Eight companies bid for Kochi Metro Phase 2’s General Consultant contract

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22/02/2023

KOCHI ( Metro Rail News ): After Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) opened the technical bids, eight companies have submitted their proposals for the General Consultant (GC) contract of Kochi Metro Phase 2.

This pre-construction contract is significant for Phase 2, which includes the
construction of a new 11.2 km elevated corridor, named the Pink Line,
consisting of 11 stations that will connect JLN Stadium, Kakkanad, and Infopark
(Smart City).

KMRL had issued tenders for the GC contract in November 2022, and the selected consultant is expected to work for 1095 days (3 years). Earlier, in 2021, KMRL had attempted to appoint a Project Management Consultant (PMC) but had to cancel the bidding process due to administrative reasons.

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Bengaluru Metro to Expand by 40.15 km in 2023-2024

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Staff Reporter

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22/02/2023

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Bengaluru (Metro Rail News): According to recent announcements by the Karnataka government, the city’s Metro Rail network is set to expand by 40.15 kilometres in the current financial year. The BJP government led by Basavaraj Bommai has announced a sum of Rs 2500 crore in the latest state budget towards the ongoing projects of Namma Metro for the fiscal year 2023-2024. As per the chief minister’s statement to the Assembly, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) is set to launch over 40 km of the new Metro route during this period.

Currently, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Scheme is operational in a network spanning 56 kilometres. Work on the Metro rail scheme that will connect Central Silk Board Junction to Kempegowda International Airport, spanning 58.19 kilometres and featuring 30 stations, is progressing rapidly. As per the budget document, plans are underway to launch a new Metro route covering a length of 40.15 kilometres in the current year. BMRCL has stated that the Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield line, Kengeri to Challaghatta, RV Road to Bommasandra, and Nagasandra to BIEC sections are scheduled to be inaugurated this year.
The KR Puram to Whitefield line is in the final stages of trial runs and is anticipated to be open to the public by the end of March. Additionally, the Purple Line extension from Kengeri to Challaghatta, which has been pending for a long time, is expected to be operational by mid-2023.

Another significant stretch of the Bangalore Metro Rail Scheme’s phase II is the line running from RV Road station to Bommasandra via Jayadeva, Central Silk Board, and Electronics City. Moreover, the Metro route to BIEC is on the verge of completion.

As per the previous budget, the third phase of the Metro network project has been proposed, with a Detailed Project Report submitted to the Central Government for two corridors spanning a total length of 44.65 km and featuring 31 stations. The expected cost for this project is Rs.16,328 crore. The budget document indicates that work on the project will commence once it receives approval from the Government of India.

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Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor: Bullet Train Project Completes 25% of Work

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Staff Reporter

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22/02/2023

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New Delhi (Metro Rail News): The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor, which is India’s first bullet train project, is moving forward rapidly. As of the end of January 2023, the work execution has reached 25% completion, which is slightly behind the 30% target. The total cost incurred for the project so far is Rs 36,722.60 crore, as per the reports. The government has established a goal of commencing trial runs on the Surat-Billimora section in Gujarat by August 2026, with the aim of having the entire stretch between Ahmedabad and Mumbai fully operational by 2027.

According to sources, the construction companies involved in the project, along with the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL), are working to shorten the project timeline.

The railway minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, is keeping a close eye on the project and monitoring its progress closely, according to officials. The Japanese side is also regularly checking in on the project’s development. In fact, a high-level delegation led by the special advisor to the Japanese Prime Minister recently visited the sites to assess the progress made so far.

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Wabtec Delivers 500th Diesel-Electric Locomotive To Indian Railways

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Staff Reporter

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21/02/2023

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BIHAR (Metro Rail News): Indian Railways has received the 500th Evolution Series locomotive from Wabtec Corporation, which is a significant achievement in the $2.5 billion deal made in 2015. The agreement was established under the ‘Make in India’ initiative by the Government of India, as a Public Private Partnership, to design and distribute 1,000 diesel-electric Evolution Series locomotives that are fuel-efficient and comply with emission standards.

According to Dr. Sujatha Narayan, who is the Senior Vice President and India Region Leader of Wabtec Corporation, this accomplishment marks a significant milestone in Wabtec’s growth as a major supplier in India’s rail industry. It also emphasizes the company’s commitment to the ‘Make in India’ initiative. She further adds that this achievement is a testament to the hard work and commitment of Wabtec’s team in India, as well as the support from the community, government, suppliers, and other Wabtec sites worldwide. All of these efforts have placed the company and its customers in an advantageous position for continued success in the region for years to come.

celebrating 500th delivery of locomotive — The Wabtec India Team posing with Indian Railways and Saran District Administration at the factory in Marhowra, Birhar/photo by Aman Gupta

This 500th locomotive is a dual-cab design and a powerful 4,500-horsepower engine. So far, Wabtec has delivered 438 of these locomotives and 62 single-cab locomotives with a remarkable 6,000-horsepower engine to Indian Railways. These locomotives have cutting-edge digital capabilities and use advanced technology to ensure compliance with UIC1 international emission standards and deliver optimal fuel efficiency. The locomotives’ cabs have been thoughtfully designed to provide ergonomic comfort to the pilots with features such as air conditioning, seats, noise reduction, urinals, digital displays and heated windscreens,

Wabtec’s manufacturing plant is located in Marhowra, Bihar. This state-of-the-art plant commenced operations in 2018 and utilizes cutting-edge global lean manufacturing processes to produce locomotives. With a capacity to deliver 120 locomotives per year, this plant has set a new industry standard. Moreover, the plant takes pride in having a diverse and skilled workforce from Bihar and Jharkhand, setting a positive example for the region.

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Sivok-Rangpo Rail line Project achieves Breakthrough in Tunnel-10

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Staff Reporter

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21/02/2023

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Escape Tunnel No. 1 (1144 m) of Main Tunnel T-10 (5300m) gets completed/Image from Ministry of Railways

GANGTOK ( Metro Rail News): On 19th February, another breakthrough was achieved on the longest excavation tunnel of the main T-10 tunnel of the Sivok-Rangpo Rail line Project.

T-10 is the main tunnel with a length of 5300 m, and the evacuation tunnel has a length of 1144m. This tunnel is the longest tunnel in the Sivok-Rangpo Rail project, which is situated between Bhalukhola and Tarkhola in Kalimpong district. The evacuation tunnel joins the central tunnel with the NH-10. In addition, this tunnel passes through challenging and of the lesser Himalayas.

According to the sources, in June 2021, tunnel excavation began. Surprisingly, it was completed in only 1.5 years despite the vulnerable geological conditions, making it one of the project’s significant achievements. Under the project, the new Austrian Tunnelling method was used to counter the vulnerability of the groundmass.

In main tunnel of T-10, around 3320 m of tunnelling has been completed, and 1980 m is yet to be completed. It is likely to be finished by the end of the year.

As per the release, around 70% of project work has been completed, and other activities of the projects ( constructing tunnels, bridges, station yards etc.) are likely to be completed by the end of the year 2024.

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BEML collaborates with DMRC-led SPV for Bahrain Metro Rail Project Phase-1

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Staff Reporter

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21/02/2023

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BEML signs MoU with DMRC-led SPV for Bahrain Metro/Representational image

DELHI (Metro Rail News): Recently, BEML signed the MoU with DMRC-led SPV to construct the Bahrain Metro Rail Project Phase-1. BEML Limited ( earlier known as Bharat Earth Movers Limited) functions in the production of rail coaches, mining equipment, and spare parts for infrastructure, defence, and power rail industries. It is also one of the prominent producers of domestic rolling stock in India.

BEML has been selected to produce and supply Metro Rolling Stock in collaboration with DMRC. Under this partnership, DMRC will provide its expertise in project development, budgeting, and contractual requirements. Meanwhile, BEML will leverage its manufacturing expertise and technological resources to enhance its global presence and streamline the production processes for Metro Rolling Stock used in urban transportation.

BEML Limited operates in three primary business verticals: Defence & Aerospace, Mining & Construction, and Rail & Metro. The company has nine production facilities located in Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), Mysore, Bangalore and Palakkad to support these verticals. Currently, over 87% of the company’s business faces stiff competition from multinational corporations (MNCs), while more than 68% of its products are the result of in-house research and development (R&D).

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Construction of D-wall begins on Kolkata Metro Line-6’s Underground Airport Tunnel

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Staff Reporter

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21/02/2023

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D-wall construction/Photo by Sanjib Nayak

KOLKATA (Metro Rail News): This weekend, Afcons Infrastructure commenced construction on the diaphragm wall (D-wall) for Kolkata Metro Line-6 (Orange Line)’s underground airport tunnel as a component of Package ANVS-RVNL-1682. The northern terminal of Kolkata Metro’s 29.87 km Line-6 ( which connects Kavi Subhash New Garia to Biman Bandar) will be the Airport Station, which will also serve as a stop on the 6.87 km Line-4 (Noapara – Airport). Line-4 will be extended northward to New Barrackpore.

ITD Cementation is currently constructing the station’s box with four lines and a train stabling facility. Afcons has been tasked with constructing an underground cut-and-cover tunnel spanning approximately 950m through the land of the Airports Authority of India.

In January 2021, Afcons was granted the Rs. 532.65 crore civil construction contract for Package ANVS-RVNL-1682, which must be completed within 36 months. This 3.519 km civil package, which is mainly elevated, will connect the Sub CBD-2 Station to Biman Bandar. Under this, two new stations at Chinar Park (formerly Rabindra Tirtha) and VIP Road (Haldiram), as well as underground sections and viaduct, are to be constructed.

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CMRL gets ST Engineering Electronics as the single bidder for platform screen door on line 3 & 5

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Staff Reporter

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21/02/2023

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Chennai Metro/Representational Image — Representational image

CHENNAI (Metro Rail News): On February 18th, 2023, Chennai Metro Rail Limited announced the unveiling of technical bids for the supply contract of platform screen doors (Package ASA12) for Corridor 3 and 5 of Chennai Metro Phase 2.

According to CMRL, only one bid has been submitted by ST Engineering Electronics Ltd, based in Singapore, for the supply and installation of half-height platform screen doors at all elevated stations along Corridor 3 (Madhavaram – SIPCOT,45.813 km) and Corridor 5 (Madhavaram – Sholinganallur, 47 km), both of which are currently under construction in Phase 2.

For Corridor 3 and Corridor 5 of CMRL phase 2, a notice was released in October 2022 for the manufacture, commissioning, supply, testing, design and installation of Platform Screen Door with a completion deadline of 1965 days.

Last year in October, CMRL received four bids for a comparable contract for Corridor 4 of Chennai Metro Phase 2. ST Engineering Electronics Ltd specializes in advanced electronics, infocomm technologies, satellite communications, remote sensing satellites, modelling, simulation, edutainment, cyber security, electro-optics, and telematics sensors.

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Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line Gets Major Upgrade with Rs. 263.44 Crore Contract

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Staff Reporter

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20/02/2023

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DELHI (Metro Rail News): This week, ETA Engineering and Polycab India joint venture secured a contract worth Rs. 263.44 crores to set up electrical and mechanical systems, environment control systems, and tunnel ventilation systems at six underground stations of Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line (Line-8).

As part of Phase 4, Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line is expanding with the Janakpuri West – RK Ashram extension (28.92 km) through a combination of underground tunnels and viaducts. Afcons Infrastructure is constructing six stations as part of Package DE-09 in Civil Package DC-05 at Ghanta Ghar, Derawal Nagar, Pulbangash, Nabi Karim, Sadar Bazar, and Ramakrishna Ashram Marg.

In June 2022, DMRC invited tenders for Contract DE-09, which was funded by the JICA ( Japan International Cooperation Agency ). The contract had a deadline of 1081 days (2.95 years) and an unspecified estimate. In September 2022, technical bids were opened for the contract, followed by the opening of financial bids in January 2023. The final contract value amounts to Rs. 263,44,04,600.65.

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New Delhi Railway Station set for a Rs. 4,700 crore revamp in 3 phases

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Staff Reporter

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20/02/2023

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Proposed Model for redeveloped New Delhi Railway Station/ Image from Twitter, Ministry of Railways

New Delhi (Metro Rail News): New Delhi Railway station is set to undergo a significant renovation, which will be carried out in three phases this year. Initially, the station’s only platform was between Ajmeri Gate and Paharganj. Today, it is recognized as one of the most active stations in the country in terms of passenger movement and train frequency. It has a total of 16 platforms and 18 tracks, with platform 1 situated in Paharganj and platform 16 opening towards Ajmeri Gate.

The New Delhi Railway Station acts as the primary terminal station for numerous rail routes heading towards the East and South. In addition, it is linked to significant railway lines such as the New Delhi-Chennai Main Line, Howrah-Gaya-Delhi Line, New Delhi-Mumbai Main Line, and Delhi-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor.

A railway official has disclosed that a redevelopment plan is scheduled to commence in 2023 after a gap of nearly 15 years. According to this plan, construction work will be carried out on platforms 1-5 during phase-1, on platforms 6-9 during phase-2, and on platforms 10-16 in phase-3. In addition, a senior Railway Board official has stated that the New Delhi Railway Station currently operates 300 passenger trains daily.

In 2022, the Indian government declared that the renovation of the New Delhi Railway Station would be carried out at an expected cost of Rs. 4,700 crore. The Union Cabinet had previously authorized Rs. 10,000 crore to fund the revamp of the railway stations in Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad.

According to the Indian Railways’ plan, the New Delhi Railway Station will feature 40-story twin towers, multi-level car parking, and designated pick-up and drop-off zones, among other amenities, after its redevelopment.

As stated by the government, the Railways will be allocated an area of 45,000 square meters for its office, in addition to the development of 91 bus bays, 1500 ECS parking, and a skywalk for pedestrians and metro commuters.

Based on the model, the office, hotel, and some retail shops will be located in the twin towers. In addition, the station will be designed to reflect both traditional and contemporary Indian culture, giving it a distinct identity. The main complex of the station will cover approximately 222,000 square meters and feature a six-floor building with two large signature domes. The Railways still need to set a specific timeline for this development. In addition, as per the Ministry of Railways’ modernization program, the New Delhi Railway Station and its surrounding areas will be enhanced and equipped with state-of-the-art amenities.

The New Delhi Railway Station redevelopment plan is complete, and the railway authorities are awaiting approval from the Delhi Urban Art Commission. The project is likely to be carried out on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis. However, one obstacle in starting the project is the lack of approval of the Delhi Urban Art Commission for the master plan of the Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA).

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