NAGPUR (METRO RAIL NEWS): A new MOU will be signed between the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha Metro) and the Indian Railways (Central Railway & South East Central Railway), which will cover the Chhindwara, Betul, Amravati, Wadsa, Gondia and Chandrapur corridors, in order to evolve regional passenger transportation. The current train services to these regions will be discontinued in accordance with the plan.
The earlier Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed on July 16, 2018, comprised 205 kilometres of services to four corridors from Nagpur to Wardha, Bhandara, Ramtek, and Narkhed.
These feeder services will now be enlarged to 1026 km and encompass 130 stoppages, as per the draft MoU. The MoU will be signed in Nagpur next month in the presence of railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, stated Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways.
According to the newly signed MoU, services are expected to begin in Wardha’s priority corridor within 24 months of the necessary infrastructure being in place. To meet the immediate ridership needs of the busiest line, Wardha, Vande Bharat (Train 18) rakes will be introduced between Nagpur and Wardha (78 km) on a pilot basis.
The most crucial route has been picked, and it passes through Nagpur. Maha Metro has already submitted the traffic survey, capital expenses, maintenance requirements, haulage costs, timetabling, fare structure, and infra work details in the previous DPR.
Maha Metro shall bear all responsibilities for the train sets’ marketing, advertising, and promotional efforts.
According to sources, Maha Metro will be in charge of overall management of these BG Metro rail projects, including maintaining of the rolling stock, operations, the AFC system, fare box, and non-fare box revenue collection. Train drivers and guards will be provided by the railways. It’s interesting to note that the railroads will be responsible for covering the capital expense for spares.
Many stations still lack elevated platforms today. Draft MoU states that the railways will be responsible for paying for platform heightening costs as well as a host of other facilities. According to sources, Maha Metro will outline in its final DPR the specifics of platform lifting and any subsequent FOB adjustments that need to be made in each corridor, along with an estimated cost.
MoU says, Railways and Maha Metro mutually settle on a space utilization scheme for various issues involving ticketing entry, exit, etc. with suitable measures.