Shri Satish Kumar Becomes Chairman & CEO of the Railway Board

By

-

28/08/2024

Satish Kumar- Chairman & CEO of Railway Board

Delhi (Metro Rail News): On 27 August 2024, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet promoted Shri Satish Kumar, Member (Traction & Rolling Stock), Railway Board, to the post of Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board.

In the history of the Railway Board, Shri Kumar, an IRSME officer from the 1986 batch, will be the first person from the Scheduled Castes to be appointed as Chairman and CEO. His new role will come into effect from 1 September. He will succeed Ms. Jaya Varma Sinha, the first female to serve as Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board

As per a government official, “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Shri Satish Kumar, Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS), Member (Traction & Rolling Stock), Railway Board to the post of Chairman & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Railway Board”.

Shri Kumar brings over three decades of experience to his new role. His journey in Indian Railways began in March 1988, and he has served in various roles across multiple railway zones and divisions.

His roles included positions in the Jhansi Division of the former Central Railway and at the Diesel Locomotive Works in Varanasi. Additionally, he served as the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of the Lucknow Division under Northern Railway from April 2017 to April 2019. Prior to joining the Railway Board, Shri Kumar also served as the General Manager of North Central Railway in Prayagraj.

Shri Kumar’s expertise and ideas will be invaluable assets to the organization.

Advertisement1

TBM S98’s Third Drive on Line 3 of Chennai Metro

By

Staff Reporter

-

28/08/2024

0

Chennai (Metro Rail News): Tata Projects Ltd. recommissioned TBM S98 for the third time at Purasaiwakkam metro station towards Kelly station of 45.8 km Line-3 ( Madhavaram- Siruseri) of Chennai Metro Phase 2.

1724550665381 1 — IMAGE CREDIT: AMIT PAL

Chennai Metro’s TBM S98

TBM S98, nicknamed Anaimalai, is a Terratec Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) machine with a 06.61 diameter.

Timeline of commissioning TBM S98 on corridor 3:

Assignment	Year	Location	Distance
First assignment	February – June (2023)	Madhavaran Station (line 3) -Venugopal Station (line 5)	4.5 km
Second assignment	October (2023) – June (2024)	Ayanavaram Station – Otteri Station	925 m
Third / Current assignment	August 2024	Purasaiwakkam Station to Kelly Station	280 m

In May 2021, Chennai Metro Rail Ltd.(CMRL) awarded Tata Project Ltd. with Package TU-01 with a total cost of Rs.1999 crore.

Package TU-01 is a 9 km long section on Line 3 of Chennai metro phase 2. The deadline for the project is 42 months.

Work Description

The work under Package TU-01 includes the construction of a 9 km twin tunnel (totalling 18 km) from the TBM retrieval shaft near Venugopal (line 5) to Kelly station (Line 3) and the construction of diaphragm walls and entry and exit structures of Madhavaram Milk Colony Station, Murari Hospital Station, Ayanavaram Station and Purasaiwakkam High Road Station.

Additionally, Tata Project Ltd. has deployed five tunnels on Package- TU-01.

TBM	STATION	DISTANCE
TBM S98 (Anaimalai)	Venugopal Nagar	415 m
TBM S96 (Nilgiri)	Madhavan High Road	1.4 km
TBM S99 (Servarayan)	Venugopal Nagar	415 m
TBM S97 (Podhigai )	Madhavaran High speed	1.4 km
TBM S98 (Anaimalai)	Otteri Station	925 m

Advertisement1

Bullet Train Project: MG Contractors Builds CLC Bridge over NH48

By

Staff Reporter

-

27/08/2024

0

GUJARAT (metro rail news): Construction work for the 508.17 km long Mumbai- Ahmedabad Bullet Train project is gaining ground rapidly. MG Contractor Pvt. Ltd. (MGCPL) has built a 260-meter-long cantilever ( CLC) bridge over NH-48 southeast of Surat.

The 4-span pre-stressed concrete (PSC) bridge (GAD- 11) is strategically positioned at Amadpore in the Navasari district between Surat and Billimora Bullet Train Stations. The bridge features a meticulously planned configuration with spans of 50m, 80m, 80m, and 50m which will provide necessary support and stability.

This PSC bridge is made up of 104 segments. To ensure vehicular traffic remains uninterrupted on NH-48 during the construction phase, the segments were cast one by one on the site.

In 2021, MGCPL was awarded the project under Package P 1(B) with a total cost of Rs.549 crore. Initially, the CLC bridge was part of Package P3, but later, it was merged into Package P1 (B).

Along with this, MGCPL is building 4 PSC bridges and 7 street truss Bridges with Larsen and Toubro Pvt. Ltd. under Package C4 for the MAHSR ( Mumbai Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Project). The MAHSR Bullet Train project will feature 6 cantilever bridges.

National HIGH SPEED RAIL CORPORATION Ltd. INDIA,NH 48,

MAHSR Corridor of Bullet Train Project

India’s ambitious Bullet Train project will connect Mumbai in Maharashtra and Ahmedabad in Gujarat via a 508.1 km long high-speed rail line. The MAHSR corridor is designed for high-speed trains that are engineered to reach a top speed of 320 kmph. The first section of the bullet train project will become operational in August 2026.

Advertisement1

Chennai Metro: Panasonic-Pioneer JV Bags PSD Contract of Line 3 & 5

By

Staff Reporter

-

27/08/2024

0

Chennai (Metro Rail News): The joint venture between Panasonic Manufacturing (Beijing) Co. Ltd. and Pioneer Fil-Med Pvt. Ltd. has secured a 146.95 crore contract from Chennai Metro. The contract involves supplying and installing Platform Screen Doors for Chennai Metro’s Line 3 and Line 5.

Line -3 and Line-5 of Chennai Metro will operate in a North-South orientation to link Madhavaram – SIPCOT (45.4 km Line-3) and Madhavaram – Sholinganallur (44.6 km Line-5), Respectively, through both elevated and underground stations.

The contract’s scope includes the design, manufacture, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of Platform Screen Doors.

In Corridor-3, the contractor will install PSDs at 29 underground stations between Madhavaram Depot Station and Tharamani Station.

In Corridor 5, PSDs will be installed at 5 underground stations falling between Kolathur Junction Station and Nathamuni Station.

Final Contract Value: INR 85,36,03,003 + USD 7,392,013 (approx. INR 146,95,66,140.67 or 146.95 crore)

Deadline for the contract: 1465 Days ( approximately four years )

Other contracts for Platform Screen Doors

Another 2 packages by CMRL for installing platform screen doors:

Package ASA12A: In November 2023, ST Engineering Urban Solutions Ltd. secured this package. Under this contract, ST Engineering is responsible for installing Platform Screen Doors at 10 elevated stations of Line 3 (Sholinganallur Lake – SIPCOT 2). Additionally, they will install PSDs at 29 stations of Line 5 (Grain Market – Elcot).

Package ASA09: The work under this package includes the PSDs at 10 elevated stations of Line-3 (Nehru Nagar – Sholinganallur) and 10 elevated stations of Line-5 (Assissi Nagar – Koyambedu). Currently, the bids are under technical evaluation for this package.

Ongoing development On Line 3 & 5 of Chennai Metro

Line-3’s 29 stations are under construction by DRA – Soma JV Tata Projects Ltd. and Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd.

Line-5’s five underground stations are under construction by Tata Projects Ltd.

Advertisement1

Mumbai Metro: Rithwik-Soma JV gets LOA for Construction of Dongri Depot

By

Staff Reporter

-

26/08/2024

0

MUMBAI (Metro Rail News): Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) awarded the Rithwik-Soma JV with a Rs. 701.94 crore contract for the construction of Dongri Depot on the Red Line of Mumbai Metro.

The construction work comes under the Package- CA 207. In the north-west of Mumbai about 41.36 hectares of land has been allotted for the construction of Dongri Depot. The Red Line (Line 7, Line 7A and Line 9) connects Dongri- Mira-Bhayandar-Dahisar East-Gundavali-CSIA Terminal 2.

The Dongri Depot is designed to accommodate the stabling and maintenance of metro trains serving the entire Red Line, which includes Line 7, Line 7A, and Line 9. This facility will play a critical role in ensuring the operational efficiency and upkeep of the trains on these lines.

Mumbai Metro’s Dongri Depot

The depot will incorporate key components such as:

Operational Control Centre (OCC)
A 690m long test track
Stabling shed (SBL)
An inspection shed (IBL)
Receiving substation
Two auxiliary substations

The deadline for the contract is 4.3 years. MMRDA invited the bids in Feb 2024 for package CA-207 and opened the technical bids on 25th June revealing three bidders, among which Rithwik -SOMA JV declared as L1 with a total cost of Rs.733.24 crore which is simply 14.64% higher than the MMRDA’s estimation.

Work Description

The contractor is responsible for the land development of the depot and the construction of infrastructure, which includes:

Stabling Yard
Operation Control Centre
Depot Control Centre
Administrative Building
Maintenance and Inspection Buildings
Auxiliary substation
Drainage System & Rainwater Harvesting.

The contract also includes architectural finishing, plumbing, and Pre-Engineered Building (PEB) works for the CAR Depot at Dongri, which will come up near Metro Line-9 under the Mumbai Metro Rail Project managed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

Advertisement1

Pune Metro: Bids Invited for Stations’ Construction in Phase 1A

By

Staff Reporter

-

26/08/2024

0

Pune (Metro Rail News): On 23 August 2024, Maha Metro issued a tender for constructing 4 elevated metro stations that will extend the Pune Metro’s Purple Line by 4.519 km from Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to Nigdi under package P1A-C-02. This extension comes under Phase 1A of the Pune Metro project.

Package P1-C-02 is the second construction contract under Pune Metro Phase 1A which includes the construction of 4 new stations at:

Chinchwad
Akurdi
Nigdi
Bhakti Shakti

Tenders details:

Duration of Work: 90 weeks (1.7 years)
Pre-Bid Meeting: September 5, 2024
Bid Submission Deadline: October 4, 2024
Bid Opening Date: October 5, 2024

The designs of these stations have been developed by LKT Engineering who was serving as the Detailed Design Consultant (DDC) under package DDC-01.

Purple Line of Pune Metro

Originally the Pune Metro’s Purple Line covers a total distance of 13.3 km from Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to Civil Court through 11 stations. This 13.3 km section is fully operational.

Purple Line’s Extension from PCMC to Nigdi

This extension of the Purple Line will extend it by 4.519 km from PCMC to Nigdi through the 4 stations mentioned above.

Other Contracts

In March 2024, Maha Metro awarded the C-01 package to Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) for Rs. 339 crore. Under this package, RVNL is tasked with constructing a 4.519 km viaduct as part of the Pune Metro extension from Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to Nigdi.

Advertisement1

AIIB Sanctions ₹1025.21cr for Kochi Metro Phase 2

By

Staff Reporter

-

26/08/2024

0

Kochi (Metro Rail News): Kochi Metro Phase 2 received a major financial boost from AIIB. On 21 August 2024, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank ( AIIB) sanctioned a USD 122.32 million loan which is approximately Rs 1025.21 crore loan for the Kochi Metro Phase 2.

Kochi Metro Phase 2

Kochi Metro’s Phase 2 (Pink Line) will span 11.2 km connecting JLN Stadium and Infopark (Smart City) via Kakkanad through 11 stations.

Afcons Infrastructure is executing the civil work in Phase 2 under package KBC3 which is worth Rs 1141.32 crore and has a 600-day deadline. The package includes the construction of a viaduct in phase 2 and 10 metro stations between Palarivattom Junction and Infopark.

AIIB’s Funding Plan

AIIB is planning to spend the entire loan amount on payments for goods and non-consulting services by Q3 2024- Q4- 2027.

This basically includes two sections :

Civil work: This section will hold up the design and construction work for the 11.2 km elevated line viaduct with 11 stations, track and other major civil works. This section will also finance the following aspects:

Architectural finishes for all stations.
Track work.
Construction of the entry/exit structures for all the stations.
Construction of KMRL staff quarters and implementation of NMT works.

Railway system and trains (RS&T) – This section will cover the procurement, installation, and commissioning of various systems. This will include the following elements:

Traction and power supply facilities, as well as SCADA.
Auxiliary main substation.
E&M work
Telecommunications, security control and AFC.
Lifts, escalators and procurement of 5 new trains.

The Kochi Metro Phase 2 project is expected to have a total cost of USD 229.88 million (Rs. 1,926.71 crore. The remaining funding support for the project will be provided by the Government of Kerala ($66.80mn or Rs. 559.87 crore) and the Government of India ($40.76mn or Rs. 341.62 crore).

Advertisement1

Swift Progress of Narmada Bridge Boosts Bullet Train Project

By

Staff Reporter

-

24/08/2024

0

narmada bridge of bullet train project — default

The construction work on the Narmada bridge as a part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project is advancing swiftly. The Narmada Bridge is located between Gujarat’s Bharuch and Surat bullet train stations.

Construction of the Narmada Bridge comes under package C4 (237.1 km). This package is a part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project, which is 508.17 Km long and features 12 stations. The project is being executed by National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd. (NHSRCL).

The under construction bridge over Narmada River for Mumbai Ahmedabad Bullet Train project is a testament to progress. Spanning 1.4 km with 25 well foundations, this will be the longest river bridge in Gujarat for the corridor pic.twitter.com/LA9QytYfiW
— NHSRCL (@nhsrcl) August 23, 2024

Key features of the Narmada Bridge

The bridge is 1.4 km long.
This 24-span bridge includes 25 circular well foundational piers, among which 19 have been completed.
The average length of the well foundation is 60 m deep, and five are 70 m deep.
The deepest well foundation is 77.1 m deep.
The diameter of the piers is 5 m, and the height varies from 14 m to 18 m.

In November 2020, Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) was awarded Package C4 with a total cost of Rs. 24,985 crore.

Package C4’s Work Scope

The scope of Package C4 involves the construction and design of a 237.1 km high-speed rail line spanning from Zaroli Village at the Maharashtra-Gujarat border to Vadodara in Gujarat. The scope of the contract includes the following key aspects:

Double Line High-Speed Railway
Viaduct and Bridges
Tunnel
Stations: Package C4 will be connecting Zaroli village ( Maharashtra ) to Vadodara ( Gujrat) via four stations:

Vapi
Belimora
Surat
Bharuch

This scope also entails the construction of the Surat Depot, 14 river crossings, 42 road crossings, six railway crossings, and a 350-meter tunnel through a hill.

Moreover, there are 24 river bridges in Maharastra Ahmedabad High-speed Rail (MAHSR) project. There are 20 river bridges in Gujarat, among which 10 bridge projects have been completed. Maharashtra covers four river bridges and has the longest bridge over the Vaitarna River with a 2.28 km distance.

Advertisement1

Shri Praveen Kumar Becomes New Managing Director of DFCCIL

By

Staff Reporter

-

24/08/2024

0

New Delhi (Metro Rail News): Shri Praveen Kumar has officially taken charge as the new Managing Director of the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL).

During the selection meeting, the panel of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), decided to appoint Praveen Kumar for the managing director position at DFCCIL, after interviewing four candidates. In the role of MD of DFCCIL, Shri. Praveen Kumar will be accountable to its board of directors, government and shareholders.

Qualification and Work Experience of New MD of DFCCIL

Shri Praveen Kumar completed his Bachelor’s and also holds a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from IIT, Roorkee. He also has a postgraduate diploma in public policy and management from MDI, Gurgaon.

Shri Praveen Kumar, an IRSE officer of the 1989 batch, has dedicated over three decades to the Indian Railways. His leadership in managing and executing large-scale railway infrastructure projects has earned him a reputation as a visionary in the field. He served at DFCCIL for more than a decade and handled major challenges related to land acquisition, project execution, and procurement.

His instrumental role in the commissioning of the Rewari-Dadri section, which links the Western and Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridors, further highlights his leadership. Additionally, Shri Kumar has authored two books on railway engineering.

His experience spans the entire project lifecycle, from conceptualization to commissioning. Shri Kumar has expertise in international tendering, procurement and dealing with multilateral funding agencies, including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the World Bank.

DFCCIL

DFCCIL is a public sector undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Railways.
DFCCIL is a network of electric broad gauge Freight Railways lines that only serve freight trains, which results in faster and more efficient freight service in India.
DFCCIL covers the undertaking planning, development, mobilisation of financial resources, construction and maintenance and operation of freight corridors.

Advertisement1

Shri S. Krishna Chaitanya Appointed as New MD of MP Metro

By

Staff Reporter

-

24/08/2024

0

Bhopal (Metro Rail News): On August 22, 2024, Shri S. Krishna Chaitanya (IAS) took the role of Managing Director (MD) for Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL).

The department offered farewell to Shri. Sibi Chakkarvarty, the former MD of MPMRCL and celebrates the appointment of the new MD (S.K Chaitanya).

Shri Chaitanya holds a B.Tech degree in electrical engineering and an MBA degree, outlining his prowess in leadership and management. His expertise and innovative ideas are expected to advance the development of metro infrastructure in Madhya Pradesh.

Qualification & Work Experience of New MD of MP Metro

S.K. Chaitanya, an IAS officer from the 2013 batch, is proficient in administration. He served as District Magistrate in Damoh district (MP) from May 2021 to April 2023. Following this, he held the position of CEO at the Employment Guarantee Council of Bhopal and also has prior experience in the Panchayat & Rural Development department. His expertise ensures the flawless execution of metro procedures and will contribute to further development.

MPMRCL is a joint venture between the government of India and Madhya Pradesh.

Shri. Chaitanya stated that “MPMRCL is committed to providing state-of-the-art, integrated and efficient urban transport systems to the urban centres in Madhya Pradesh. MPMRCL is fast-pacing the rollout of the sanctioned corridors in Indore and Bhopal, which will spur transit-oriented development and provide comprehensive multimodal mobility options to the citizens of the two cities. We are committed to a citizen-centric, environment-friendly and efficient design that serves the cause of inter-generational equity”.

Advertisement1