Delhi Metro | DMRC’s Phase-IV project approval stuck, delay may raise cost by crores

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10/05/2016

Lucknow: Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) today unveiled the two dimensional (2D) design and the three dimensional (3D) mock-up of Lucknow Metro Train to Shri Akhilesh Yadav, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh. Shri Alok Ranjan, Chief Secretary, GoUP, Shri Kumar Keshav, Managing Director, LMRC, Shri Bharat Salhotra, Managing Director, Alstom India and other top level dignitaries were also present on the occasion. Shri Kumar Keshav explained the detailed process involved in the design of ultra-modern train cars for Lucknow Metro project to the visiting dignitaries including various features provided for comfort and convenience of commuters and safety including facilities for differently abled passengers.

The design of Lucknow Metro train is a tribute to the city’s cultural richness. The front of the metro has been conceived in the spirit of some of the city’s most important monuments’ such as Bara-Imambara, the Asifi Masjid and the Roomi Gate. It’s exterior livery in golden colour is inspired by the traditional Chikankari craftsmanship treated in a modern and structured manner. Similarly, blending of black colour in front of car is inspired from modern feel of Hazratganj. A red ribbon profile taking off from train front and moving to side to side top of complete train gives speed and dynamic feeling to the train.

Special attention has been paid to passenger comfort with provision for 186 seats in longitudinal configuration and two dedicated zones for differently abled passengers. Screens displaying useful travel information have been placed at convenient locations inside the metro visible to all. Each four car Metro train has been designed to carry about 1100 passengers at a time.

The design criteria for selection of train cars for LMRC are energy efficient, reliable and better comfort to passengers in terms of riding quality, lower–noise level and environment friendly. The body shell of cars made of stainless steel is lightweight. A highly energy efficient train with LED lighting and regenerative braking to feed the energy back to overhead electrical energy system during braking is planned. All system in the train is monitored & selectively controlled by a microprocessor based Train Control & Management System (TCMS).

The passenger comfort planned are low noise inside trains, wide passenger doors and inter-car gangways for easy passenger movement, ergonomically designed handrail & grab handle system for easy & comfortable standing, soothing Public Announcement system with all around visible Display System inside car as well as side & front of trains, large windows & scratch proof stainless steel bucket type seats for comfortable sitting.

The passenger safety features includes emergency communication facilities including talkback facility for passengers for talking to train operator directly, CCTV images inside trains to be displayed to train operator as well as at centralised security control room.

The facilities for differently abled passengers inside trains are dedicated wheel chair spaces, braille stickers for visually challenged persons and talk back buttons for easy & comfortable getting down from trains.

The design of driver cab has been developed in strong collaboration with ergonomic experts contributing to driver efficiency and serenity. This excellent design of train is believed to be a milestone in modern history of Lucknow.

In September 2015, LRMC awarded a contract to Alstom to supply 80 Metro cars for 20 train sets of four car each for North South Corridor of Lucknow Metro Phase-1A project covering 22 stations. The metro cars are being produced at Alstom’s Sri City manufacturing facilities in India. The signalling system is being jointly supplied by Alstom’s sites in Bangalore, India and Saint-Ouen, France.

Coinciding with today’s event of unveiling the detailed design of Metro Cars to the Hon’ble Chief Minister, LMRC also achieved another very significant achievement of starting physical manufacturing of these state-of-the-art modern world class Lucknow Metro trains today at Alstom’s manufacturing plant in Sri City near Chennai in the presence of Shri Mahendra Kumar, Director (Rolling Stock & Systems) LMRC and other dignitaries.

With this, the activities for full-fledged production of Rolling Stock (Metro trains) for Lucknow Metro has gained momentum. These coaches will then be transported from Sri City, Chennai to LMRC Depot in Lucknow by special trailers through road which shall further be assembled in the depot for its testing and commissioning for the first phase of Metro operations.

(Source: Press Release/LMRC)

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Mumbai Metro | Metro-IV project alignment changed once again

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06/05/2016

Mumbai: The Wadala-Ghatkopar-Thane-Kasarvadavli Metro’s alignment has been changed once again and the planners have reverted to their original plans. Now, the route will not snake through Eastern Express Highway and will affect less buildings in Ghatkopar. Additionally, the plans to extend the line up to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus has been put on the back-burner.

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) being prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is now being reworked to include the revisions.

The DPR was to be submitted late last year, but in order to accommodate the changes it will now take a couple of months more.

Sources in the know-how of the revision shared that the changes were made by planners as the Metro was to be constructed underground. Now it is back to 32-km of elevated line, therefore the route needs to be reworked considering the rehabilitation aspect too.

“Now, DMRC is working on DPR wherein the Metro line coming from Bhakti Park, Wadala will take a left turn from Suman Nagar (Priyadarshini) Circle for Nehru Nagar, Kurla and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. Thereafter, it will be integrated with existing Metro line near Ghatkopar station to head to Pant Nagar and Garodia Nagar in Ghatkopar area,” said a source. From here it will come back on to LBS Road and go to Teen Haath Naka in Thane.

The Pant Nagar area is proving to be a tough point for the DMRC authorities as there are multiple utilities and a couple of buildings that will get affected. “Measures are being taken to chalk out a map so that less families have to be relocated,” added an official.

Another source shared that earlier the plan mentioned Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar as one of the affected zones due to Metro-4. “The drawings and details showed that over 500 slums were being affected. Now after having redone the Metro alignment not over 200 slums will have to be relocated. These slums are in Pant Nagar area and Slum Rehabilitation Authority has cleared their proposal, thereby it will speed up Metro rail construction,” informed the source.

Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar is situated off Eastern Express Highway, which the MMRDA and DMRC was considering to pass through. Even from ridership and feasibility aspect, it is proving to be beneficial if the route passes from LBS Road instead of the Eastern Express Highway.

Now, that the construction will be elevated and not partially underground (and elevated in Thane), the project cost too will decrease from the earlier Rs19,097 crore to around Rs9,000 to Rs10,000 crore.

Additionally, “the option of extending the Metro upto CST from Wadala will be deliberated and implemented at a later stage,” said an official.

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Metro Rail Project India | Review meet on progress of various metro projects held

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06/05/2016

New Delhi: Metro rail companies, being built with Central government equity across the country, have been asked to speed up appointment of independent directors and promote efficiency in hiring manpower.

This was conveyed by Urban Development Secretary Rajiv Gauba here today during a review of progress of various metro projects and issues related to their functioning.

Senior officials of the ministry, besides chief executives of Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kochi metros attended the meeting.

Issues ranging from appointment of independent directors and chief vigilance officers, standardisation of equipment, bulk procurement, fare-fixation, performance-based promotions, competitive bidding and security were discussed during the two-hour long review exercise, an official statement said.

A proposal for appointing a common regulator for all metro projects for fare-fixation was also discussed and it was decided that the views of respective states would be appropriately taken into consideration in this regard while taking the decision, it said.

Gauba also urged all metro operators to ensure early appointment of independent directors on the boards including at least one woman director as required under the Companies Act, 2013.

The official also called for early appointment of chief vigilance officers by respective boards in consultation with the chief vigilance commissioner.

Stressing on the need for efficiency in project management and metro operations, Gauba suggested ‘fast-track promotion’ policy as appropriate for consideration by respective boards to attract good talent.

Gauba also emphasised on the need to promote indigenous production of metro equipment under the ‘Make In India’ initiative of the government.

He also complimented Lucknow Metro for being in a position to commission the priority section of 8.50 km of North-South Corridor between Airport and Charbagh Railway Station by the end of this year, it said.

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Delhi Metro | Advisory board says, stop contract labour system in DMRC for ticketing jobs

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03/05/2016

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New Delhi: The Central Advisory Contract Labour Board has urged the Ministry of Labour and Employment to abolish contractual labour in ticketing jobs at Delhi Metro and make the posts permanent.
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If the ministry accepts this recommendation, it will benefit nearly 3,500 contractual workers.

The advisory board constituted a committee to look into the issue and passed its recommendations to the ministry last month. Based on the findings of the committee, it decided to “recommend for abolition of the contract labour system in the jobs of TOM (token operating metro) operators in the establishment of DMRC”.

After several inspections, the committee found there was a phenomenal rise in the number of ticket operators over the years and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was justifying the employment on a short-term contractual basis by promising that it was working towards reducing dependence on manual ticketing and mechanising the process completely.

“It is evident the semi-automated system of fare collection is continuing… and the phasing out of it by installing TVMs (token vending machines) is far from reality… The installation and operation of TVMs during the last 13 years has not been able to substitute the requirement of TOM/CCC (customer care centres),” the committee said in its report.

The committee also noted that as a result of employing staff on a contractual basis for work that was essential and “perennial” to the daily functioning of Metro services, there was increased scope for exploitation, especially arbitrary hiring and firing policies, as per DMRC’s contract agreement.

The committee noted outsourcing of ticket vending system through contractors on the basis of four-hour shifts was compelling the contractors to engage a large number of people, which in turn created scope for exploitation of workmen by denying them wages and welfare facilities available to regular staff.

The advisory board set up up the committee on a complaint by Rajni Saxena, a contractual ticket operator who was sacked along with 3,500 others by DMRC in 2012 after four years of service.

Saxena, now a homemaker, said, “Our contractor had been siphoning off crores, paying us only half of the mandated minimum wages and stealing parts of our salaries on the pretext of providing us health benefits, but it was never deposited. When I complained to government authorities, the DMRC terminated its contract with our contractor to wash its hand of the labour law violations our contractor was committing.”

She added, “I was one of the hundreds fired without notice. That is when I decided to take up the matter with higher authorities, requesting them to abolish the system of contractual labour in ticketing in the DMRC.”

The DMRC has over the years terminated contracts of three companies, laying off thousands of workers. At present, the DMRC has contractual ticket operators through two other private companies.

U Bhupati, who was chairman of the Central Advisory Contract Labour Board till March 31, said, “The recommendations of the board are advisory in nature. They become binding on the DMRC only after the ministry approves them. The ministry can return the recommendations for reconsideration if it wants.”

A senior official at the labour ministry told Media, “The Board has made recommendations, however, we have not yet received them.”

A DMRC spokesperson said, “We will take action and put the reforms in place only after the ministry issues a notification to this effect. As of now, operations and hiring policies continue as before.”

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Delhi Metro | DMRC celebrates its 22nd Foundation day

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03/05/2016

New Delhi: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) today celebrated its 22nd foundation day with annual awards being presented to 43 deserving employees for their outstanding contribution to the Delhi Metro along with three special prizes.

Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, Dr. Arvind Panagariya presented the awards in the presence of Chief Secretary, Government of NCT of Delhi Sh. Kewal Kumar Sharma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Sh. DS Mishra, DMRC’s Managing Director, Dr. Mangu Singh and other senior officials.

Dr. Panagariya appreciated the performance of the Delhi Metro and said, “it is absolutely astonishing how within a span of 15 years or so, the Delhi Metro has come from zero to over 200 kilometres. The Metro is clean, bright and the trains run on time. It is an island of excellence.”

“The standards set by DMRC in designing structures is very high and such standards should be followed by other engineering organisations,” Chief Secretary, Government of NCT of Delhi, Sh. Sharma said on the occasion.

Dr. Mangu Singh highlighted the various initiatives taken by Delhi Metro towards providing comfortable and eco friendly travel to the commuters. “In the upcoming phase, we have taken a quantum leap in terms of the technology which will be employed by DMRC. Modern trains, which will eventually run without drivers, highly sophisticated signalling technology known as CBTC (Communication Based Train Control) will be introduced,” he said.

Dr. Singh also informed that the Delhi Metro had already commissioned over 6 MW of solar power and had awarded contracts for another 20 MW. He said that as per an MoU with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), an off-site solar power plant would be established from where DMRC would get power directly. Such a site had already been identified in Madhya Pradesh where a solar plant with capacity of 750 MW was being planned.

Additional Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Sh. DS Mishra also congratulated DMRC on the occasion and said, ”The development of Metro all over the country is taking place on the basis of what the Delhi Metro has achieved.”

The Mandi House Metro station was adjudged the ‘Best Metro Station’ and Sh. Rajeev Kumar Verma, Senior Group Station Manager (Malviya Nagar and Saket) received the Metro Person of the year award. The Metro Women of the Year Award, was given to Smt. Shikha Bhatnagar, Sr. Train Operator/Red Line

Besides these, 43 more employees from various departments were also awarded for their meritorious performance. An employee from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was also awarded for his contribution towards maintaining security in DMRC.

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Chennai Metro | CMRL, Gammon agree for arbitration

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03/05/2016

Chennai: The legal tussle between Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) and Gammon India Limited is likely to end amicably as they have agreed for arbitration before the Madras High Court.

The First Bench of Chief Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice M.M. Sundresh appointed a three-member arbitration committee presided over by retd. Justice A.P. Shah, former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court and former chairman of the Law Commission.

The decision of the CMRL in July 2015 to terminate the order placed to Gammon — due to delay in completion of the tunnelling project after Gammon’s joint venture partner Mosmetrostroy, a Russian company, abandoned the project — led to the legal battle as Gammon approached the High Court.

In 2011, Gammon bagged the Rs. 1,947-crore contract along with Mosmetrostroy to design and construct seven underground stations for the CMRL.

In a recent hearing, when the parties agreed for arbitration, the Bench said, “With the positive approach of the senior counsels, the controversy has been resolved and it is agreed that all the parties would go in for arbitration to resolve their disputes.”

Kirti Dave, Charted Engineer, techno-legal consultant based in Mumbai, was nominated as a member to the arbitration committee by Gammon.

Similarly, CMRL nominated P.V. Amarnadha Prasad, techno-legal expert, arbitration consultant and advocate based in Hyderabad.

The parties also agreed to the suggestion made by the court to appoint Justice A.P. Shah as presiding arbitrator as legal issues are involved in these matters, apart from technical issues.

The Bench then directed to keep alive the six bank guarantees given by Gammon to the tune of Rs. 115 crore during the period of arbitration.

Gammon approached the HC after its contract was terminated in July 2015.

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Delhi Govt. to launch Common Mobility Card for metro & buses from July

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02/05/2016

New Delhi: Come July and Delhiites will be able to travel on metro trains, DTC and cluster buses using a ‘Common Mobility Card’, with the city government deciding to launch the project for seamless travel on modes of public transport.

The Delhi government is finalising the modalities of the project which will be launched in a phased manner in the national capital.

“We will launch ‘Common Mobility Card’ project in July this year through which passengers can travel in Metro trains, DTC buses and cluster buses (orange) run by DIMTS. The project will be launched on a trial-basis in Delhi,” Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai told Media.

The Minister said by the end of June, fares will be charged in all DTC buses and Cluster buses through e-ticketing machines (ETM) and thereafter government will move towards the launch of ‘Common Mobility Card’.
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“We are currently in talks with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for finalising a revenue sharing model. In July, commuterss can travel in metro, DTC buses, and Cluster buses through Common Mobility Card.

“As per the plan, while boarding the bus a commuter will have to give this card to conductor who will swipe it in an e-ticketing machine and, just before getting off the vehicle, he or she will again have to swipe the card in the ETM and fares will be automatically deducted like the metro,” the transport minister said.

Common mobility card had been proposed during the Commonwealth Games but the project did not take off due to financial reasons.

As part of strengthening public transport system, the AAP government has chalked out a concrete plan, including buying 3,000 new buses till December this year, installation of CCTV cameras and wi-fi services in buses.

CCTV cameras have already been installed in over 200 DTC buses so far.

(Source: PTI)

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Namma Metro | Bangalore Metro’s EW Underground Section Inaugurated

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01/05/2016

Bangalore: After a two-year delay, the underground corridor of Namma Metro was finally inaugurated amid much fanfare and excitement on Friday. “It was a great ride; it did not feel like we were in a tunnel at all. I cannot wait to take the entire trip in the morning tomorrow,” said Sangeetha K., one of the passengers, who experienced the inaugural ride.

The Purple Line connecting Baiyappanahalli in the east to Mysuru Road in the west will be operational from 6 a.m. on Saturday. Excited citizens are looking forward to a test ride ahead of using the metro to commute to work on Monday.

The five underground stations on the line promise to be a completely new experience for commuters. With massive stations, escalators, air-conditioning and services like Wi-Fi, which will come up soon, a trip through the underground corridor is something to look forward to.

“I can now take the metro from the S.V. Road Station in Indiranagar to my workplace at Mysuru Road. I will have to walk only a hundred metres to the station, instead of changing three buses,” said Arvind S., a resident of Indiranagar. “Of course, I will take the metro on Saturday to see how fast it is.”

During the inauguration ceremony, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah put pressure on the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. to complete the entire phase 1 network of 42 km by November 1, and to start operations on Karnataka Rajyotsava.

The earlier deadline set by BMRCL was December 2016 for starting operations.

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Kanpur Metro | European Investment Bank ready to fund Kanpur Metro Rail project

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29/04/2016