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): On 3 March 2023, the rail project worth Rs. 33,690 crores received an approval in the presence of the chief minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other official members of the Mumbai railway department Cooperation with the motive of creating infrastructure for suburban railways network in Mumbai.
As per the official statement by the CMO, the project will be executed on the western and central railway, which includes the laying of lines 5th and 6th between Borivali and Virar on the western part. Similarly, the 3rd and 4th lines between Kalyan and Badlapur of the central part were also approved which is 15 kilometers long.
Along with this, the government has decided to extend the Harbour line from Goregaon to Borivali, which is seven km in the distance.
This decision will help the railways to run suburban trains along with long-distance trains that can add to the financial upliftment of the country.
MAHARASHTRA (Metro Rail News): On 5 April 2023, the Maharashtra cabinet approved the revised project of Nagpur Metro Phase II to Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) in the state meeting chaired by the chief minister, Eknath Shinde.
The project is a joint venture by the central and state governments at 50% of each share.
Earlier, the project was worth Rs. 10,500 crores at the 2018 price, which is revised at the cost of Rs. 6,708 crores for 43.8 kilometres project that consist of 4 extensions having 32 stations as per the detailed project report (DPR) of the Nagpur Phase II project prepared by RITES Ltd.
Under phase II the first stretch will be from Automotive Square to Kanhan River, with a length of 13 km having 12 stations. Similarly, the second stretch will connect Lokmanya Nagar to Hingna and contains 7 stations with a length of 6.7 kilometres; the third stretch will cover Prajapati Nagar to Transport Nagar with a length of 5.6 kilometres, having three stations. The final stretch is considered the longest stretch, which is from Mihan to Butibori MIDC ESR having a length of 18.5 kilometres consisting of 10 stations.
The decision taken by the Maharashtra government will increase the connectivity in the city’s Semi-urban areas and also benefit the people in the industrial areas.
NEW DELHI (Metro Rail News): The cross passage is being constructed in the parallel tunnel of the underground section on the Ghaziabad-Delhi-Merrut RRTS corridor based on a New Australian Tunneling Method (NATM) technology at a distance of every 250 meters, sequential excavation method is also used for the Construction.
The cross passages are the part that enables the movement of passengers from one tunnel to another, and it will be helpful in the operation of trains with the safety of the commuters in case of emergency and give the tunnels more stability and strength.
Both parallel tunnels are being constructed to move the trains on each route.
Six tunnels are being constructed in Merrut in the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor; six cross-passages in two kilometers long parallel tunnels are being constructed between Bhainsali and Meerut Central, whereas a total of two cross-passages in a one-kilometer parallel tunnel between Bhainsali to Begumpul are being built and from Gandhi Bagh to Begumpul, one cross passage in 700 m tunnel is being constructed.
Similarly, four tunnels will be constructed on the RRTS corridor in Delhi in which 12 cross passages will be built; Eight Cross Passages will be built on three kilometres parallel tunnel that is being constructed between the New Ashok Nagar and Anand Vihar, and the rest four cross passages will be built in between Sahibabad and Anand Vihar in two km long parallel tunnel.
Apart from the cross passage, a 60- 90 cm wide sidewalk and ventilation ducts will be constructed in the tunnels for the safety of the commuters and air circulation purposes in the tunnels simultaneously.
For tunnelling, the most advanced technology is used in which a 90-meter-long Sudarshan( tunnel boring machine) will be applied to cut the soil and install the tunnel ring for the RRTS project.
Hon'ble Minister of Railways Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw
NEW DELHI (Metro Rail News): Union Minister of Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, informed the parliament on Wednesday about the progress of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project. According to the minister, the groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held on September 14, 2017. As of February this year, physical progress of 32.93% in Gujarat and 13.72% in Maharashtra had been achieved.
The minister informed the members that approximately 257 km of piling, 180 km of foundation, 155 km of the pier, and 37 km of girder launching had been completed in Gujarat and Dadra & Nagar Haveli out of the total 352 km elevated viaduct. The estimated cost of the MAHSR project was Rs. 108,000 crore in 2015, and the expenditure till now incurred on the project is Rs. 38,506 crore.
However, the execution of the project has been affected by delays in land acquisition in Maharashtra and the subsequent delay in finalizing contracts, as well as the adverse impact of the Covid pandemic. In response to a question, the minister stated that the anticipated cost and timeline for the project could only be determined after the completion of land acquisition and finalization of all contracts and associated timelines.
The MAHSR project is a high-speed rail corridor connecting the cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The project is being implemented with technical and financial assistance from the government of Japan. The 508 km corridor will have 12 stations, including Mumbai (BKC), Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati.
Once completed, the MAHSR will reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The project is expected to provide a boost to the economies of Maharashtra and Gujarat and create job opportunities. The MAHSR project is a crucial step towards improving India’s infrastructure and strengthening its position as a global economic power.
GORAKHPUR (Metro Rail News): The Indian Railways is planning to invest approximately Rs. 612 crores in the redevelopment project of the Gorakhpur Railway Station in the next five years, with the facilities on the line of the modern airport and aesthetic designs that reflect the amalgamation of old heritage and modern design.
According to the official information, it is assumed that the current daily footfall at the railway station will increase from 92,750 passengers to 1.67 lakhs in the next 50 years. It is further stated that the station’s current capacity during the peak hours of traffic is to handle 9,000 passengers, which will increase to 17,000 passengers after the renovation of the station building.
The main station building will spread over 17,900 square meters, double the current area’s size. Equivalently, the second entry station building will spread from 720 square meters to 74,00 square meters and have 44 lifts and 21 escalators along with a parking area that would accommodate 900 cars, double the number of cars parked now.
In addition, the renovated building will have a concourse of 63,000 sqm along with a seating capacity for 3,500 passengers and all passenger amenities in one place with a 72-meter-wide concourse, such as cafeterias and other recreational facilities.
A skyway will also be constructed that is expected to reduce the transit time from half an hour to 15 minutes.
The step for the redevelopment of the station taken by the Indian Railways will enhance the building facility that can uplift the development in the state and ease the transport services to the people.
Representational image only/Image by Eastern Railways
KOLKATA (Metro Rail News): The Eastern Railways, headquartered in Kolkata, has announced that it has earned a total revenue of Rs. 10501.99 crores in FY 2022-23. This marks a 21.17 per cent growth over the previous fiscal year’s revenue of Rs. 8667.12 crores.
The increase in passenger revenue is particularly noteworthy, with the Eastern Railways earning Rs. 3272.67 crores in FY 2022-23, compared to Rs. 2,130.57 crores in the previous fiscal year. This marks a substantial increase of 53.61 per cent. The pandemic‘s second and third waves resulted in fewer people travelling in 2021-22.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Eastern Railways carried 1094.20 million passengers in the financial year ending on March 31, 2023. This represents an increase of 54.29 per cent from the 709.319 million carried in the previous fiscal year.
In terms of goods revenue, Eastern Railways generated Rs. 6,514.63 crores in 2022-23, compared to Rs. 6,023.13 crores in the previous financial year, marking a growth of 8.16 per cent.
The Eastern Railways also achieved remarkable growth in sundry revenue earnings. It clocked a turnover of Rs. 423.95 crores in FY 2022-23, compared to Rs. 222.75 crores in the previous fiscal year, marking a substantial increase of 90.33 per cent.
In parcel and luggage carrying, Eastern Railways earned Rs. 107.69 crores in 2022-23, compared to Rs. 95.69 crores in FY 2021-22, with a growth of 12.53 per cent.
Overall, Eastern Railways’ growth in revenue is a positive sign for the Indian railway industry, as it indicates a gradual recovery from the pandemic’s impact.
BENGALURU (Metro Rail News): The HÜBNER Group is building its presence and expanding its production capacities for the mobility markets in the Asia Pacific region. It will strengthen the entire global production network with a new plant, “Namma Factory“. The inauguration Ceremony for the new plant was done on 4th April 2023. The new plant was built as a ‘Green’ factory with sustainable materials and local companies.
The managing director of the HÜBNER Group, Kai Mentel, stated that the HÜBNER Group could operate more effectively and flexibly with shortened delivery routes in the growing Indian market with the help of the new “Namma factory”. Moreover, it benefits from meeting the localization requirement for the customers with its local production at the new location and reliable serving. He further added that they would also focus on the proximity to the customers in India.
Changes in production location:
HÜBNER Interface System India Pvt. Ltd. (HIN) shifted from its previous location in Dabaspete to the new plant in Malongathihalli, Nelamangala Taluk, near Bengaluru at the end of 2022 with approximately 125 employees and is expected to have growth in the number of employees to 175 by the end of 2023.
The HÜBNER Group acquired 38,000 square metres of land for the new plant in Bengaluru, which has occupied 8,500 square metres, from which 6,500 square metres will be used for production. In contrast, the old location had only 3,000 square metres, which were several kilometres away from each other.
For the construction of the New plant, the company relied on the consulting company and contracted CICON Engineers Pvt. Ltd. (construction company) for resource-saving construction. However, the HÜBNER Group now holds a green building certificate in platinum. After the completion of the construction, the new plant building was handed over in November 2022.
Uwe Sperber (Site Manager of HUBNER India) (Left) and Kai Mentel (Managing Director of the HÜBNER Group)(Right)Uwe Sperber (Site Manager of HUBNER India), Reinhard Hubner (Owner of the HUBNER Group), Bettina Kraft (HÜBNER project manager of “Namma Factory”), Kai Mentel (Managing Director of the HÜBNER Group)
HÜBNER Projects and supplies:
“Namma Factory” project launched in 2020, which will really become “our factory” in the truest sense of the word, says Uwe Sperber, site manager of HÜBNER India. In 2016, the HÜBNER Group invested over 11 million euros in the new plant previously used in Dabaspete. Earlier, the group produces a gangway system for rail vehicles in the Namma Factory, and now they have an ongoing project including the metros in the major cities of India. i.e. Delhi, Mumbai, along with the metro in the Australian city of Sydney.
In India, HÜBNER will deliver nearly 540 gangway systems to Indian Railways for the Vande Bharat Express (Train 18) by autumn 2023 and for the new RRTS regional Express trains and the metro projects in Pune, Kanpur, Agra, Bhopal, and Indore. The train manufacturer Alstom has ordered approximately 400 gangway systems from HÜBNER India. In addition, the local manufacturer BEML (Mumbai Metro) will also purchase around 800 gangway systems for the metro lines 2 and 7 in Mumbai by the year 2025.
HÜBNER is producing 135 gangway systems along with 70 gangway halves for the Bengaluru metro that are being constructed by the world’s largest manufacturer CRRC.
Mobility, Sustainable Materials and Photonics:
The HÜBNER Group is a global leader in gangway system suppliers with its business divisions Mobility rail, mobility road, material solutions for manufacturing, and phonetics and research applications. The company deals with rail vehicles and buses as well as a supplier of chassis technology, and cockpit displays solutions and door sealing and safety profiles. Also, it involves the supplier of elastomers, insulation and composite materials. In addition, the Group business unit is thriving in laser technology, featuring applications for cancer diagnostics and spectroscopy.
For example: In 2022, the HÜBNER Group generated sales of approximately €460 million, with approximately 3,500 employees with more than 30 locations worldwide along with its headquaters in kassel, Germany.
The focus of the HÜBNER Group is also on the sustainability of the building services. Having new factory features with solar panels, an in-house wastewater treatment plant, a passive ventilation system (wind and thermal buoyancy) for the production hall and rainwater harvesting in this New plant and also sealed a few of the factory premises, with large areas devoted to vegetation and an on-site pond.
“When building the ‘Namma Factory’, it was important to us from the outset to use sustainable materials and local companies and suppliers whenever it was possible and made sense,” says Bettina Kraft, HÜBNER project manager of “Namma Factory”. “It was equally important to us that with the new plant we offer our employees a workplace where they can feel comfortable thanks to optimal ventilation and plenty of daylight.”
HÜBNER at a glance
About HÜBNER India:
The HÜBNER Interface Systems India Pvt. Ltd. was set up in 2011 in Belgaum. Latterly, in 2014 it moved its premises to Bangalore from the Dabaspet near Bangalore, which is the associated company of the HÜBNER Group. In the year 2016, the company acquired a plot of land in Nelamangala for the production of gangway systems for railway vehicles in India, Asia and Oceania, which is continued with enlarged production and testing capabilities. Moreover, as well as in 2021, the HÜBNER Group started a new building, which is 10 km located 10 km closer to Bangalore City. Under the name of the ‘Namma Factory’ project.
CHENNAI (Metro Rail News): Last week Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL) awarded Larsen and Toubro the telecommunication contract (Package ASA05) for the line 4 metro that connects Light House to Poonamallee Bypass through 30 stations.
The Chennai metro rail had invited the tenders for its phase 2 line which was financed by the New Development Bank (NDB) in April 2022 with a deadline of 5.97 years (2180 days).
The Scope of the contract (CMRL/PH_II/SYS/C4-ASA05/2022) includes the Manufacture, Supply, Installation, Testing, Design, and Commissioning of the Telecommunication System for Chennai Metro rail Phase II civil and system package for the 26.9 km Corridor 4.
Under this contract, seven bidders submitted the bid during its technical bid opening, in which 3W Networks FZCO, HFCL Ltd., and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. were non-compliant with the tender conditions. Whereas, Financial bids of the rest four firms, Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL), KEC International Ltd., Larsen and Toubro Ltd. (L&T), and ST Engineering Electronics Ltd. The Financial evaluation revealed Larsen and Toubro Ltd. as the lowest bidder on 16th February.
HYDERABAD (Metro Rail News): The prime minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, will inaugurate the development projects of Rs. 11,355 crores in Hyderabad that include the inaugural of the second (semi-high-speed train) Vande Bharat express (Secunderabad-Tirupati) from Secunderabad of Hyderabad to Tirupati on 8 April 2023 among other projects.
On his visit to Hyderabad, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment and modernization of the Secunderabad railway station and six National Highway (NH) projects at an estimated cost of Rs. 715 crores and 7,864 crores, respectively. In addition, the inauguration is intended for the doubling work at the Secunderabad- Mahabubnagar railway line, which cost around Rs. 1,410 crores, and different development works that cost 1,366 crores at Bibinagar and AIIMS. Furthermore, the launch of 13 new MMTS Phase-II services will be done between Bolarum-Medchal and Falaknuma-Umdanagar in the presence of PM Modi.
It is also expected that the capital city of Telangana will get two more vande Bharat express between Secunderabad and Pune, and Kacheguda and Bengaluru.
The inauguration of these development projects is a significant step towards improving the infrastructure and transportation sectors in Hyderabad. The launch of the Vande Bharat Express and the MMTS Phase-II services will provide better connectivity and transportation facilities for the people of the region. This move is expected to boost the economic growth of the state of Telangana and improve the overall standard of living of its citizens.
NOIDA (Metro Rail News): M/s SIPL-AG JV has been awarded the tender for the “Construction of Foundations, Substructure & Superstructure with the River Training/Protection Work, Earthwork and allied works for Eight major Bridges in Between Chainage Km from 20+000 to Km 63+00, in connection with Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Beri New Railway Line in Rupnagar District and Bilaspur District of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh respectively“ by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). The accepted contract amount is INR 367,98,19,438.71 (Rs. Three hundred sixty-seven crore ninety-eight Lakh nineteen thousand four hundred thirty-eight and paise seventy-one only).
The work is anticipated to be completed within 30 months, with a Defect Liability Period of six months from the actual date of commencement. The bidder is requested to furnish the Performance Security within 28 days of receipt of the Notification of Award using the Performance Security Form No. COF/3 included in Section-8 (Contract Forms) of the Bidding Document.
The Performance Security shall be for an amount of 3% of the Accepted Contract Amount, excluding GST, which amounts to INR 9,35,54,730/- (INR Nine crore thirty-five lakh fifty-four thousand seven hundred thirty only). The same currency of the Accepted Contract amount in the prescribed form for the stated amount is valid for a period of 28 days beyond the issue of the performance certificate.
The construction of eight major bridges is part of the new Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Beri railway line, which runs through the districts of Rupnagar in Punjab and Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh.
The tender was awarded to M/s SIPL-AG JV after the technical bid was opened on December 8, 2022, for the project. The development of new railway lines and the construction of major bridges would help boost the connectivity and transportation network of the region.
The project is an essential part of the railway development plan and would serve as an economic boost to the region, providing better connectivity and transportation for people and industries alike.
