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Maha Metro Celebrates 5th Foundation Day

Narendra Shah
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Maha Metro Celebrates 5th Foundation Day

NAGPUR (Metro Rail News): Maha Metro team has always worked like a family and set new milestones. We have promised to complete the Metro Rail project for the orange city and we are pledged to doing it. The Maha Metro team has performed incredibly in the last five years. And it would continue to put in its best efforts with all sincerity and honesty, said Dr Brijesh Dixit, MD, Maha Metro, today.

Dr Dixit was speaking at the 5th Foundation Day organised at Metro Bhavan, here. Speaking further, he said, Maha Metro’s journey so far has been path-breaking. 

“We have completed 86 % of project work. We have completed 25 km track work in 50 months and have started commercial operations on 2/3rd of total project length,” he said. The organization and its employees have put in their best efforts in making of this project, he added.

Five years ago, the project work started from just one room of Ravi Bhavan, he said and added, that today the Foundation Day event was being held in Maha Metro’s own premises. Maha Metro has always worked as a family. Dr Dixit also had a word of praise for all those who have always supported Maha Metro in its project work and firmly stood by it – directly or indirectly.

In his introductory remarks, Shri S Sivamathan, Director (Finance), said that Maha Metro has scaled new heights in just 5 years. This has been possible because of the dynamic leadership of MD Dr Dixit, he said. Maha Metro has also earned a lot through the innovative concept of Non-Fare Box Revenue.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Devendra Ramtekkar, ED (Reach-I) said, that executing civil work of Sitabuldi Interchange was not just difficult but was equally challenging task. The span erection was done without causing much discomfort to the people. The task was executed despite many challenges.

In his speech, Shri Sudhakar Urade, GM (O&M) spoke about the technical challenges faced during starting of commercial services on Aqua Line between Lokmanya Nagar Metro Station and Sitabuldi Interchange. This has been a great learning process for our entire team, he said.

Metro Mitra Shri Mayuresh Gokhale, spoke of the initial doubts about the project that the people had. However, that apprehension has now been replaced by love and appreciation for the project, he said. Another Metro Mitra Shri Akash Likhare spoke about the expectations of the people form the people and how the same have been fulfilled by Maha Metro.

Earlier, Dr Dixit, Shri Mahesh Kumar, Director (Project), Shri Sunil Mathur, Director (Rolling Stock and System) and Shri Sivamathan lit the traditional lamp. Shri Anil Kokate, Executive Director (Administration) proposed the vote of thanks, while Ms Renuka Deshkar conducted the proceedings. A short film depicting 5 years of progress of Maha Metro was also shown on the occasion.

MMRCL to monetise 1.5 lakh sq.ft space at metro 3 stations

Neha Singh
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MMRCL to monetise 1.5 lakh sq.ft space at metro 3 stations

MUMBAI (Metro Rail News): The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited has set to lease 1.5 lakh sq.ft of space across Metro 3 stations as part of its initiatives to generate non-fare revenue. The corporation recently revealed interest in the effort and hopes to make around Rs 20 to Rs 25 crores/annum from the same, once the line is operational.

The retail spaces for the initiative have been divided into two sections — large format retail and kiosk-based retail. Where almost all stations will have space carved out for the latter, MMRCL has large contiguous areas ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 sq.ft. at four stations i.e. Cuffe Parade, Siddhivinayak, Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Terminal 2.

Around 1.17 lakh sq.ft. is covered under large format retail, with the largest continuous area at Siddhivinayak and Terminal 2, 31,000 sq.ft. of the area each at the mezzanine level in the former and the concourse in the latter. Cuffe Parade has the most space, almost 37,000 sq.ft., shared between 24,000 sq.ft. in the mezzanine level and 13,000 sq.ft. at the concourse, that can be leased.

“The space available can be accessed by both passengers and non-passengers alike. So we are looking at food courts, supermarkets, salons, bank branches and pharmacies that can be set-up in the area,” an MMRCL spokesperson said.

Under the kiosk-based retail segment, confined space has been carved in the non-ticketing area of other stations. The areas would usually range among 300 to 1,000 sq.ft. and will primarily cater to the passengers’ requirements. The space mix being explored includes food stalls and kiosks, travel retail stores like the 7-Eleven formats, ATMs and vending machines, among others.

Shadab Siddiqui of Auctus Advisors, who is providing consultancy to MMRCL for these proposals, said recently there was no format of ‘transit retail’ in the larger retail space.

He further said that transit retail has grab and go product assortment for people with low dwell time. This covers ready-to-eat packed meals, packed sandwiches, newspaper and magazines, coffee vending machines and more. These are low-involvement products with high trading velocities.

Delhi to Mumbai in just 80 minutes

Neha Singh
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1
Delhi to Mumbai in just 80 minutes

NEW DELHI (Metro Rail News): British business tycoon Richard Branson-owned Virgin Group reaches to Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari with a proposal to establish a hyperloop transportation between Delhi to Mumbai after the Maharashtra govt determined to shelve the company’s proposed Mumbai-Pune Hyperloop project in the state last month.

According to a source it stated that Richard Branson had approached Gadkari who is well known for his honesty to raising new technologies, to develop a 1,300 km line between the Delhi-Mumbai. Virgin Group executives are in India for the next couple of days and are meeting many stakeholders for the Hyperloop technology, the person said.

Hyperloop use magnets to levitate pods inside an airless tube, creating conditions in which the pods can shuttle people and freight at speeds of up to 1,200 kmph.

“Senior executives from the Virgin Group have met the transport minister to discuss this,” the person cited earlier told. 

“The talks are at a very preliminary stage, and they may submit a formal proposal to Gadkari.”

Gadkari also indicated while speaking at a public event on Thursday that he had met investors earlier in the day and explained a bullet train-like project.

Earlier Virgin Hyperloop proposed Pune-Mumbai link project was approved by the BJP govt in the state last year. The first phase of the plan entailed around 11.8 km long track. The project would have needed up to $10 billion in investment and up in 2.5 yrs to be finished. Last month, the Uddhav Thackeray-led state govt decided against implementing it amid doubts about its capsule technology, which is not yet operational anywhere in the world.

“We cannot experiment with hyperloop. We will concentrate on other modes of transport and, in the meantime, if that technology develops more with successful trials abroad, we can think about it,” Maharashtra’s deputy CM Ajit Pawar had told in a recent statement.

An official said it could be visibly challenging to develop a 1,300 km long track at this point when not even 1 km work is operational anyplace in the world. Richard Branson’s diversified conglomerate Virgin Group has interests in aviation, hospitality, music, telecom and space travel.

Giving feedback on the development, Virgin Hyperloop a spokesperson said “Virgin Hyperloop One is committed to India and the State of Maharashtra. We are actively engaging with the Maharashtra Government as per the standard due process for the Mumbai-Pune hyperloop project. When we came to India, we had the vision to connect all Tier One cities in under 2 hours. Delhi-Mumbai is a part of that national vision, but our focus on moving forward with the Mumbai-Pune project to the satisfaction of all concerned stakeholders.”

Dedicated to free metro rides for women: APP 3.0

Neha Singh
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Dedicated to free metro rides for women: APP 3.0

New Delhi (Metro Rail News): The Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said the Aam Aadmi Party will remain committed to his promise, the free metro scheme for the Delhi women. Speaking to Agency, Gahlot said the Delhi govt will pursue the Central government for the implementation of the scheme.

“We are dedicated to all our promises. The government has also started working. We will be pursuing the Centre to allow us to implement the scheme. We will bear the cost burden of the scheme. We will be paying the amount to the Delhi Metro,” Gahlot said

Last year on June 3, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had made an announcement that women can “enjoy free rides on public transport” in the national capital, including the Metro and DTC buses. Where the Aam Aadmi Party carried out the free ride scheme for women in the DTC and cluster Delhi buses in October, the same scheme for Delhi Metro is yet to take place.

The Delhi and the Central both governments fairly own the DMRC and for any decision, the two need to be on the same page. Delhi went to polls this month and the AAP was reappointment. The Cabinet Ministers remained the same with minor changes in the portfolios.

Gahlot remains to have the Transport Department in the new government. He told his party received a clear mandate as the party had served for the people in the previous five years.

“We have been loved by the people for our work. This was the first election where voters were given for work. We have started the work already and the focus will be on the promises we have made in the elections,” the Minister and the MLA from the Najafgarh Assembly constituency said.

Kailash Gahlot has set a new record by being elected again for the seat. Najafgarh Assembly constituency, having a sizable population of farmers and traders, had never repeated an MLA before.

MMRCL completes 76 % tunnelling work of Mumbai Metro-3

Neha Singh
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MMRCL completes 76 % tunnelling work of Mumbai Metro-3

MUMBAI (Metro Rail News): City first underground metro rail has been finished 76 percent of tunnelling work on Monday. 

The construction of Metro-3 project has picked up the pace, and Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited has completed 76 per cent of the tunnelling for Colaba-Bandra-SPEEZ route, along with this, the MMRCL has also completed 100 per cent of its 5318 sqm concourse slab of Vidhan Bhavan station.

The Mumbai Metro-3 project addressed on Twitter: “We cross yet another milestone along the way. #Metro3 #VidhanBhavan station completes 100% of its 5318 sqm concourse slab,” On Monday.

The metro corporation has also completed the tunnelling of 13 stations out of the 26 recommended stations. On the other side, 17 TBMs that have been deployed have attained 25 breakthroughs out of the total 32.

Last year in December, the MMRCL had built 40 km of tunnelling work. Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation, which is implementing the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz corridor, on December 27 had stated that 100 per cent tunnelling work of the project would be made by next year September.

The Mumbai Metro-3 project that is worth Rs 30,000 crore will connect Cuffe Parade business district in the extreme south of the city to SEEPZ in the north-central with 26 underground and one at-grade station.

12-km stretch of Pune Metro to be completed by March 2020

Neha Singh
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12-km stretch of Pune Metro to be completed by March 2020

PUNE (Metro Rail News): The Union Environment Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar reviewed the progress of Pune Metro Rail Project, on Friday announced the two stretches of Pune Metro’s Pimpri-Chinchwad to Swargate line would start functioning by March 2020.

He added that all three metro routes in Pune would become functional by 2022.

At the same time, he announced a project by the Pune Municipal Corporation to handle the river pollution, financed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Along with this, any village having a population of more than 3,000 will have to set up waste management units.

Prakash Javadekar was in the city for a meeting with the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee. The meeting was participated by MPs Girish Bapat, Supriya Sule and Amol Kolhe with officials from various govt agencies. Throughout the meeting, all major ongoing projects in the city were taken for a review.

Talking to media after the meeting, Javadekar stated, “We have taken a review of the metro work. As per the details, the work. As per the circumstances, the work between Phugewadi and Sant Tukaram Nagar will be finished by March 2020. after that, the metro on this corridor will become operational. apart from this, we have also asked the officials to start the work on Hinjewadi metro stretch. All three Pune metro corridor will be operational by 2022. The demand for other routes is also releasing. So, we have asked to begin master planning for this as well.

Maha Dy CM wants two-tier flyovers on Pune Metro Corridor

Neha Singh
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1
Maha Dy CM wants two-tier flyovers on Pune Metro Corridor

PUNE (Metro Rail News): Maharastra CM Ajit Pawar has directed Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (PMRDA) to search the possibility of two-tier flyovers, comprising a vehicular thoroughfare and a metro flyover- at three key junctions in the city.

PMRDA is developing the Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar corridor of the Pune Metro project. If executed, the proposal would entail the demolition of the current flyovers at University Chowk, E-Square Chowk and RBI Chowk.

The proposal calls for the flyover and the Metro flyover to come upon the same existing pillars, along with the lines of the double-decker flyover moving up at Nal Stop on Karve Road. Yet, the authorities had deemed the possibility of maintaining the current University flyover and construct the elevated Metro rail line over it.

Sources in the state govt said that with the 2022 deadline for all the Metro lines to become operational, Pawar’s fresh directive could cause a delay and also increase the project cost by over Rs 600 crore. “These flyovers were constructed between 2007-10. Their demolition would put a huge burden on the state exchequer,” a senior govt official said.

According to the agreement between the project executor and PMRDA signed last September, The date for the financial closure of the project was March-end, within three years of which the project must be completed.

“Demolishing the flyover and re-constructing a two-tier structure would extend the operational period by two more years. This would be a violation of the agreement,” a source said.

Meanwhile, transport experts from the city have opposed the Metro lines with flyovers. “Why to give the option of taking out one’s private vehicle when there is a Metro line on the same route?” one expert said.

New line’s report submitted by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) the initial project report for the proposed 18 kilometres elevated Shivajinagar-Shewalwadi Metro corridor. PMRDA officials stated DMRC would soon prepare the detailed project report (DPR).
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HS2 line to be built in five years at the lowest cost, China tells the UK

Neha Singh
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HS2 line to be built in five years at the lowest cost, China tells the UK

CHINA (Metro Rail News): The UK is considering giving China’s state-owned railway builder a duty in building the HS2 rail line. Govt officials said “preliminary discussions” had taken place, but no “concrete commitments” had been made.

The Chinese railway firm stated that could build the line in five years and at a much lower cost, according to the letter seen by Building magazine. But Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat warned letting CRCC build HS2 would be “extremely questionable”.

Earpreviously this week, PM Boris Johnson divided opinion by approving the scheme. The decision came despite an official review that stated expenses could touch over £100bn, well over the £62bn budget.

However, the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) has written a letter to High-Speed 2 chief executive claiming they could build the line for much less. It also said it could complete it by 2025 instead of the current 2035 target.

As per the Financial Times, who have also gone through the letter from the CRCC, the firm told: “We are certain that we can offer a cost that is significantly lower than the projections we have seen.

“The advantages are too great, in our opinion, too great to dismiss on the basis that there are obstacles to overcome.

“You will find that the Chinese way is to seek solutions, not linger on obstacles and difficulties.”

The China Railway Construction Corporation built most of China’s 15,500-mile high-speed network.

There are questions whether the company could operate to the same grade in the UK with the democracy and property rights, protected landscapes, lobbying groups and other obstacles it may face

A Dept for Transport official stated: “The DFT is always keen to learn from the experience of others and to consider approaches that offer value for money to the taxpayer.”

Bombardier agrees to sell rail business to Alstom in $8.2 billion

Narendra Shah
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Bombardier agrees to sell rail business to Alstom in $8.2 billion

Montreal, Canada (Metro Rail News): Canada’s Bombardier has struck a deal to sell its rail business unit to French train giant Alstom SA, as it focuses more attention on its aviation business and pays down debt.

On February 17, 2020, Alstom announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bombardier and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Quebec’s pension fund manager (major shareholder)

Under the deal, Bombardier’s transportation unit to sold Alstom in the US $8.2 billion.

“I’m very proud to say the purchase of Bombardier Transportation, which is a unique opportunity to increase our global position on the booming mobility business,” said Alstom CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge

As part of the deal, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec — the province’s pension fund manager is also becoming the Alstom’s largest shareholder with an 18 % stake in the company.

The Caisse’s stake in Bombardier Transportation will turn into shares in Alstom. It would have two representatives to sit on Alstom’s Board of Directors, and it will also appoint a board observer.

Caisse CEO Charles Emond said that the transaction will provide possibilities to grow and develop expertise in Quebec.

The transaction, if accepted by European regulators, could mean up to $4.5 billion in net revenue for Bombardier, which is predicted $9.3 billion US of debt, most of that owed by 2025.

But before the deal with Bombardier is finalised, EU competition regulators will have to sign off, which isn’t likely to happen before the first half of 2021.

In 2019, European regulators blocked a proposed merger between Alstom and German industrial conglomerate Siemens AG train division, arguing the proposed tie-up would result in higher price tags on signalling systems and bullet trains.

The sale of the transportation unit leaves Bombardier, a once stretch company involved in everything from snowmobiles to real-estate finance with only its business jet unit. 

“Going forward, we will focus all our capital, energy and resources on accelerating growth and driving margin expansion in our market-leading US$7 billion business aircraft franchise,” said CEO Alain Bellemare.

Bombardier Transportation’s main office is based in Germany and their Quebec operations employ about 1,000 labourers at the La Pocatière plant in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, along with in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, in the southern suburbs of Montreal, Canada.

Politically sensitive deal

The breakdown of Bombardier and the sale of its transportation Business to Alstom SA is a French multinational company, is politically sensitive in Quebec, where the company has been held up as a local success story.

Bombardier transportation division’s get its first contract in 1974 to build subway cars for the Montreal Metro that began Bombardier’s expansion beyond the niche market of snowmobiles and other recreational vehicles.

What will happen to Bombardier jobs?

Bombardier Transportation jobs outside Quebec is less clear after the February 17, 2020 deal. The Rail business unit employs 3,500 people across the country, including several hundred in Thunder Bay and Mississauga, Ont.

The Bombardier deal will also allow Alstom to gain a bigger footprint in the North American market, as well as eastern Europe and Mexico.

Alstom is forecasting the market for rail and rail systems will expand 3% to 5% annually until 2025 with demand for high-efficiency, low-carbon transit from cities set to grow,

Alstom was looking to make a major acquisition in order to fend off its main rival, Chinese state-owned largest rolling stock manufacturer in the world.

The downfall of Bombardier Transportation 

Although the Bombardier’s Rail manufacturing business unit has remained to bring clients, it became in recent years exhaustion on the company’s cash flow as well as its reputation.  

The company frequently missed delivery targets for an order of 204 streetcars in Toronto, prompting the city to sue Bombardier in 2015.

More recently, Bombardier Transportation incurred hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties for missing delivery targets in the United Kingdom and Germany.

Last month, when New York City had to pull 300 new Bombardier cars because of mechanical problems, City Comptroller Scott Stringer blamed the company of having sold them “lemons.”

Quebec, France welcome deal

The Quebec government described Monday’s deal as a second-best outcome. Alstom has agreed to open a North American headquarters in Montreal and also promised to open a design centre in the province.

Premier François Legault said he expected Alstom would use the Bombardier plants in Quebec, which employ around 1,500 people, to build vehicles for the North American market. 

“I definitely would have preferred for things to end differently for Bombardier, because this company has occupied, and will continue to occupy, an important place in the Quebec economy,” Legault said in a statement.

“Yes, Bombardier Transportation becomes a French company, but with this acquisition, Alstom will be anchored in Quebec.”

PM Modi flags off Kashi Mahakal Express

Neha Singh
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PM Modi flags off Kashi Mahakal Express

VARANASI (Metro Rail News): PM Narendra Modi flags off the third private train operated by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation between parliamentary constituency Varanasi and Madhya Pradesh’s Indore on Sunday afternoon. The new train Kashi Mahakal Express will connect three places which are — Jyotirlinga-Omkareshwar (near Indore in Madhya Pradesh), Mahakaleshwar (Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh) along with Kashi Vishwanath (Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh).

Modi flags off the third IRCTC operated train Kashi Mahakal Express by video conferencing from Varanasi, whereas he is all set to launch another 36 projects worth Rs 1,057 crores.

The Prime Minister is on a day visit to his parliamentary constituency. Earlier, the IRCTC has already launched two Tejas Express trains on New Delhi-Lucknow and Mumbai-Ahmedabad routes.

The Director of IRCTC, Rajani Hasija, told IANS a third private train will also connect industrial and educative hub of Indoor and Bhopal, the capital of MP. She stated the train will start their commercial run from February 20.

“The Kashi Mahakal Express will operate three days in a week and it will be a bi-weekly service through the Sultanpur-Lucknow route and a weekly service via the Prayagraj route,” said Hasija.

Developing on the two directions from which the train will cross every week, she said, “Once the new train starts its regular run from this week, the Varanasi-Indore Kashi Mahakal Express will depart from Varanasi at 2.45 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday to reach Indore at 9.40 a.m. on Wednesday and Friday.

So, the train will start from Indore at 10.55 am every Wednesday and Friday and will arrive Varanasi next morning at 06.00 am. This train will have stoppages at Ujjain, Sant Hirdaram Nagar, Bina, Jhansi, Kanpur and Sultanpur stations in both areas.

Meanwhile, Kashi Mahakal Express will be a weekly service through Prayagraj route.

She added, “Varanasi-Indore Kashi Mahakal Express will depart from Varanasi at 3.15 pm every Sunday to reach Indore at 9.40 am the next day. Indore-Varanasi Express will depart from Indore at 10.55 am every Monday and reach Varanasi at 5 am the next day.

“This train will halt at Ujjain, Sant Hirdaram Nagar, Bina, Jhansi, Kanpur and Allahabad stations in both directions,” she said.

While telling the fares of the Kashi Mahakal Express, Hasija said, “Kashi Mahakal Express will follow a dynamic fare structure like the other two Tejas Express trains.” A one-way journey from Varanasi to Indore in Kashi Mahakal Express will cost Rs 1,951 including of four meals.

As per the IRCTC officials, Indore-Varanasi Kashi Mahakal Express will be the first private train that will run overnight and for a comfortable long-distance journey, the train will feature a host of facilities. IRCTC will serve vegetarian food, housekeeping services, on-board security services and bedrolls. The IRCTC officials told that passengers will also get complimentary insurance of Rs 10 lakh.

It has an advance reservation period of 120 days and will only have the general and foreign tourist quotas. The current booking will be available to the passengers on the platform itself after making of the first chart, four hours to five minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.

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