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Bangalore Metro | Bidders quotes 65-75% higher rates for phase-2 underground metro package

Mamta Shah
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Bangalore Metro | Bidders quotes 65-75% higher rates for phase-2 underground metro package

Bengaluru: It is a very surprising news that four infrastructure firms have emerged as the lowest bidders for the underground package-2 but the total value (if all four bids are added) is about 65% to 75% higher than the estimate of Rs 5,047 crore of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC). Larsen & Toubro, Gulermak, Afcons Infrastructure and Italian-Thai Development have offered a package each on the 14 km (approximate) Dairy Circle-Nagawara underground section of BMRC’s 21-km line-4 (Reach 6) of the 72-km project. Bids for this stretch’s civil works, called in June 2017, were opened on Friday.

According to Raj Kumar Duggar, a Vasant Nagar resident, “The lowest bids received by BMRC amount to Rs 8,553 crore. The amount which will be “lost” if the lowest bids are accepted works out to Rs 3,505 crore. The momentum of “losing” thousands of crores is picking up. Bengalureans were told BMRCL will go to any length to “save” money. Who will answer for the thousands of crores which will be lost now?”

“The process of awarding the project to the bidder is not complete. The bids will now undergo scrutiny by the evaluation committee. Only after that the letter of acceptance will be issued to companies, followed by signing of the agreement. If the bidders, who have quoted the lowest rates get disqualified or if the BMRCL decides not to go with the quotations, they may float tenders again or break the existing project into different packages,” said a BMRC official.
Namma Metro Map
Namma Metro Map (Source: BMRC)
“It’s very easy to say who will answer the cost escalation and all these stuffs. But it is also important to note the delays caused on account of these bureaucratic issues (answering people) delays the projects and as we know time is cost. It will go up only. The only reason for cost escalation is delay on part of BMRC. When tender submitted on June 2017, it took so much time to open with so many employees working??? No efficiency- can we think of this in a private company for just 6000 crore round about order. Now BMRC is thinking of separate packages- why didn’t they thought previously. It’s quite a common problem for project businesses specially if BMRC has integration teams to handle split packages. Problem is we have to give BMRC full powers to decide and act & monitor them on speed; efficiency. We monitor them only by thinking what spokes we should put to ensure no money is lost / frauds only – automatically pushing decision making into back seat. Result- delays, general public harassment. Quite surprising.”, said Sujoy Ghosh, a metro news reader.
The higher quotes by the bidders have raised questions about the source of funds and financial implications pertaining to the project. Initially, the deadline set for Metro Phase 2 was 2020 and later it got revised to 2022.

Maha Metro board gives nod to install PSG and PSD on all metro stations

Mamta Shah
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1
Maha Metro board gives nod to install PSG and PSD on all metro stations

Nagpur: The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) has taken a decision to install platform screen gates (PSGs) at 25 elevated and platform screen doors (PSDs) at five underground Metro rail stations in the city to prevent accidental falls, suicides and homicides.

The installation of PSGs and PSDs will cost an amount nearly Rs 170 crore and the Maha-Metro will manage to raise the money from its approved cost of Rs11,420 crore itself.

The Board of Directors (BoD) took this decision in the meeting held on Friday. According to Managing Director Brijesh Dixit, the provisions for PSGs and PSDs were not made in the detailed project report (DPR) sanctioned on January 9 last year. It was the same case with Nagpur Metro too. We incorporated it later and have ensured that all Metro stations will have PSGs. A similar thing has been done for Pune.

A four-member sub committee comprising Maha-Metro Managing Director Brijesh Dixit, Pune Municipal Commissioner Kunal Kumar, Directors NM Dhoke and Sunil Mathur have approved the proposal for installation of PSGs and PSDs.

According to sub-committee report, “In Delhi Metro, there have been many cases of suicides and even homicides due to pushing. There has been huge pressure on Metro authorities to take mitigation steps. Delhi Metro is retrofitting smaller PSGs on elevated stations in a phased manner. Provisions of PSGs and PSDs have been done in line-7 and 8 that are under construction. Similar initiatives have been taken up in Metro projects at Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Bengaluru that are under construction. The cost of retrofitting PSGs and PSDs is more than what would have been spent during the construction stage. Also, it will prevent from modifications in software, civil and telecom interfaces and obviate discomfort to passengers.”

As per the proposal, PSDs in five underground Metro stations will save power consumption by 22%. Stations where taller PSDs will be provided, there will be power saving in the air-conditioning load by saving outflow of cool air.

At present, the metro trains in Pune Metro is three-car carriage with a proposal to extend it to six.

Union Budget 2018 | Metro rail project allocations hit three-year low

Mamta Shah
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0
Union Budget 2018 | Metro rail project allocations hit three-year low

New Delhi: The government has outlined big plans for metro rail projects in India, but the latest Union Budget does not reflect this.

Allocations made in Union Budget 2018 for the metro rail projects are at a three-year low of Rs 15,000 crore. As per the statistics, in 2016-17 Rs 15,327 crore (actual) was spent on metro projects and Mass Rapid Transit System, the following year in 2017-18 Rs 18,000 crore was allocated and revised estimates remain unchanged.

“Metro Rail Policy, 2017 makes private sector participation mandatory, which is a big change. This change will be a catalyst for creating the right models to attract investment from the private players. This also helps the government in reducing their outlay,” said Rajaji Meshram, Director, Infrastructure, KPMG India.

For example, recently Delhi Metro received bids for rolling stock of 25 trains on a lease basis from manufacturers. Similarly, Kochi Metro wants a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model for ticketing with the participation of banks and financial institutions to invest in an automated fare collection system.

Secondly, a change in the Metro Rail Policy 2017 approved in August states that cities with a population of 20 lakh or more should go for a metro rail system or else look for other alternatives.

The need for a new policy came up after PPP in metro rail projects faced legal tangles such as the ones with Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Ltd and Mumbai Metro One Private Ltd.

“There’s adequate allocations done for different works planned for the next fiscal. Moreover, there are plenty of metro lines scheduled for commissioning in 2018-19, which would obviously need lesser funds towards the fag end of construction, thereby leading to lesser outlay in the Budget,” said an industry insider.

During 2018-19, 190 km of metro rail networks are proposed to be commissioned in Delhi (114 km), Chennai (15.
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50 km), Bengaluru (12.80 km), Ahmedabad (6.30 km), Nagpur (11.70 km) and Noida-Greater Noida (29.70 km).

The Budget has made allocations for metro rail in Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Mumbai, Kochi and Lucknow; a total of 342 km, some of which are scheduled for completion.

As per the allocations, in the next fiscal, additional corridors under Phase-III of Delhi Metro are slated for completion. For Chennai Metro elevated viaduct, station and depot are slated for completion, while the second phase of civil works will commence for all four extensions of Bengaluru Metro.

In Ahmedabad, the test track will be commissioned in 2018-19 from the budgetary allocation. With the monetary assistance from the Budget, Nagpur Metro will complete construction of 2,500 piers, 400 girders, three station buildings, a depot, viaduct construction, testing and commissioning of rolling stock.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation will continue with its civil construction work of its underground line and will commence track work, power supply-overhead equipment systems, rolling stock, signalling-telecommunications and other system works. Similarly, Lucknow Metro will complete its underground line and Pune Metro will go ahead with the civil works.

Delhi Metro | DMRC deploys Ex-servicemen to guard some metro stations

Aradhana Patel
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Delhi Metro | DMRC deploys Ex-servicemen to guard some metro stations

New Delhi: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) deployed nearly 200 Ex-serviceman to watch the security and crowd management at various metro stations of Airport Express Line and the Kashmere Gate to Rajiv Chowk stretch of Delhi Metro’s Yellow Line, one of the busiest sections of the metro network.

DMRC has deployed ex-defense personnel for not only better crowd management and discipline at stations, but also to be on the lookout for suspicious commuters and to prevent suicide attempts.

“Under customer facilitation services, these ex-servicemen provide services at station platforms, automatic fare collection (AFC) gates, circulating areas of station and other locations in and around the station premises, including station access points, galleries, ticketing areas, staircases, escalators etc. Under watch and ward services, they guard the service buildings (ancillary building, DG room, chiller plant, cooling tower), theft prone areas, etc. “A total of 183 personnel have been engaged at these five stations ” said a DMRC spokesperson.

According to DMRC officials, the ex-servicemen are trained to be customer oriented while dealing with commuters and general public. The work profile of the ex-servicemen include overall crowd management, ensuring proper queuing of passengers on the platforms, assistance to differently-able passengers, guiding passengers on their queries related to journey and keeping entry and exits free from encroachment by vendors, vehicles, beggars, etc.

The Army Welfare Placement Organization, a registered society, is facilitating the services of these ex-servicemen to DMRC.

Bangalore Metro | BMRC suffers huge loss due to stolen tokens by commuters

Mamta Shah
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0
Bangalore Metro | BMRC suffers huge loss due to stolen tokens by commuters

Bengaluru: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) is suffering from a loss of Rs 35 lakh due to missing tokens. As per the information revealed via Right to Information, from the starting day of the services to January 1, 2018 the BMRC has witnessed 1.78 lakh cases of stolen tokens causing a loss of Rs 35 lakh to the Company.

To recover the losses, the Metro authorities initially collected a penalty of Rs 50 which was later hiked to Rs 200 in case of loss of token during the journey. So far the authorities have collected Rs 8.62 lakh as penalty from 10,739 passengers who lost tokens during the their journey.

According to the BMRC officials, so far 1,67,320 tokens continue to remain missing. It means that the passengers took extra tokens with them.

Some passengers buy extra tokens. They use one token to get the entry and travel while taking the extra ones with them. Smart card users also purchase tokens.

Loss of tokens in last 6 months:

Period: June 1, 2017 – January 1, 2018
Loss of tokens: 75,096
Loss of amount: Rs. 15,01,920

BMRC bought 1.50 lakh tokens in 2017 at a rate of Rs 18.30 per token and spent a total of Rs. 27.45 lakh.

Metro officials say there has been a significant increase in the sale of travel smart cards since the beginning of the Metro services but majority of the commuters still prefer tokens.

Mini Bullet Train | Bihar Govt. plans to run Mini Bullet Train between Patna and Bodh-Gaya

Mamta Shah
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0
Mini Bullet Train | Bihar Govt. plans to run Mini Bullet Train between Patna and Bodh-Gaya

Patna: The Bihar government has prepared a blueprint to run high-speed train between Patna and Bodh-Gaya, one of the biggest Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the world. The 100 km route between Patna and Bodh-Gaya will pass through Rajgir and Nalanda, CM Nitish Kumar’s Assembly constituency.

Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar will embark on his 4-days visit to Japan on February 18 during which he is likely to sign a deal for a mini-bullet train project.

Sources said that the entire route will be underground. A high-level delegation of Bihar government will also accompany Nitish on the crucial Japan tour to finalise the road map for the project.

Observers believe that Nitish, who is facing relentless attacks from Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ever since he walked out of the Grand Alliance or Mahagathbandhan last year, will use the high-speed train project as his major achievement in the next Assembly election in the state.

Apart from the ambitious project, the Bihar government is also aiming to finalise record number of deals with Japan which will bring huge investments in the state from the foreign country, reports said.

Delhi Metro | DMRC notifies vacancy for Director (Operations) post

Mamta Shah
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1
Delhi Metro | DMRC notifies vacancy for Director (Operations) post

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), a joint venture of Govt. of India and Govt. of NCT of Delhi, has been set up for implementation and operation of rail-based Mass Rapid Transit System in Delhi & NCR. DMRC intends to appoint the following official:-

Post Name: Director (Operations)
Vacancy: 01 (One)
Pay Scale: Rs.75000-100000 (IDA)

Duration of Appointment: The appointment to this post will be on contract basis, presently for a period of 5 years or the date of superannuation, whichever is earlier.

How to apply: Application in the prescribed format (Annexure-I) giving the details about qualification, experience and career achievements should reach to GM/HR (DMRC) positively by 05/03/2018.

Click here to read complete recruitment notification.
Click here to download application form.

Chennai Metro | IGBC gives platinum rating to CMRL’s four under ground stations

Metro Rail News
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Chennai Metro | IGBC gives platinum rating to CMRL’s four under ground stations

Chennai: Indian Green Building Council (IGNC) has given platinum rating to Chennai Metro’s four underground stations operational in Phase-1 for adopting green concepts in design, construction and operation.

The four underground stations are Thirumangalam, Anna Nagar Tower, Anna Nagar East and Shenoy Nagar which have received platinum rating and global leadership recognition from IGBC.

According to a metro official, “We have submitted documents for three other stations and they are under process. The ratings and recognition are given on the eco-friendly features in the stations”.

In last year, thirteen elevated stations — including Little Mount, Guindy, Nanganallur Road, Meenambakkam, Airport, Koyambedu, CMBT, Vadapalani, Alandur and St Thomas Mount — had received the certification. IGBC has a rating system and to achieve it a metro rail project must satisfy certain requirements and achieve maximum number of credit points.
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Kochi Metro | KMRL signs power purchase agreement for 2.3 MWp solar plant

Metro Rail News
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Kochi Metro | KMRL signs power purchase agreement for 2.3 MWp solar plant

Kochi: The Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) on Monday signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with AMP Solar India Private Ltd. The power generated by the plant will be connected to the power distribution system of KMRL.

According to the agreement, AMP Solar India will set up a ground-mounted solar plant on the land available in KMRL’s Muttom depot. The agreement is on condition that KMRL will purchase solar power at the lowest rate quoted by the successful bidder for the next 25 years. The PPA was signed by KMRL Director (Projects) Thiruman Archunan and AMP Solar Director (Distributed Generation) Shriprakash Rai, in the presence of KMRL MD A P M Mohammed Hanish.

“KMRL has always taken the effort to make Kochi metro the most environment-friendly, green metro in the country, and we are committed to taking up all possible measures towards this goal. Today, we are very happy to add 2.3 MWp more by erecting solar panels in the vacant space at our Muttom yard.
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We are on the lookout for opportunities to generate more solar power and become more energy efficient,” said Mohammed Hanish.

The power generated by the plant will be connected to the power distribution system of KMRL, which will utilise the energy generated by the plant. The plant is capable of producing 34.3 lakh units (KWH) of electric energy per year. With this green initiative, KMRL will be able to save about Rs 63 lakh per year of energy cost directly, in addition to the indirect benefit of saving in fossil fuels and reduction in pollution. The plant will be commissioned in nine months.

This would raise the total solar power generated by the Kochi metro rail project to 6.3 MWp. KMRL has adopted the renewable energy service company model for both their solar projects, where the vendor will undertake the complete investment as well as the operation and maintenance, and KMRL will purchase power from the vendor. At present, the Kochi metro rail project has placed solar panels on the rooftop of 16 stations and buildings in the metro yard. The installed capacity of the rooftop project is 4 MWp.

Lucknow Metro | LMRC to run a special drive for metro commuters

Metro Rail News
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Lucknow Metro | LMRC to run a special drive for metro commuters

Lucknow: To promote the usage of the automatic Recharge Card Terminal Machine (RCTM) and the automatic Token Vending Machine (TVM) installed at Metro stations, the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) shall be undertaking a three day “special drive” from 8th February to 10th February 2018 at all the eight operational Metro stations between the Transport Nagar and the Charbagh.

According to press release, during this special drive LMRC shall be selling the single journey travel tokens and recharging the ‘GoSmart’ travel cards for passengers through the automatic Recharge Card Terminal Machine (RCTM) and the automatic Token Vending Machine (TVM) only. All Metro commuters shall be encouraged to purchase the tokens and recharge their smart cards through these terminals during this period.

The Ticket Operating Machine (TOM) meant for manual sale of tokens/smart cards at all Metro stations will be closed throughout the commercial revenue hours during the three day period. As such, there will be no manual sell of tickets through these counters and the Metro commuters will have to purchase the single journey token and recharge their smart card through these automatic machines installed at Metro stations.
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LMRC has deputed sufficient Metro staff and the Customer Relation Assistant (CRA) at the RCTM/TVM at all Metro stations. They will facilitate, guide, educate and help all Metro commuters in getting token or recharging their ‘GoSmart’ card through these terminals.

This drive is being carried out by Lucknow Metro in order to educate and aware the Metro users for inculcating a habit among themselves for using the automatic services for a smarter way of travel in the capital city of Uttar Pradesh.

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