom’s sites will develop and produce the engines (Ornans), traction chains (Tarbes), on-board electronics (Villeurbanne) and IT safety systems (Aix en Provence). Bombardier’s site at Crespin will be responsible for designing the mechanical components of the trains, such as body shell design and the design and production of the bogies, as well as the air conditioning system and all components contributing to the design of the interior layout to ensure passenger comfort, such as lighting, seats, configuration of space and panelling equipment.

In total, this project will involve 9,000 jobs in the French rail sector.

Train 18’s ICF team comes under vigilance scanner

Kanika Verma
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Train 18’s ICF team comes under vigilance scanner

NEW DELHI (Metro Rail News): Railway sources said on Friday that the top officials of the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) here who were part of the team that built Train 18, later flagged off as Vande Bharat Express by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have been booked by the Vigilance Directorate of the Railway Board on charges of procedural flaws.

Vigilance officials served questionnaires on the former ICF officials — General Manager (retired) Sudhanshu Mani, Principal Chief Mechanical Engineers L.V. Trivedi and Shubhranshu, Chief Design Engineers (Electrical) D.P. Dash and Vavre, Chief Design Engineer (Mechanical) Srinivas, and Kanwaljeet Asla, Financial Advisor and Chief Accounts Officer and others who are presently serving in other positions, the sources said.

These officials played a key role in developing the Train18 that was rolled out in a record 18-month time. The self-propelled train set, comprising 16 air-conditioned coaches, was built at a cost of ₹100 crores, about half the estimated cost of importing such a rake, with about 80% indigenous components in alignment with the Prime Minister’s call for ‘Make in India’.

The sources said, while the train is operating without any glitch between New Delhi and Varanasi since February this year, issues over violation of certain procedures cropped up resulting in the project getting shelved at the ICF.

Vigilance officials took away huge volumes of files pertaining to the making of Train18 a few months for investigation and top officials who were part of the ambitious project were transferred out. Tenders floated by ICF to build more rakes of Vande Bharat Express were canceled. However, the Ministry of Railways made it clear that more Train18 type rakes will be available soon.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal told the Lok Sabha a couple of days ago that the ICF would manufacture 740 coaches of Train18 in 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22. On Friday, Mr. Goyal replying to a question said that there was no question of closing down the ICF. “We are very proud of the achievements of ICF. Their engineers and workers made Vande Bharat, the first semi-high speed train that India has ever made in its 168-year history. It is a jewel in the crown and there is every effort to grow, expand and modernize the company.”

Vigilance officials are now probing allegations that the tender for making the first Train18 set was awarded to a firm in violation of certain norms and also that the development team compromised on the safety of the train by not obtaining technical approval for the electrical systems from the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow. The RDSO is a standardization organization of the Indian Railways.

The sources said, Amid reports that protocol issues between officers of the Mechanical and Engineering departments were the main reasons why the production of Train18 came to a grinding halt, the Ministry of Railways has constituted a committee of Additional Members of the Railway Board to sort out the differences between the two departments and bring about a working synergy. The findings and recommendations of the high-level committee were not made public, the sources added.

Railway Board Approves DPR of Rs 418 cr Nagpur Broad Gauge Metro

Narendra Shah
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Railway Board Approves DPR of Rs 418 cr Nagpur Broad Gauge Metro

NAGPUR (Metro Rail News): The Railway Board has cleared the detailed project report (DPR) of proposed Broad Gauge Metro in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India linking the city to nearby towns is ready and will be submitted to the state government soon.

Dr. Brijesh Dixit, Maha Metro said that We had made a presentation before the railway minister on October 9. The Board has cleared it in seven weeks, for which we are grateful.

After approving the project, the railway board has asked zonal offices of Central Railway (CR) and South-Eastern Central Railway (SECR) to draft concession agreements for the proposed Broad Gauge Metro in Nagpur.

“We will sign these agreements with the two agencies. Our officers will soon go to Mumbai and Bilaspur to help their officials in preparing the agreements. Once the agreements are signed, we will purchase the coaches,” said Dr. Dixit.

Nagpur Broad Gauge Metro Project Cost

According to the detailed project report (DPR) prepared by Gurugram based consultancy firm, Urban Mass Transit Company (UMTC), the cost of the Nagpur Broad Gauge Metro project is estimated to Rs 418 crore. The trains will cost Rs 200 crore, fare collection system Rs11.64 crore, information technology (IT) infrastructure Rs 15 crore, construction of car shed, station up-gradation and passenger amenities Rs 23.12 crore, pre-operative expenses Rs 4.97 crore,
station integration (BG Metro and Nagpur Metro) Rs 25 crore, depot Rs80 crore and taxes Rs 48 crore. 70% of this amount will be debt while 30% will be equity from state and central governments.

The maximum design speed will be 200km per hour and the operating speed will be 160 kmph.  The trains will have three cars having a total carrying capacity of 885 passengers. The three cars with passenger capacity are – driver motor car 285, trailer car 315 and car train 285.

Nagpur Broad Gauge Metro Routes Map

According to the DPR, the Metro will connect four towns near Nagpur — Wardha, Bhandara Road, Ramtek and Narkhed. The distances and stations on these routes are Wardha (78.8 kilometres, 12 stations), Narkhed (85.53km, 11), Ramtek (41.6km, 8) and Bhandara Road (62.7km, 11). The travel time between Nagpur and these towns will be: Wardha 1.10 hours, Narkhed 1.15, Ramtek 1 hour and Bhandara Road 55 minutes.

Nagpur Broad Gauge Metro Fares & Travel Time

Nagpur Broad Gauge Metro Fares Travel Time
Nagpur Broad Gauge Metro Fares & Travel Time

The cost of the Metro tickets will be 1.38 times the railway fare. The minimum fare for distances up to 5km will be Rs 20 while that above 70km will be Rs 90. Monthly pass tickets will range from Rs 400 to Rs 1,800.

The travel time between Nagpur and these towns will be: Wardha 1.10 hours, Narkhed 1.15, Ramtek 1 hour and Bhandara Road 55 minutes. The cost of the Metro tickets will be 1.38 times the railway fare. Fare structure will be:

Nagpur Broad Gauge Metro Expected Ridership

The total ridership is 14,700 expected of the Metro in 2021 including various routes is Wardha 5,669, Narkhed 2,616, Ramtek 3,929 and Bhandara Road 2,556. The maximum design speed will be 200 kilometres per hour and the operating speed will be 160 km/hr.

The trains will have three cars having a total carrying capacity of 885 passengers. The three cars with passenger capacity are driver motor car 285, trailer car 315 and car train 285.

Initially, MahaMetro has been asked to buy six set of trains. Another two should be purchased in 2041 when the traffic increases. The depot will be constructed in Khapri while the stabling line (where trains are parked at night) will be at Ajni. UMTC has recommended that Nagpur Metro’s automatic fare collection (AFC) card should be used for buying tickets for BG Metro. UMTC has also recommended widening of footpaths near Nagpur and Ajni railway stations. It has stressed that feeder bus service should be provided for BG Metro users.

On Day 1, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray halts work at Metro’s Aarey car-shed

Kanika Verma
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On Day 1, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray halts work at Metro’s Aarey car-shed

MAHARASHTRA (Metro Rail News): Three hours into his new office, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday halted the work of the Metro 3 car shed at the Aarey milk colony.

“I have stayed the work at the Aarey car shed. The work will not happen without a thorough review,” Chief Minister Thackeray announced at a media briefing at the end of the day.

The Shiv Sena, which was part of the Devendra Fadnavis government before the state elections, had criticized the cutting of trees at Aarey Milk Colony.

Uddhav Thackeray and son Aaditya had also spoken out against the cutting of trees after a row three months ago when thousands of trees were felled for its construction at Mumbai’s Aarey Milk Colony. His party promised to declare Aarey as forest if it comes to power.

“I will not tolerate the killing of trees in the dead of the night. Not one leaf will be plucked from the tree. I will do whatever is necessary to stop that,” Uddhav Thackeray said but insisted that he had not stayed any development work.

“The construction of the Metro line will continue uninterrupted,” he said.

In its common minimum program (CMP) released, the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi – the coalition that Thackeray leads – had promised to look at the possibility of moving out the proposed metro rail car shed.

By September 2024 Jammu-Srinagar metro project to start operations

Kanika Verma
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By September 2024 Jammu-Srinagar metro project to start operations

JAMMU (Metro Rail News): The Jammu and Kashmir government has set a September 2024 deadline to start operations on the ₹9,590 crore metro project for twin cities of Jammu and Srinagar, an official spokesperson said on Friday.

Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu chaired a meeting here on Thursday evening to review the proposed Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) and the Light Rail Projects for Jammu and Srinagar.

Dheeraj Gupta, principal secretary, Housing and Urban Development department gave a detailed presentation on the Light Rail Projects in Jammu and Srinagar.

During the meeting, it was informed that the project costing ₹9,590 crores is expected to commence operations by September 2024, the spokesman said.

It was also informed that the Light Metro Elevated Corridor in Jammu will connect Bantalab to Bari Brahmana Railway Station (Corridor-1) with a total length of 23 kilometers in phase-I and Exhibition Ground to Udheywala (Corridor-1) and Exhibition Ground to Satwari Chowk (Corridor-2) in Phase-II, he said.

Similarly in Srinagar, Indra Nagar to HMT Junction (Corridor-1) and Hazuri Bagh to Osmanabad (Corridor-2) each having a length of 12.5 km and Indra Nagar to Pampore Bus-stand (Corridor-1) Hazuri Bagh to Airport (Corridor-2) will be taken up in Phase-I and II, respectively, the spokesman said.

The Lieutenant Governor emphasized on the linkage of Light Metro stations with tourist destinations and places receiving high footfall.

He directed the officers to prepare a plan for the clearance of Right of Way (RoW), land acquisition and other such matters.

For the successful implementation of the mega project, the LG observed that the planning and development of Mass Rapid Transit should be timed with the growth in travel demand.

On the current scenario of urban transport, it was informed that the average daily trips in Jammu and Srinagar, catered by public and intermediate public transport, is 12 lakh (68 percent) and 21 lakh (88 percent), respectively.

Several important issues including major parameters for selection of MRTS corridors, fare structure of various operational metro rail systems and transportation model also figured in the meeting.

A video presentation was also given on the proposed MRTS for the cities of Jammu and Srinagar.

The official said two MRTCs for both the cities were incorporated in February this year. ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan has been appointed as the principal advisor to these corporations, he said.

“It is proposed to have a light rail system, the first in India, which will have a low footprint, low noise, greater comfort, aesthetic appeal and will blend with the surrounding landscape,” Gupta said.

As per the approval, Srinagar Metropolitan Region will cover the areas in districts of Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Baramulla, Pulwama, Anantnag, Kulgam and Shopian, covering an approximate area of 2494.65 sq km, he said.

Similarly, the Jammu Metropolitan Region will cover the areas in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Reasi, and Udhampur districts, covering an area of 2216.58 sq km.

The state government in December 2018 had enacted the Jammu and Kashmir Metropolitan Region Development Authorities Act, 2018 and subsequently created two umbrella authorities under it — Jammu Metropolitan Region Development Authority and Srinagar Metropolitan Region Development Authority.

These metropolitan region development authorities are expected to serve the purposes of coordination, besides supervising the proper, orderly and rapid development of the areas in these regions and executing plans, projects, and schemes for such development while also raising resources for the mega projects.

Alstom Gets €194 million Contract to Supply 31 regional trains in Italy

Narendra Shah
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Alstom Gets €194 million Contract to Supply 31 regional trains in Italy

LOMBARDY, ITALY (Metro Rail News News): French firm Alstom has signed a contract worth €194 million with the Italian operator FERROVIENORD for the supply of the first batch of 31 regional trains to Lombardy Region. This contract is the first within a framework agreement also signed today with FNM S.p.A. The trains will be delivered gradually from 2022 onwards, said in a statement.

The agreement provides the possibility, within 8 years, to purchase 30 additional trains (up to a maximum of 61) and includes options for preventive and corrective maintenance service. The signing follows the award to Alstom of the tender called by FNM in 2017, subsequent to the approval of the purchase of 176 new trains by Lombardy Region, which allocated €1.6 billion to the global programme.

After signing the contract, Michele Viale, Managing Director of Alstom Italy and Switzerland said:

We are pleased to embark on a new journey towards increasingly modern and sustainable local transport with FNM. In the last ten years, Alstom has delivered 44 regional trains in Lombardy. Our trains already move thousands of passengers every day in the region. The new generation of Coradia Stream represents the best solution for meeting the increasing needs of both the region’s travellers and the operator.

The train ordered by FERROVIENORD, named Donizetti by the customer, is part of the Coradia Stream family, the latest electric, single-deck trains designed and produced by Alstom for regional transport. They have four traction motors and a maximum speed of 160 kph. They represent the fourth-generation of a model that is already in commercial service in ten Italian regions, and are produced in conformity with the Technical Specification for Interoperability (TSI).

The spacious cars of the trains offer ample seating for the medium-length journeys, typical of regional and inter-regional services, whereas their single seats and easily accessible vestibules are ideal for the shorter journeys, typical of suburban traffic. The seats are equipped with power sockets for PCs, tablets and cell phones. The lighting is optimised by the large windows that let in more natural light, and passenger circulation is facilitated by wide corridors that are also suitable for people with reduced mobility.

Minimal levels of noise and vibrations ensure a quiet and comfortable journey. Cars temperatures are adjusted by a higher-power air conditioning system. Also, these trains are equipped with an information system integrated with the ground infrastructure and offers an audio-video information and entertainment service with 32 LCD screens visible from all parts of each carriage and the predisposition for Wi-Fi network. Passenger safety is guaranteed by a digital camera video-surveillance system and monitors.

The new trains satisfy the criteria of environmental sustainabilityand are 96% recyclable. They consume 30% less energy than their predecessor. No solvents or other toxic chemical substances are used in their production. The air conditioning and ventilation systems are regulated on the basis of the number of passengers, and the door closure is programmed in such a way as to avoid any thermal dispersion. Eco mode is activated when necessary. The LED passenger lighting is automatically regulated on the basis of the amount of light outside the train.

The Coradia Stream trains are manufactured by Alstom in Italy. Project development, most of the manufacturing and certification are performed at Alstom’s site in Savigliano (CN). Design and manufacturing of the traction systems and other components takes place at the Sesto San Giovanni (MI), and the on-board signalling systems are delivered by the Bologna site.

By 2021-22 ICF to manufacture 740 coaches for Train 18

Kanika Verma
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By 2021-22 ICF to manufacture 740 coaches for Train 18

NEW DELHI (Metro Rail News): The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) will be manufacturing 740 coaches for Train 18, a Semi high-speed railway service. These coaches may cost Rs 4,000 crore to 4,300 crores.

Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today, said that the production schedules for 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 involve the manufacture of 160, 240 and 240 coaches, respectively, for the train sets at Integral Coach Factory (ICF). Two coaches have already been put into service.

Train 18 is a semi high-speed, fully air-conditioned service with quicker acceleration and contemporary passenger amenities such as on-board infotainment, GPS-based passenger information system, CCTV, automatic sliding doors with retractable coach footsteps and zero-discharge vacuum-based bio-toilets.

The train’s safety oscillation trials were certified by the Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO), following which the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) cleared the train sets for commercial operation.

At present, Train 18 runs on the New Delhi-Varanasi and New Delhi-Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra sectors.

Train 18, also known as the Vande Bharat Express, is fashioned along the lines of the Shatabdi. However, since it is a semi high-speed service that offers additional amenities and operational advantages to passengers, its fare is higher than that of Shatabdi trains.

It was designed and built by Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, under the Indian government’s Make-in-India initiative.

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