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.
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.
KANPUR (Metro Rail News): Traveling in Kanpur Metro is about to get smarter. Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation has brought NCMC-compliant cards on the lines of One Nation One Card in Kanpur for the convenience of commuters. The Chief Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Government, Mr. Durgashankar Mishra will inaugurate the cards on Tuesday. The program will be organized at IIT Metro station in the presence of the Managing Director of Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation, Mr. Sushil Kumar.
Features of NCMC Card :
• Debit or credit card can also be used as a smart card for the NCMC-compliant Kanpur Metro commuters who will not need to buy tickets separately.
• 10 percent discount will be available on every Metro ride. Another great feature of this card is that it is an inter-operable transport card. i.e. This card can also be used for other metros, buses, parking, and retail services in the country that accepts NCMC.
• No need to stand in line for commuters to travel. They could use their debit/credit card as a smart card.
• Facility to buy QR ticket for Metro travel with NCMC card
• 23 banks are already providing NCMC cards to their customers. Most of the banks are providing this facility in Kanpur Metro.
This scheme of GoSmart NCMC Card in Kanpur Metro gets implemented with SBI in PPP mode. This scheme is part of the ‘Make in India’ campaign. Kanpur Metro is already providing Metro tickets through full digital payment modes with debit cards, credit cards, and UPI from its Ticket counters and Ticket Vending Machines. Kanpur Metro also has a facility to use smartphones as Metro tickets by generating QR code tickets in the Kanpur Metro app.
HYDERABAD (Metro Rail News): L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited (L&TMRHL) has announced the opening of the Arm – B, the fourth arm of the Raidurg Metro Station, from 4 April 2023. With the opening of this arm, the distribution of commuter movement would be further streamlined, particularly during peak hours. Raidurg Metro Station is among the busiest metro stations of Hyderabad Metro Rail and currently handles over 60k commuters on a daily basis, catering majorly to the IT crowd. This new arm is equipped with a staircase and escalator for the movement of commuters.
Commenting on this development, Mr. NVS Reddy, Managing Director, HMRL, said, “We are happy to dedicate the fourth arm of the Raidurg Metro Station to the public. With this now the commuters would have an additional option to access the station conveniently and gain enhanced experience with Hyderabad Metro Rail.”
Mr. KVB Reddy, Managing Director & CEO, L&TMRHL, said, “We are committed to the convenience and safety of metro commuters. I am confident that the new fourth arm of Raidurg Metro Station would help us in not only efficient handling of commuter movement but also enhance our operational efficiency and resource optimisation.”
Hyderabad Metro Rail continues to prioritise the needs of metro commuters and remains dedicated to providing safe, reliable, and efficient transportation solutions.
About L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited:
L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited is a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro – L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited (“The Company”) to implement the Project on a Design, Built, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis. The Company signed the Concession Agreement with the then Government of Andhra Pradesh on 4th September 2010 and completed the financial closure for the Project on 1st March 2011 in a record period of six months. This is the largest fund tie-up in India for a non-power infrastructure Public Private Partnership (PPP) project.
CHENNAI (Metro Rail News): On 31 march 2023, the factory acceptance test (FAT) of the tunnel boring machine (TBM S1074B) manufactured by a German company, M/s Herrenknecht, was successfully conducted for the underground construction of line 4 of CMRL’s phase 2 project in the presence of the General Manager of CMRL (Construction) Mr. R Ranganathan and various officers from General Consultants, M/s AEON Consortium at HK factory in, Ponneri Thaluk, Alinjivakkam village in Thiruvallur District of Chennai.
The phase 2 project is 118.9 kilometers and an ambitious phase with 128 stations divided into three corridors: Corridor-3 starts From Madhavaram to Siruseri -SIPCOT is 45.8 km, whereas Corridor-4 is From Light House to Poonamalee Bypass of 26.1 Km and the Corridor-5 begins From Madhavaram to Sholinganallur of 47 Km. The underground section will split into twin tunnels (UG 01 and UG02) at every 4 Km in both upline and downline tunnels.
For completing 16 Km of tunneling, 4 TBM have been implanted, and the name of the machine is Krishna-2 which is a 6.670 M bore diameter and 110 m long EPB (Earth Pressure Balance) Machine with a weight of 700 MT. The machine will be dismantled in parts and carried to Panagal Park Station, T Nagar.
The TBM will be launched from Panagal Park through Nandanam, which will mine at a maximum depth of 29 m in the Downline of corridor-4 below ground level and by September 2024, it will finally reach Boat Club connecting Kodambakkam Flyover.
MUMBAI (Metro Rail News): The Navi Mumbai Metro (NMM) rail corridor Line 1 is all set to be operational in April 2023 with three coaches initially which can be featured in the smallest trains in the state. It will connect Belapur in North Navi Mumbai to Pendhar in South Navi Mumbai and is assumed to be expanded to six coaches.
The metro between North and South Navi Mumbai covers 11 stations on this line, including Central Park, Panchnand, Pendhar Terminal, Pethapada, Science Park, Sector 7 Belapur, Sector 11 Kharghar, Sector 14 Kharghar, Sector 34 Kharghar, and Utsav Chowk.
The project was started 12 years ago by the former chief minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan at Kharghar. The metro line is about 11.1 Kilometers long. Additionally, the metro has two traction sub-stations named Panchanand, Kharghar along with a depot in Taloja for maintenance purposes. The remaining stations of the metro are in the final stage of construction.
The ticket cost will be from Rs. 10 for a distance of 0-3 kilometres, Rs. 20 for 3-12 kilometres and Rs 30 for 12-18 kilometres. Meanwhile, the ticket price for 18-24 kilometres is Rs 40, and for 24-30 kilometres, Rs. 50 has been set.
The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) hired the Maharashtra Metro Rail Company (Maha Metro) to operate the metro line for a period of ten years. The project is funded from excess internal accruals at a budget of INR 3,063.63 crores, and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for line 4 is on hold while lines 2 and 3 of the metro have been approved and are prepared for the further procedures.
BHUBANESHWAR (Metro Rail News): On 1 April 2023, the chief minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, announced the metro train project on the occasion of Utkal Diwas (the foundation day of Odisha) in the state capital. The rail project connects the biggest cities of the state, including Cuttack, Bhubaneshwar, Puri and Khurda.
The whole initiative for the transformation of the metro project will be done on the 5T principle ( teamwork, technology, transparency, transformation and time limit) followed by the state government. Naveen Patnaik’s vision of a new Odisha and to provide the best class of metro service has been executed and studied by the various stakeholders, and feasibility reports have been prepared and checked by the Odisha chief secretary P K Jena along with the development commissioner Anu Garg, secretary to the Chief Minister, VK Pandian, Usha Padhee, the principal secretary of commerce& transport, housing and urban development and IT secretaries which are entirely funded by the state government.
As per the information, CM Patnaik mentioned that the initiative is done based on the elevated corridor that will help to ease the state’s traffic. It is further informed that the metro will cover approximately 100 Kilometers. During its first phase, the metro service will cover around 20 km of the area from Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar to Trishulia near Cuttack along with major landmarks including Bhubaneswar railway station, Vani Vihar, Jaydev Vihar, Patia, and Nandankanan. Later, the metro phase will connect puri to Cuttack and Bhubaneshwar for the pilgrims to the temple areas.
For its cost-effectiveness, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been requested by the CM Patnaik to Housing and Urban Development, including the land acquisition cost.
