Home Blog Page 809

Ahmedabad Metro | MEGA to adopt the technology of ‘driverless’ trains

Metro Rail News
-
0
Ahmedabad Metro | MEGA to adopt the technology of ‘driverless’ trains

Ahmedabad: After Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru, Gujarat’s Ahmedabad is all set to get its own metro transport network. Called MEGA (Metro-Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad) the construction work for the phase-I route is in full progress and operations are slated to begin by end of 2018. Not only that, Ahmedabad Metro plans to take a leaf out of Delhi Metro’s book, and adopt the technology of ‘driverless’ trains!

We take a look at some salient facts about this upcoming metro project:-

  • The Phase-I of Ahmedabad Metro was sanctioned by the Central government in 2014 and spans a length of over 39 kilometres. Of the 39.2 kilometres stretch, 6.335 km will be underground, while the rest will be elevated.
  • The Ahmedabad Metro aims to connect the four corners of the city with two corridors – North-South and East West. In all there will be 32 stations.
  • The 18.5 km long North-South Corridor will have 15 stations; APMC, Jivraj Park, Rajiv Nagar, Shreyas, Paldi, Gandhigram, Old High Court interchange, Usmanpura, Vijay Nagar, Vadaj, Ranip, Sabarmari Railway station, AEC, Sabarmati and Motera Stadium. This corridor will be completely elevated.
  • The 20.7 km East-West Corridor will have 17 stations; Vastral Gaam, Nirant Cross Road, Vastral, Rabari Colony, Amraiwadi, Apparel Park, Kankaria East, Kalupur Railway Station, Ghee Kanta, Shahpur, Old High Court interchange, Stadium, Commerce Six Road, Gujarat University, Gurukul Road, Doordarshan Kendra, Thaltej, Thaltej Gaam. Four stations out of 17 will be underground.
  • The project is being made by part funding from the Central government, state government and a soft loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Incidentally, Ahmedabad Metro is said to be a pet project of Narendra Modi and was conceptualised when he was the Gujarat Chief Minister.
  • The 6.5 km stretch from Vastral to Apparel Park is being treated as a priority corridor and is likely to become operational first.

As for the technology of using driverless trains, an official of MEGA told Media that initially attendants would be employed to make sure that no untoward incident takes place. While most of the operation will be automated, this attendant would intervene manually as and when required, the official said.

East-West Metro | JICA approves Rs 800 crore for the 1.878km extra length of the corridor

Metro Rail News
-
0
East-West Metro | JICA approves Rs 800 crore for the 1.878km extra length of the corridor

Kolkata: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the funding agency of the East-West Metro project, has approved Rs 800 crore for the 1.878km extra length of the corridor on its realigned route.

The latest decision is a marked deviation from JICA’s earlier stand, when the agency had raised serious doubt over the viability of the project that got mired in realignment knot. With multiple government agencies working together to remove the stumbling blocks, Jica then carried out a study to ascertain the viability of the new route. It was very satisfied with the cost-benefit analysis that promised a much higher ridership than that of earlier alignment.

According to the previous alignment, the corridor was supposed run through Bowbazar. But now, the alignment will move via Esplanade. The change in route, along with delay in implementation, has pushed up the project cost to 8,996 crore from Rs 4,874 crore.

When the project had kicked off, JICA’s share — 46% of the total cost — came to around Rs 2,253 crore. But now, the agency will shell out around Rs 4,138 crore for the project.

In 2015, the state government had engaged RITES to carry out a study on the realignment. The Railways had approved the new route in 2016. The project gained momentum thereafter, with the Railways allocating handsomely to East-West Metro in the Union Budget.

Meanwhile, Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) has awarded the Rs 484-crore contract to Afcons for constructing the 700metre stretch between Makakaran and Esplanade. The TBMs, which are currently moving below Brabourne Road, will now go upto the Esplanade shaft.

Kochi Metro | KMRL completes signal trial run in the second reach

Metro Rail News
-
0
Kochi Metro | KMRL completes signal trial run in the second reach

Kochi: With the integrated trial run of the Kochi Metro using the signalling and communication system in the second reach up to Maharaja’s being successfully completed, the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) authorities are waiting for the inspection by the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS). The CMRS will inspect the stretch by the third of week of this month, it is expected.

“The testing of the signalling and communication system which began on August 26 has been successfully completed on September 7. The remaining finishing works of the station construction are progressing at a fast pace,” said a top official with KMRL. As the integrated trial run has been completed, the normal time schedule of the Metro service along the Aluva – Palarivattom route has been restored. The timings of the service was changed to facilitate the trial run.

KMRL had started the trial run along the second reach with a focus on coaches, tracks and the third rail traction in July which was followed by signalling and communication testing. The Metro authorities are planning to open the stretch for traffic before the FIFA Under-17 World Cup matches scheduled from October 6. KMRL expects a significant increase in the number of regular passengers once the stretch is opened and the Metro agency has plans to introduce special packages and revisions in ticket fares.

Hyperloop Technology | HTT to launch India’s first Hyperloop train in Andhra Pradesh

Metro Rail News
-
1
Hyperloop Technology | HTT to launch India’s first Hyperloop train in Andhra Pradesh

Los Angeles: In a press release Hyperloop Transportation Technologies announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) on 6th September 2017, to facilitate the development of HTT’s Hyperloop Transportation System.

The proposed route for the Hyperloop is between the city centers of Vijaywada and Amaravati, potentially turning a trip of more than one hour into a 6 minute ride. The project will use a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model with funding primarily from private investors.hra

“We are extremely delighted to have entered into a MoU with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to bring the HTT Hyperloop to India,” said Mr. Bibop Gresta, Chairman & Co-founder, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. “In partnering with Andhra Pradesh, HTT will work with local stakeholders to build the regulatory standards necessary for safe and efficient operation.”

During Phase 1 of the project, HTT will conduct a six-month feasibility study commencing in October. Working with partners in the public and private sector, HTT will analyze the surrounding cityscapes to create the best route between the two cities while identifying all pertinent stakeholders in the region. After conducting the initial six-month feasibility study, Phase 2 of the project will construct and build HTT’s first Hyperloop in India.

Mr. Krishna Kishore, Chief Executive Officer, APEDB said, “Amaravati is a state-of-the-art city being developed in Andhra Pradesh as its de facto capital. In order to boost its image and emerge as the frontier city in future technology, Amaravati is looking forward to collaborating with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. Hyperloop is a cutting-edge technological disruption in the transportation industry.”

Discussing the added benefits of establishing an ultra-high speed connection between the cities, Mr. Kishore added, “Like most of the world-changing technological advancements, HTT aims at collaborating with Government of Andhra Pradesh to foster research and development, in order to bring affordable and low-cost technologies for the masses. This will eventually lead to improved standards of living in the region. The EDB along with Government of Andhra Pradesh will assist Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Inc. (HTT) with all regulatory requirements to develop and implement Hyperloop.”

The State of Andhra Pradesh is the seventh largest in India with a population of over 50 million people. Connecting these emerging development regions with ultra-high speed transportation will establish this region as a leader in technological innovation and sustainable development.

What is the hyperloop?

Hyperloop Technology
Hyperloop Technology

Hyperloop is a radical, yet untested means of travel proposed by maverick entrepreneur Elon Musk. It involves travelling in pods through a sealed pipe at speeds that could touch 1,200km/hr, making it faster than a jet aircraft. These speeds will be possible due to a largely frictionless environment, minus any physical contact or air resistance.

Tests are already underway in several parts of the world. Musk claims he has an approval to build a New York City–Washington DC hyperloop that will cut a five-hour drive to just 29 minutes!

In India, Musk’s HTT isn’t the only startup in the fray. Earlier this year, another company called Hyperloop One identified five routes for its India debut. On its list are:

  • Bengaluru-to-Chennai: 334km in 20 minutes
  • Bengaluru-to-Thiruvananthapuram: 736km in 41 minutes
  • Delhi-to-Mumbai via Jaipur and Indore: 1,317km in 55 minutes
  • Mumbai-to-Chennai via Bengaluru: 1,102km 50 minutes
  • Bengaluru to Chennai: 334km in 20 minutes

Lucknow Metro | LMRC launches free wi-fi facility to GoSmart Card users

Metro Rail News
-
1
Lucknow Metro | LMRC launches free wi-fi facility to GoSmart Card users

Lucknow: In order to provide a push to government’s ‘Digital India’ campaign, Lucknow Metro has started providing free Wi-Fi facility to its ‘GoSmart’ card users at all its operational Metro stations. The facility will be available for the GoSmart card holders who register their card on Lucknow Metro’s website.

This free Wi-Fi service can be availed upon registering the GoSmart card at www.lmrcl.com. The passenger will have to provide basic information like Name, Mobile Number, Occupation and E-mail ID while registering the card.

After registering the card, the commuters will have to tap the GoSmart card on the marked card readers in the paid area of the Station. Upon tapping the card at the card readers, the passenger will receive a One-Time-Password (OTP) on their registered mobile number. This OTP can be used to sign in to the free Wi-Fi network.

The free internet facility (free Wi-Fi) can be used in the paid area of the stations i.e. at the concourse level and at the platform level of the station. This free service will be available for 30 minutes session initially. Free Wi-Fi means free internet usage through mobile, laptop, tablet etc. and implies saving money to the common people. Those who need internet connectivity but can’t afford will be at advantage in the Metro system by using the free Wi-Fi.

Students and youth can benefit largely from Free Wi-Fi. They can refer to e-books and online learning methods while travelling. With advent of several online shopping sites and a surge in online booking of trains, flights, movie tickets etc., this advantage can be used at maximum by the Metro travellers.

For providing this facility to all ‘GoSmart’ users, Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) has tied up with M/s Sikka Broadband Pvt Ltd. Sikka Broadband Pvt Ltd. (formerly known as Gomti Cables Network) is a Government of India licensed ISP (Internet Service Provider) and is already providing a host of Internet services to the citizen of Uttar Pradesh.

Go smartcard Images
Lucknow Metro “GoSmart” Card

Shri Kumar Keshav, Managing Director/LMRC said “GoSmart cards provide an excellent facility of free W-Fi at Metro stations in addition to 10% discount on each journey.” He, therefore, requested Metro commuters to purchase and use GoSmart cards more and more for saving their time and ease in commuting frequently.

Shri Tony Sikka, Managing Director, M/s Sikka Broadband Pvt Ltd. also expressed his happiness and said “We are delighted to be associated with Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) in this digital campaign of the government”.

Hyderabad Metro | Telangana CM invites PM Modi to inaugurate metro rail service

Metro Rail News
-
0
Hyderabad Metro | Telangana CM invites PM Modi to inaugurate metro rail service

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the ₹15,000-crore Hyderabad metro rail project during his visit here in November.

Mentioning his personal invitation to Modi made earlier in June in New Delhi, the Chief Minister requested the PM to inaugurate the Hyderabad metro rail project (Phase-I) in November 2017.

In the letter addressed to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister tweeted that the first phase of the project will be ready in November, and that during Modi’s visit to Hyderabad during the Global Entrepreneurship Summit as Chief Guest, the phase one could be inaugurated.

Project in progress

The Chief Minister informed that the 72-km, ₹15,000-crore Hyderabad metro rail project is the biggest public private partnership venture to date. The 13-km Miyapur-Ameerpet line and 17-km Ameerpet Nagole line have conducted trial runs and obtained safety permissions. Meanwhile, work on the metro rail has gathered pace with round-the-clock activity in some segments. While most of the major links have been completed, including rail over bridges, some interconnection points and stations are at advanced stages.

The rail project, undertaken by construction major L&T, is being developed across three corridors.

Delhi Metro | DMRC’s Phase IV project unlikely to be funded by JICA

Metro Rail News
-
0
Delhi Metro | DMRC’s Phase IV project unlikely to be funded by JICA

New Delhi: The phase IV metro project of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will, in all likelihood, not be funded by Japan.

“Delhi will soon have a metro network that is longer than Tokyo,” said a senior official of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency. “It doesn’t make sense for us to keep funding metro projects in India.”

When Delhi Metro’s Phase-III is launched in stages over the next few months, the national capital region will have a metro network spanning over 330km. The combined length of Tokyo’s metro lines is 195km.

“We also need a very good reason to continue to support,” the JICA official said, who chose not to be named.

“When Delhi Metro began in the 1990s, the technology was nascent and support was required.

But Japan is no longer able to aggressively involve itself in metro projects. However, the extension of existing lines in Mumbai and Chennai are under active discussion.”

“We have an annual funding limit and the money should be spent on prioritised areas,” the official added.

Nine Indian cities currently have a metro network, with Lucknow joining the list recently.

Following the launch, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath proposed to set up a UP Metro Rail Corporation to oversee metro construction in a string of new cities – Agra, Kanpur, Allahabad, and Varanasi.

Earlier in the year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said 50 Indian cities are ready for a metro network.

India’s metro rail expansion over the last two decades has, for the most part, been financed through soft loans from Japan.

In the case of Delhi, the share of Japanese assistance as a percentage of the total project cost has come down from 60% in Phase-I to 48.5% in the ongoing Phase-III.

Delhi Metro spokesperson Anuj Dayal said that a final approval for 104-km long Phase-IV of the project is pending with the ministry of urban development. “Funding call will be taken after the approval,” he said.

With the union government recently releasing a metro rail policy, which puts heavy emphasis on city’s finding private funders of their own – if 50 Indian cities want a metro network, they may have to start figuring out how to pay for it.

“Apart from central government sources or cheap foreign loans, I don’t see money coming from other sources,” said M. Ramachandran, former secretary of the ministry of urban development. “If cities go to the market, loans would come at a steep interest rate. That would make the eventual fares too expensive and no one would use the system.”

Coimbatore Metro | German agency KfW to fund 12.5m euros for Metro Rail feasibility study

Metro Rail News
-
0
Coimbatore Metro | German agency KfW to fund 12.5m euros for Metro Rail feasibility study

Chennai: Coimbatore is getting ready to realise its Metro dream as Chennai Metro Rail is likely to take up the task to conduct a feasibility study and prepare a detailed project report on the mass transit system in the Manchester of South India.

It is learnt that the 10-month study which includes preparing a feasibility report and a detailed project report would cost around Rs13 crore. Sources told Express that German Funding Agency KfW has expressed interest in providing 12.5 million euros to conduct the study and the balance amount will be paid by the State government.

The move comes after Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami made an announcement in the  Assembly to introduce the Metro Rail project in Coimbatore city. The need for a mass transit system in Coimbatore is stressed, taking into account the growing population of Coimbatore which is expected to grow up to 27.7 lakh by 2033.

It is learnt that 136 km of Mass Transit Network identified by Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Coimbatore Planning Area – 2015 will also be scrutinised. The CMP has identified four corridors in these stretch based on the vehicular and pedestrian traffic on the Coimbatore Radial Roads particularly Avinashi Road, Tiruchy Road and Sathyamangalam Road.

They include Kanniyur to Ukkadam bus stand (24km) along Avinashi Road; Bilchi to Ukkadam (24 km) along Mettupalayam Road; Kannampettai to Thannerpanthal (42km) along Thadagam Road and from Ganeshpura to Karunyanagar (44km) along Sathyamangalam Road.

However, it was felt that the CMP is a broad-based macro level study report and further study is required in finalising the mass transit system. As such, Chennai Metro Rail will be coming out with a final option based on social, technical and commercial project feasibility.

It is learnt that Chennai Metro will also prepare a detailed project report regarding city bus improvement proposals and non-motorised plans for Coimbatore city. The Metro Rail will also conduct prelimnary environmental impact study along the alignment and propose environment management plan for construction and operation phase.

Vijayawada Metro | Sreedharan seeks exemption from new metro rail policy

Metro Rail News
-
0
Vijayawada Metro | Sreedharan seeks exemption from new metro rail policy

Amaravati: Metroman E. Sreedharan on Thursday reportedly suggested the State government to write to the Centre requesting exemption from new metro rail policy which was adopted by Union Cabinet in third week of July. He opines it will not be easy for the State govt to get  Centre’s nod for light metro.

He also advised that it would be better to go for medium metro in lieu of light metro project to Vijayawada as it would be easy to get permission from the Central government as a detailed project report has already under consideration of Union Finance Ministry.

Sreedharan met Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Chief Secretary Dinesh Kumar at Secretariat on Thursday.

This is the first time Sreedharan came to meet the Chief Minister after he resigned to the post of advisor to State government. The Hans India brought the resignation issue into light first time in July.

According to sources, Sreedharan strongly advocated medium metro rail for Vijayawada city as the light metro will be grossly inadequate and will remain useless when metro sees the light of the day in the capital.

A senior official said that Sreedharan did not concur the argument of Municipal Administration department that there will be 25 per cent of cost difference between light metro and medium metro.

“It will take another one year to prepare detailed project report for light metro and technology is also not available in the country. Besides, the delay in construction will cause project cost escalation by 5 per cent and the difference will come down to 13 per cent” Sreedharan told the officials.

Sreedharan reportedly suggested Principal Secretary to Municipal Administration Karikal Valaven to write letter to Union government requesting exemption for state from new metro rail policy which mandated Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) compulsory along with some other tough conditions.

However, officials of Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation seem to be reluctant to consider the metro man’s advice.

Reliable sources said that higher-ups of Municipal Administration department also suggested AMRC to take light suggestions of Sreedharan and write a formal letter to Centre for asking exemption.

Metro Rail News and Institute of Metro & Rail Technology signs agreement (MoU)

Metro Rail News
-
0
Metro Rail News and Institute of Metro & Rail Technology signs agreement (MoU)

New Delhi: The Institute of Metro & Rail Technology (IMRT) and Symbroj Media Pvt. Ltd. (SMPL – Sole publisher of Metro Rail News), the largest independent knowledge tank based in India, on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote metro rail technology, research and academic exchanges.

The agreement was signed by IMRT Founder Director & Member Governing Council Sunil Srivastava and SMPL Director Ms. Mamta Shah.

Under the MoU, IMRT and SMPL agreed to collaborate on projects such as exchanges of academic resources, knowledge and faculty for research and development purposes. They also agreed to come up with jointly for promotion of their services and academic projects with the help of of digital, print, multimedia and social media tools.

Mr. Srivastava pointed out that, “since our objectives are common – promoting the rail industry and making it visible, I feel there is an opportunity for the two of our institutions to work closely together. IMRT has been conducting sessions in Engineering colleges and elsewhere showcasing the global opportunities available for young Indians in this industry and that is the reason we have set up the Institute, the first of it’s kind in the country.”

Metro Rail News Managing Editor, Ms. Mamta Shah said that “this was the first time Symbroj Media has signed an MoU with a specialized academic Institute, and said she looked forward to strengthening the academic and knowledge sharing ties between the two independent organisations.

Metro Rail News is an exclusive and leading news service portal which provides complete and up to date information like project updates, tender, industry events,  job notices, passenger information, media interviews etc. from various mass rapid transit systems like metro railways, mono rail, high speed bullet trains, sub-ways, trams, metro coach factories and associated industries worldwide. Metro Rail News offers business, advertisement and media partnership opportunities to the individuals, business organizations, event planners, metro railways, OEMs and coach factories worldwide. Metro Rail News has a well maintained and comprehensive Business Directory (Metro Rail Directory) as well as well qualified and highly experienced professional in Editorial Board. Metro Rail News is being owned, managed and published by a renowned media firm Symbroj Media Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.

The Institute of Metro and Rail Technology (IMRT) is a first-of-its-kind institution that aims to be a knowledge leader in Metro and Rail technology. IMRT was envisioned with the objective of producing next-generation ‘techno-managers’, capable of making crucial decisions using their skills and understanding of the sector. IMRT will groom a new breed of professional engineers for the rail and metro industry by designing, developing, and delivering high-impact learning programs through education and research. The institution’s strength lies in offering specialized training and education for engineering graduates as well as experienced professionals in the rail and metro space. IMRT is promoted by Balaji Railroad systems Limited (BARSYL), a consulting firm specializing in providing niche technical and management support to the railways of several countries.

– Metro Rail News Editorial Team
Press Contact: +91-9990454505
E-mail: editor@metrorailnews.in

1...808809810...932Page 809 of 932