New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged-off the Delhi-Faridabad Metro Line that would allow hassle free travel for around two lakh daily commuters between the national capital and the industrial hub in Haryana.
The extension of the Delhi Metro connects Badarpur to Escorts Mujesar in Faridabad.
The total cost of the project from Badarpur to Escorts Mujesar is nearly Rs. 2,500 crore. Out of this, Rs. 1,557 crore was borne by the Haryana Government, the Centre contributed Rs. 537 crore, while the Delhi Metro provided Rs. 400 crore.
All these are elevated and located on either side of the Delhi-Mathura Road (NH-2).
“The nine-station metro corridor which was 95 per cent indigenously built will provide people a safe, affordable, quick, comfortable, reliable, environment-friendly and sustainable transport facility,” a Haryana government spokesperson said.
Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar, addressing a press conference on Saturday, had thanked the Prime Minister for “gifting” the Metro service which would take the city to “another level of progress” with better connectivity with other NCR towns.
He had also said that the Prime Minister would be announcing the go-ahead for connecting Gurgaon with Faridabad by Metro.
Mumbai (Metro Rail News): As per the press release by (National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited) NHSRCL, “Latest update from the 21 km long tunnel excavation work in Mumbai! After the completion of the 394 metre long ADIT tunnel leading to two additional faces for excavation, about 700 metres of Heading of tunnel excavation from these two faces through ADIT access has been completed”.
Latest update from the 21km long tunnel excavation work in Mumbai! After the completion of the 394 meter long ADIT tunnel leading to two additional faces for excavation, about 700 meters of Heading of tunnel excavation from these two faces through ADIT access has been completed . pic.twitter.com/aZSiQ0IEgD
Mumbai Ahmedabad High Speed Corridor (MAHSR) is an under-construction high-speed rail line spanning 508 km providing seamless connectivity between Mumbai and Ahmedabad through 12 stations.
Stations covered:
Mumbai
Thane
Virar
Boisar
Vapi
Bilimora
Surat
Bharuch
Vadodara
Anand/Nadiad
Ahmedabad
Sabarmati
Recent Updates :
Recently, a major milestone was witnessed by The MAHSR project by the casting of 5,169 girders. Furthermore, two key casting yards, located in Vadodara and Vapi respectively, have each produced 1,000 Full Span Box Girders (FSBG).
Delhi (Metro Rail News): RITES – R2P Asia-Pacific – ACT Fiberglass JV was declared as the lowest bidder on 26 September for the refurbishment and modernisation of 22 train sets from Delhi Metro’s RS-1 rolling stock fleet for the Blue Line (Lines 3 & 4) spanning 65.35 km.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has scheduled a comprehensive overhaul for 22 trains.
The major refurbishment will include:
Renovations of the saloon and cab interiors.
Updates to electrical panels.
Installation of modern amenities, including:
CCTV cameras.
LCD-based digital route maps.
Fire detection systems.
Mobile charging facilities.
This initiative aims to:
Enhance passenger safety and comfort.
Extend the operational life of the metro trains.
Delhi Metro/ Representational image only.
Upgrade Contract Details
Coaches Included: The upgrade contract encompasses all coaches currently stationed at the Blue Line’s Najafgarh Depot.
Original Design and Supply: These coaches were initially designed, constructed, and supplied as 4-coach train sets in 2002 by the MRM Consortium, which includes Mitsubishi Corporation, Hyundai Rotem Company, and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.
Additional Coaches: Over the years, BEML has supplied intermediate coaches through two contracts (RS-6 and RS-13) to expand the original 4-coach train sets into 6 and 8-coach configurations.
Bidding Process:
DMRC floated tenders for this contract with an estimated budget of Rs. 102.06 crores in October 2023 with a 3 year deadline. Furthermore the Technical bids for the same contract were opened in February 2024 to reveal the 4 bidders.
Company
Bid (Rs.Crore)
RITES – R2P Asia-Pacific – ACT Fiberglass JV
87.57
Escorts Kubota – Railway Equipment Division JV
90.62
Lalbaba Industrial Corporation – DTI India Holdings JV
98.19
Autometers Alliance – DTL Group JV
134.98
RITES – R2P Asia-Pacific – ACT Fiberglass JV’s bid of Rs. 87.57 crore was well below DMRC’s estimate of Rs. 102.60 crore, so a contract should be awarded in the coming weeks without a long financial bid evaluation period.
Other Rolling Stock Contracts
Escorts – Naledi Rail Engineering JV grabbed a Rs. 46.62 crore contract in September 2022 for 10 train-sets from the same RS-1 fleet based at Shastri Park Depot, Najafgarh Depot and Yamuna Bank Depot.
Pune (Metro Rail News): PM Modi was scheduled to inaugurate Phase 1 of the Pune Metro, connecting Civil Court to Swargate, on Thursday, 26th September. However, due to heavy rainfall, his visit to Pune was cancelled.
Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol announced that PM Modi will now virtually inaugurate the 3.3 km long stretch of Phase 1 on Sunday, 29th September.
Pune Metro’s Extension
According to the Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation, on Sunday, September 29, 2024, PM Modi would also lay the groundwork for the Swargate-Katraj Metro segment.
Swargate to Katraj is a 5.4 km long stretch line with 3 stations.
Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Engineers India Limited (EIL) to explore global business opportunities.
The partnership will identify the projects worldwide that complement each other’s expertise, thereby enhancing their collective capability to bid for and execute infrastructure and other mutually beneficial projects.
Both companies will collaborate by sharing relevant information to assess market needs, aligning them with their combined capabilities to pursue projects of mutual interest. This strategic collaboration is expected to strengthen their global footprint and expand their project portfolio.
As per the release by RVNL, the Main objectives of the MoU are:
Explore business avenues to identify projects across the globe complementing each other in partnership resulting in increased capability for bidding and carrying out Infrastructure and other Projects of mutual interests.
Share relevant information to identify market needs and dovetail it with the capabilities of Parties.
Establish a working relationship with each other targeting specific industry needs.
Bangalore Metro (Metro Rail News): In the very first week of October, CMRS is likely to conduct a statutory inspection of Namma Metro’s 3.14-km Green Line extension.
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) requested CMRS regarding the statutory inspection of Namma Metro’s 3.14-km Green Line extension on 7 August. The CMRS had sought some clarifications and documentation, which were duly provided by the BMRCL, a senior official said.
The inspection will be under the control of the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) and his team. The motive of the inspection is to investigate whether the line is fit for public carriage of passenger traffic,
Namma Metro applied for safety clearance for the Green Line extension
On September 26, the CMRS wrote back to the BMRCL, stating that the inspection would be conducted on October 3 and 4.
A senior BMRCL official confirmed the development and added that the line is expected to open by mid-October, following the clearance from CMRS. The approval process usually takes 8-10 days.
Kochi(Metro Rail News): Kochi Metro Rail ( KMRL) has recently proposed to the state transport department suggesting that Thiruvananthapuram Metro should be constructed from Kazhakkoottam Junction to Putharikandam ground spanning 14.9 Km.
The initial plan to launch metro services at Technocity in Pallippuram was scrapped following a government directive to explore a new alignment. This change came after it was understood that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) might not approve road excavation for metro pillar construction due to concerns over the ‘defect liability’ period.
The new proposal will likely navigate through these places:
Technopark
Kariavattom university campus
Ulloor
Murinjapalam
Pattom
PMG
legislative assembly
Palayam
Bakery Junction
Thampanoor
Putharikandam ground
Furthermore, KMRL is also planning to add three more alignments by including LuLu Mall, other prominent colleges, and spots in the proposal.
KMRL MD Loknath Behera mentioned “We submitted a technical report incorporating the recommendations of various stakeholders. A Metro starting at Kazhakkoottam Junction will have many advantages and we can start work quickly by avoiding procedural delays. We can even think of Pallippuram at a later stage. We do have three to four alternatives that cannot be disclosed until the govt takes a final decision in this matter,”
The new proposal suggests that the Metro could be extended to Pallippuram in Technocity during Phase II. KMRL also indicated that potential extensions to Kudappanakunnu and Neyyattinkara could be considered in Phase-II.
According to the detailed project report previously submitted by Kerala Rapid Transit Corp Ltd (KRTL), Phase-I of the Light Metro project, spanning 21.8 km from Pallippuram to Karamana, was estimated to cost ₹4,673 crores.
Surat (Metro Rail News): The Surat Metro project advances as TBM Tapi completes its final drive. Gulermak – Sam India Builtwell JV celebrated the final breakthrough of TBM Tapi ( TBM S94) at Surat Railway Station of Line 1, which spans 22,77 km, providing connectivity between Sarthana and Dream City.
For its final assignment, TBM Tapi started its drive from Central Warehouse Station and achieved a breakthrough at Surat Railway Station after constructing a 389m tunnel.
Deniz BUYUKGOKMEN
TBM Tapi Journey
Deniz BUYUKGOKMEN
This was TBM Tapi’s third and final breakthrough and overall 6th breakthrough for package CS2/ UG1.
Labheshwar Chowk station – Central Warehouse station
July 2024
Current assignment
Central Warehouse station -Surat railway station
September 2024
Package CS2 / UG1
Gulermak – Sam India JV was awarded a Rs. 1073.31 crore Package CS2 / UG1 from Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) with a 40-month deadline.
Under this contract, Gulermak – Sam India JV is responsible for designing, constructing, and completing underground stations and tunnels, including finishes, from the Kapodra Ramp to Surat Railway Station, spanning chainage 3700m to 7160.6m. The scope also includes the construction of three underground stations: Kapodra, Labheshwar Chowk, and Central Warehouse.
Deniz BUYUKGOKMEN
TBM Narmada, deployed for the downline work of the same section, also completed its final drive in August 2024.
Metro Rail News: According to the release by the Ministry of Railway, India is set to Become a Global Locomotive Manufacturing Hub with its First-Ever Exports from Bihar’s Marhowra Plant.
Indian Railways and Wabtec have entered this strategic partnership to expand the plant’s capacity, which will ultimately facilitate the export of locomotives to Africa. The factory will produce locomotives for export to a foreign market for the first time.
By 2025, the locomotives produced at the Marhowra facility will be exported. The plant will provide locomotives from the Evolution Series ES43ACmi to clients abroad. With a 4,500 HP Evolution Series engine, the locomotive ES43ACmi provides the best fuel efficiency and a track record of performance in high-temperature conditions.
Photo Copyrighted: Indian Railways
Empowering “Make In India”
This project holds significant strategic value as it establishes India as a worldwide hub for locomotive production and fits in with the Honourable Prime Minister’s “Atmanirbhar Bharat” vision, which is in line with the “Make in India” and “Make for the World” objectives.
It would also make it possible for the Marhowra facility to export standard-gauge locomotives around the world, which will boost the Indian economy by increasing the number of local suppliers and promoting the development of long-term jobs.
Representational Image
The Benefits from Indian Railways – Wabtec JV
The Ministry of Railways and Wabtec’s successful public-private collaboration has established the Marhowra factory as a premier global manufacturing location, utilising a large local supplier base from all over India. About 650 locomotives have been produced to date and introduced to the fleet of Indian Railways. To improve the plant’s capacity and competitiveness and set it up for long-term, sustainable export manufacturing operations, Wabtec and the Ministry of Railways will continue to work together.
Marhowra plant (Bihar)
The Marhowra plant was created in 2018 to produce 1,000 modern locomotives for Indian Railways domestically. It is located on 70 acres in Marhowra, Bihar. About 600 people are employed at the company, which has been supplying Indian Railways with 100 locomotives a year on a steady basis. Additionally, it has greatly increased the state’s industrial activity.
(Metro Rail News): A trial of an Automatic Train Protection System called KAVACH was reviewed by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on 24 September between Sawai Madhopur and Indargarh stations in the west central railway zone.
The trial was conducted for about half an hour and the Railway Minister Vaishnaw mentioned that the latest version of KAVACH will be installed all over the rail network in the country in the next five to six years and it has been approved by RDSO.
As per Ashwini Vaishnaw , the KAVACH 4.0 will be capable of conquering all kinds of communication challenges in all geographical conditions such as hilly terrain, forest coastal and desert areas.
A Railway official said, “The train was running at 130 kmph and the moment it entered a section where there was a permanent speed restriction of 120 kmph, the Kavach brought down its speed to 120 and then after crossing, it regained the 130 kmph speed.”
In another test case, as the train approached the loop line with a mandated speed limit
of 30 km, the Kavah system effectively managed the deceleration process by gradually decreasing the train’s speed from 130 kmph to 30 kmph before entering the loop line.
KAVACH System
The Kavach system, also known as an (Automatic Train Protection) ATP System, has been developed by the Indian Railway through Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), the system is capable of applying brakes automatically in case of emergency to avoid train collisions.
An official from the Railway Ministry said “Kavach has so far been deployed on 1,465 Route km and 139 locomotives (including Electric Multiple Unit rakes) on South Central Railway,”.
Mumbai (Metro Rail News): The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) has successfully carried out trial run on Line 3, Aqua line between the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Arrey station spanning 12 km covering 10 stations. MMRC also revealed the coach of Line 3.
Image Credit: Amar
Mumbai Metro’s Line 3
Image Credit: Amar
Mumbai metro line 3 also referred to as Aqua line, a 33.5 km stretch providing connectivity between Aarey colony and the Cuffe Parade via 27 stations.
Initially , the operations are expected to begin from Aarey colony and the BKC Stations through 10 stations.
Stations covered :
Aarey Colony
SEEPZ
MIDC
Marol Naka
CSIA Terminal 2
Sahar Road
CSIA Terminal 1
Santa Cruz Vidyanagri
Bandra Kurla Complex
PM Modi is likely to inaugurate the Mumbai Metro Line 3 on 26 September and operations are expected to begin from the first week of October.
