AIIB Sanctions ₹1025.21cr for Kochi Metro Phase 2

By

-

26/08/2024

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

TBM-1 Achieves Breakthrough at Chhatarpur Mandir Station of Delhi Metro’s Golden Line

By

Staff Reporter

-

23/08/2024

0

TBM Breakthrough at Delhi Metro's Golden Line

Delhi (Metro Rail News): On 21 August 2024, Delhi Metro Phase 4 reached another milestone as the TBM DZ1122 achieved a breakthrough at Chhatarpur Mandir Station of 23.622 km long Golden Line that will connect Aerocity-Tuglakabad through 15 stations.

This is TBM DZ1122’s second breakthrough and overall a 3rd breakthrough out of 10 breakthroughs planned in package DC-09 for the Delhi Metro Phase 4 project.

TBM DZ1122’s Journey in Delhi Metro Phase 4

For its second assignment, TBM DZ1122 (TBM-1) was deployed in January 2024 to start tunnelling from Chhatarpur station. The TBM reached Chhatarpur Mandir station covering a distance of 865 metres over the past roughly 7 months.
In its first assignment, TBM DZ 1122 constructed a 1267m tunnel from Chhatarpur station to Kishangarh station in 8 months which was completed in November 2023.
TBM DZ1122 constructed 618 rings (1 ring = 1.4m) at an approximate depth of 15m. The machine streamed under the Yellow Line’s viaduct just south of the existing Chhatarpur Station particularly.

Package DC-09

As part of Golden Line, Package DC-09 connects Kishangarh and Saket G Block covering a total distance of 6.51km.

Larsen & Toubro secured the package DC-09 at Rs. within the Delhi Metro Phase 4 project in March 2022 with 42-month deadline.

The final contract value: Rs. 1737 crores.

Scope of work

Under package DC-09, Larsen & Toubro will be responsible for the construction of twin tunnels in the middle of Golden Line and will link Kishangarh station’s east end with a ramp west of Saket G Block station through 4 stations at Chhatarpur (interchange with Yellow Line), Chhatarpur Mandir, IGNOU and Neb Sarai.

Ongoing Development

L&T’s other 2 TBMs (DZ1124 and DZ1125) are constructing tunnel from Chhatarpur Mandir Station to IGNOU Station at present.

Advertisement1

DMRC Awards Train Operation Services contract worth 192 Cr for Yellow Line and Violet line

By

Staff Reporter

-

22/08/2024

0

Delhi (Metro Rail News): DMRC has announced the Award of a Contract (AOC) for Train operation services on the Yellow (Kashmeri Gate Crew Control and Qutub Minar Crew Control) And Violet (Badarpur Border Crew Control) lines of the Delhi Metro Network.

The technical bid was officially opened on 22 Mar 2024 at 03:39 PM and the financial bid was opened on 20 Jun 2024 at 01:21 PM. Their final evaluation date was 20 Jun 2024 at 10:26 AM.

The AOC was announced on 09 Aug 2024 and the deadline for this contract is 2310 days. The total estimated cost of this contract is Rs. 192 cr

Five bidders participated in the contract. JMD Consultants and Nuvision Commercial and Escort Services (NCES) got the AOC for yellow and violet lines, respectively. The rest were rejected in a technical bid.

Bidder Name	Award Amount/Status
JMD Consultants	₹ 96.2 Cr (L1) For Delhi Metro’s yellow line
Nuvision Commercial and Escort Services (NCES)	₹ 96.2 Cr (L1) For Delhi Metro’s violet line
Godawarifarms	Rejected – Technical
Konkan Railway Corporation Limited	Rejected – Technical
Nk global all services	Rejected – Technical

The award amount for JMD consultants and NCES was RS. 96 Cr (L1). The project is believed to start in 2024 and end in 2031. This line will cover around 20.2 km for the yellow line and 13.4 km for the violet line, respectively.

Advertisement1

Agra Metro: Ceigall Begins Casting Pier Caps for AGCC-05

By

Staff Reporter

-

22/08/2024

0

Agra (Metro Rail News): Agra Metro is witnessing rapid work on Line 1. Recently, Ceigall India initiated casting pier caps under the AGCC-05 Package (3.725 km) that will facilitate the construction of a viaduct on Line 1 of Agra Metro. The total cost of the project is Rs. 266.94 crore.

1723752355168 — Image Credit: *Shahbaz Hamdan Sabri*

In March 2024, Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) awarded Ceigall India with an AGCC-05 package with a deadline of 2 years.

Agra Metro’s Package AGCC-05

Package AGCC-05 is a 3.725 km elevated section on line 1. It is situated at the north end of Line 1( connects the Taj East Gate to Sikandra with 14 stations). AGCC-05 will feature three elevated stations:

ISBT
Guru Ka Taal
Sikandra

AGCC-05 will link the RBS ramp in Khandari to Sikandra with all the above stations located along the national highway (NH19).

1723752355316 — Image Credit: *Shahbaz Hamdan Sabri*

Scope of work

Ceigall is estimated to cast 110 pier caps, with a standard width of 9.5 m and a weight of 62 T.

In the upcoming months, Ceigall will start casting double-T girders for stations and I-girders and U-girders for the line viaducts.

Package AGCC-05 is the final and the third package for Line 1. It will also provide connectivity to the 7.93 km underground Package AGCC-02.

Advertisement1

NCRTC Signs MoU with DMRC for Integrated QR-Ticketing

By

Staff Reporter

-

21/08/2024

0

Delhi (Metro Rail News): National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to integrate their ticketing systems, offering seamless travel for residents across Delhi-NCR. This collaboration supports the ‘One India – One Ticket’ initiative, allowing passengers to book QR code tickets for both Namo Bharat and Delhi Metro services on a single platform. The MoU was signed today in the presence of Shri Shalabh Goel, Managing Director, NCRTC, and Dr. Vikas Kumar, Managing Director, DMRC.

• Passengers booking a Namo Bharat train ticket via the RRTS Connect App can simultaneously book a Delhi Metro ticket.

• Similarly, passengers booking a Delhi Metro ticket through the DMRC Mobile App can also add a Namo Bharat train ticket.

• The integration of DMRC and NCRTC ticketing systems will enable the generation of a unique Delhi Metro QR code on the NCRTC Mobile App, and similarly, a Namo Bharat QR code on the DMRC Mobile App.

With this integration, customers booking a Namo Bharat train ticket through the RRTS Connect App can simultaneously purchase a Delhi Metro ticket. Similarly, passengers using the DMRC Mobile App to book a metro ticket can also add a Namo Bharat train ticket. This collaboration will generate unique Delhi Metro QR codes on the RRTS Connect App and Namo Bharat QR codes on the DMRC Mobile App, significantly enhancing the passenger experience.

This joint initiative between NCRTC and DMRC aims to provide a comprehensive travel solution, improving customer convenience and promoting efficient transportation across the Delhi-NCR region. The integration is expected to reduce queues at both NCRTC and DMRC stations, save passengers valuable time, and encourage digital transactions and environmentally friendly travel options.

This initiative is in line with the PM National Gati Shakti Master Plan, which envisages seamless integration between different transport modes. RRTS stations are strategically located nearby and integrated with the existing railway stations, metro stations, and bus depots, creating an extensive network of networks. By eliminating the need to switch between different ticketing apps when transitioning between NCRTC and DMRC networks, this initiative further promotes rail-based green transportation for travel within Delhi-NCR.

The currently operational 42 km RRTS corridor is seamlessly connected to the 393 km DMRC network, providing commuters with a unified and efficient ticketing and travel experience across the NCR. This integration encourages the use of public transportation, which is crucial for increasing ridership and ensuring the long-term sustainability of these capital-intensive projects.

This initiative follows the recent similar tie-up between NCRTC & IRCTC for booking Namo Bharat train tickets on the IRCTC Platform. The Namo Bharat trains, with a design speed of 180 km/h and an operational speed of up to 160 km/h, significantly reduce travel time within the region by up to one-third. Once the entire 82 km corridor is completed by the targeted deadline of 2025, passengers will be able to travel between Delhi and Meerut in under an hour.

Advertisement1

Delhi-Meerut RRTS: Passenger Services Begin at Meerut South Station

By

Staff Reporter

-

20/08/2024

0

Delhi (Metro Rail News): On 18 August, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) extended passenger services on the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) Corridor. The opening of Meerut South Station has extended the operational route 8 km from Modinagar North to Meerut South.

In December 2023 NCRTC initiated a trial run to Meerut South station but unfortunately, the route didn’t become operational due to remaining architectural finishing and station entry and exit construction work.

This development comes five months after the inauguration of the 17.1 km Duhai to Modinagar section by India’s Prime Minister in March 2024.

Meerut South station

Meerut South Station features three platforms which will cater to both semi-high-speed long-distance trains and local 3-coach Meerut Metro trains.
This station has the largest parking lot among all stations with a capacity to have 300 cars and 900 two-wheelers.
The Modinagar North – Meerut South section’s viaduct runs along the centre of NH-34, This section has a crossing over the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) just south of Meerut South Station.

Delhi Meerut RRTS project

The 17km long priority section of the Delhi-Meerut RRTS Line was inaugurated on 20 October 2023. The commercial operations began on this section (Sahibabad – Duhai) on October 21, 2023.

An additional 17 km section spanning from Duhai to Modinagar North section became operational on 6 March 2024.

Following the addition of this 8 km new section, 42 km of the total 82.15 km route is now operational. This covers 9 stations from Sahibabad in Ghaziabad to Meerut South, while the rest of the project remains under construction.

The Namo Bharat train will run on this operational route from 6 am to 10 pm, with the first train departing in both directions at 6 am and the last train leaving at 10 pm.

Future prospects

The 14 km Delhi Section is nearing completion. This section features 3 RRTS stations: Sarai Kale Khan, New Ashok Nagar, and Anand Vihar Station. NCRTC is likely to conduct trials of Namo Bharat in this section by the end of 2024.

Advertisement1

Thane Metro Project Receives Approval from Central Government

By

Staff Reporter

-

20/08/2024

0

Vizag Metro — Metro Representational image.

Thane (Metro Rail News): Thane Metro officially known as the Thane Integral Ring Metro Project, has received approval from the central government for its Detailed Project Report (DPR). As per the DPR the project covers a distance of 29km with 22 stations and the total estimated expenditure of the project is Rs.12,200 crore.

Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.(MMRL or Mahametro) is serving as the implementing authority for the project. The project is estimated to be completed by 2029.

Brief about the project:

In December 2018, the prime minister laid the foundation stone for the Thane metro project. Thane Metro will circularly cover Thane city( Ring-shaped) with a total length of 29 km of which 26 km section will run elevated through 20 stations while the remaining 3km portion will be underground featuring 2 stations.

Thane Metro Line will have an interchange with Mumbai Metro’s Green Line (Line 4) and Orange Line (Line 5), additionally, it will connect with the central railway station of Thane city

According to the government’s PIB release, the project will provide a huge ridership to nearly 6.47lakh, 7.61lakh and 8.72lakh passengers by the upcoming year of 2029,2035 and 2045 respectively.

MahaMetro has invited technical bids to appoint a DDC( detailed design consultant) for 6 elevated stations between the Dr Kashinath Ghanekhar Natyagrah and the waterfront.

Thane Metro contractor;

AECOM- Systra MVA Consultant- Consulting Engineer Group is the sole bidder for the General Consultant contract of Thane Metro. Thane Metro’s fares, funds and prices have not been announced yet.

Advertisement1