Lucknow Metro: LMRC explore prospects of new metro projects in Kanpur, Varanasi and Agra

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09/02/2015

Lucknow: Amid wait for PIB clearance to Lucknow metro on North-South (N-S) corridor from Amausi to Munshipulia, Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) has started exploring possibilities to run metro in Agra, Kanpur and Varanasi too.

LMRC is in talks with development authorities of these cities to explore alignment for metro corridors. Ground work for identifying tentative metro stretches in Kanpur has already begun with LMRC MD Kumar Keshav being the main coordinator of the project.

LMRC said, Keshav will visit Agra on February 11 to explore corridor possibilities there. Meanwhile LMRC is still waiting for PIB’s clearance to Lucknow project. The project’s total cost is around Rs 6,800 crore, out of which state government has granted about Rs 100-crore so far.

Construction of priority section (8 km stretch) is to be completed by 2016 end requires around Rs 2,000 crore. Officials said, “Since major work will be done in 2015-16 financial year, it would need most funds within this year. We have already requested the state government for arranging the funds.”

Meanwhile, chief secretary has instructed the rural development department to vacate the administrative building near Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal so that LMRC can set up its new office there. Kumar Keshav said construction of workstations and decoration of new premises has already started and the entire office would be able to shift by March 28.

Also, UP Housing and Development Board and UPSIDC have been asked to arrange for remaining funds assigned for the year 2014-15 to the metro project. LMRC has said that over 300 job vacancies will be created in metro after the project commissions on priority section by 2017.

Keshav insisted AAI should be again requested to give its land on rent to LMRC on minimal rates as were given for Chennai Metro on temporary basis. LMRC plans to build casting yard for metro there. Also, it has been decided that a separate consultant would be hired to make Awadh Hospital Chouraha signaled.

Eleven major firms participated in the pre-bid conference held on January 15 based on expression of interest received for appointment of general consultant of the project. Also, the pre-bid meeting for tender of rolling stock was held on January 20 in which 18 companies had participated. Replies to their queries will be issued by February 10.

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Indian Railways to Build 200-kmph Train Coaches at Chennai Coach Factory

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Narendra Shah

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08/02/2015

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NEW DELHI: Indian Railways will build coaches to run at a 200-km per hour speed at its Chennai facility in keeping with the Modi government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Introduction of AC rakes in the inter-city services to make the journey more comfortable will also be proposed in the Rail Budget 2015-16.

As per this year’s Rail Budget proposal, it will manufacture a prototype rake consisting of 20 coaches for the 200-km per hour speed train at its Chennai coach factory.
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At present, the railways builds coaches to run at a maximum speed of 160-km per hour.

Besides indigenous manufacture of semi-high speed coaches for 200 km per hour, Railway Ministry will make a concerted effort to give fillip to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Manufacturing of many locomotive components like cranks shaft, alternators and forged wheels will also be proposed to be undertaken indigenously instead of importing these parts from outside, sources in the railways said.

In his first Rail Budget, Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu would be pitching for improving financial health of the ailing public transporter as well as passenger services.

Prabhu, in his bid to make the railways disabled- friendly, is likely make proposal to prove for Braille signages in all new coaches to facilitate vision-impaired passengers.

Customer satisfaction will be a focus area of this year’s Rail Budget as a series of steps including air-conditioning of Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) trains for inter-city services and noise reduction in diesel locomotive cabs are likely to be proposed, the sources said.

An inter-city service covers up to 160-km distance and caters to mostly daily commuters.

An attempt is being made to make the inter-city travel more comfortable and faster in the Rail Budget 2015-16, the sources said.

In order to promote north-east connectivity, Prabhu will also announce introduction of DEMU services in north eastern states as a national project.

The Rail Budget to be presented on February 26 will also propose world class manufacturing facilities in the country. Use of latest technology and automation to reduce manpower and better quality control at railway factories and workshops are likely to be announced.

Since many Premium trains with higher fares have been introduced to boost revenue collection, the railways will undertake an exercise for upgrading of coach interiors including redesigning user-friendly toilets.

National Institute of Design (NID) is likely to be roped for redesigning the interiors of coaches, the sources said. The Rail Budget will have provision for dustbins in all type of coaches as most non-AC coaches are at present not provided with this facility.

In line with the ‘Swachh Bharat’ campaign, the railways will propose to cover 100 more trains under ‘On Board Housekeeping Services’ and proliferation of bio-toilets in trains and stations. Besides, six more stations will be covered under the Clean Train Station Scheme.(PTI)

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Chennai Metro: CMRL launch unlikely in March

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Narendra Shah

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07/02/2015

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Chennai Metro Rail may not get going in March as the State government is yet to give a date for the launch of the service between Koyambedu and Alandur.

According to Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), though they had sought dates from the State government a while back, there has been no response.

“Nearly 90 per cent of the construction is complete. The finishing work can be done 10-15 days before the launch. We are ready to begin commercial operations by late February itself. But there have been no talks at the government level, with regard to a launch date,” an official said.

Meanwhile, a senior government official said there is no conclusive deadline at present, but the inauguration, in all probability, ‘may not happen in March’.

A final call on dates can be taken only after the required safety approval is given. That apart, uncertainty prevails because of the ongoing court case against AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, the official said.

“We have no clear idea yet on the way forward,” he said.

CMRL officials plan to invite the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) — whose clearance is required to begin commercial operations — for inspection by the end of this month or early next month.

“The CMRS has asked us for some additional documents which we will submit next week. We may get clearance a week after inspection is conducted. If the State government had indicated a probable date, we could have arranged the inspection accordingly,” an official said.

Now, owing to this delay, contractors have slowed down the pace of work, officials said.

“In the place of 100 workers, there are only about 30 working now. The contractors know we won’t relieve them if they finish early; so, the work has been rather been slow,” he said. (Source: The Hindu)

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East-West Metro: Railway Board to figure out cost escalation on route re-alignment of E-W Metro

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Narendra Shah

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06/02/2015

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Kolkata: Railway Board wants the implementing agency of East-West Metro to figure out the cost escalation that would result from a route alignment as suggested by the state government before considering the proposed change. The Railway Board has written to the Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation Ltd. (KMRCL), the implementing agency, saying the additional cost involved in changing the alignment should be discussed with the state government before a decision was taken.

Sources said it would take at least Rs 350 crore extra if the government’s proposed alignment was accepted. An additional Rs 44 crore will be needed to build a retrieval shaft at Laldighi to bring out a tunnel boring machine.

Officials monitoring the project said the railways’ stand would lead to a further delay on the stretch between Howrah Maidan and Sealdah. “This is another example of how the railways is apparently dragging its feet on the state’s offer of land in Laldighi to build a retrieval shaft for the equipment that will be used to bore a tunnel under the Hooghly for the East-West tracks,” an official said.
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The letter to the implementing agency, signed by Railway Board representative A.K. Jha, states: “Jurisdiction of the proposed additional scope of work and cost implementation has to be evaluated by KMRCL as the project implementing authority after necessary discussions with the government of West Bengal.” “The proposal of retrieval shaft at Laldighi is not on the approved alignment of the Kolkata East-West Metro corridor project as per DPR (detailed project report),” the letter stated. Jha is also managing director of the metro railway corporation.

He had skipped a meeting attended by officials of the corporation and various state agencies to take a decision on starting work on the Howrah Maidan-Sealdah stretch.

Calcutta High Court had last Friday directed the corporation to ask the Railway Board whether it would accept the proposal to build a retrieval shaft near Laldighi. The agency has to state its stand in an affidavit to be filed by Thursday. The next hearing is scheduled for Friday.

The high court had formed a committee and asked it to discuss and inform it on January 30 how the railways, urban development ministry and the state government planned to start boring a tunnel under the Hooghly.

“It was informally agreed after several rounds of discussion that the shaft would be built at Laldighi. Even the state government, which was stonewalling all attempts at getting work started, had promised to shift all underground utilities. Now this letter from the Railway Board representative comes as a surprise,” said a railway official.

The railways’ decision is significant because it holds 74 per cent stake in the project, against 24 per cent by the urban development ministry.

“The proposed new alignment will ensure less disruption of traffic. Fewer people and hawkers will need to be rehabilitated and lesser number of utilities will require to be shifted,” state transport secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said.

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Lucknow Metro: LMRC approved tender docs for Lucknow Metro Depot

By

Narendra Shah

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05/02/2015

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Lucknow: The board of directors of Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation approved floating of tenders for civil, pre-engineered building and electrical and mechanical works for Transport Nagar Train Depot in the North-South corridor, on Wednesday. The depot will have four lines for daily maintenance of trains, for washing, inspection, repair and stabling (parking of trains).

All trains will arrive in the depot each night for cleaning and repair work. Officials said the depot is to be made ready for receiving and commissioning of trains in time for opening of the priority corridor. The last date of submission for the depot’s tender will be March 23.

The board, chaired by the chief secretary, also agreed to the need of hiring in LMRC more experts with rich experience in the fields of electrical, traction, signalling, telecom and track, etc, for taking up system works for the N-S corridor.

Also, 50 lakh shares of Rs 100 each were issued to the state government with the approval of board members against the equity share money given by the state government in the financial year 2014-15. The board approved the fixation of remuneration of statutory auditor for FY 2014-15.

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MEGA Metro: Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project awarded its First Work Order

By

Narendra Shah

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05/02/2015

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Ahmedabad: The first work order of Ahmedabad Metro Rail project has been awarded yesterday for Vastral-Apparel park stretch of Metro rail project construction which is likely to start by March 2015. The value of the Work Order is Rs. 278 crore.

Gujarat government arm Metrolink Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad – MEGA company had invited tender for “construction of Elevated Viaduct from Vastral Gam to Apparel Park upto Ramp Start in Reach R-1 (Excluding the portions of Metro Rail Stations) including construction of viaduct for portion leading upto interface location of Metro Depot (East West Corridor) in Khokhra area from diverting point near Apparel Park Metro Rail Station”. Vastral village – Apparel Park (Khokhra) stretch is 6 km long. It is part of the first phase of Metro rail project connecting Vastral gam and Thaltej gam in east-west direction.

The tender was made public on 20 October. It was only for construction of elevated viaduct on 6 km stretch. There will be total 7 Metro stations on 7.5 km route, construction of which will be covered in separate tender. Distance between two stations will be around 1200-1500 meter.

A note issued today to media by MEGA said an Estimated expenditure of civil work of a 6 km elevated corridor between Vatral to Apparel park was Rs.266 crore. In response to MEGA notification inviting bids, a total of 9 companies had participated in this tender process. Technical bid was opened on 18 December last year. After scrutiny of technical qualification, 4 agencies were found successful. Later, financial bid was opened on 22 January 2015. After a scrutiny process, Mumbai based J. Kumar Infracon Projects ltd was found lowest-1(L1) in its offer with Rs. 278 crore bid. L&T, Simplex, Soma companies stayed at second, third and fourth position respectively. In a meeting of the board of directors held on 31 January 2015, J. Kumar Infracon Projects Ltd was issued a letter of acceptance. The work will begin by the end of this month and will be completed in 27 months period.

MEGA plans to operate 4-6 coaches to begin with at 45-100 km/hour speed.

About phase-1

Metro rail North-South corridor (APMC market to Motera stadium) and East-West corridor (Thaltej village to Vastral) are part of Metro rail project phase-1.

Phase-1 route length is 35.956 km, of which 29.621 will be over surface while 6.355 km route will be underground. 28 stations will be over the surface and 4 stations will be underground.

North-South corridor will begin at Motera stadium. It will pass through Sabarmati police station, power house, RTO over-bridge, Ranip 132 ring road, Ranip cross road, Vadaj AMTS bus-stand, Usmanpura, Ashram road, New Gandhigram, Madalpur, Paldi, Anjli, Vasna and end at APMC.

East-West corridor will begin at Thaltej village and pass through Doordarshan kendr, Gurukul road, Gujarat University, Commerce six roads, Stadium, Ashram road, Shahpur, Ghikanta, Kalupur railway station, Kankaria east (Gomtipur), Apparel park, Amraiwadi, Rabari colony, Vastral, Nirat char rasta and Vastral village, which will be the last station.

The project above is likely to be completed in year 2018.

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Delhi Metro: DMRC Phase III has speeded up with the tunneling near Naraina Vihar

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Narendra Shah

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04/02/2015

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New Delhi: Work on one of the new corridors of the Delhi Metro’s Phase III has speeded up with the tunneling near Naraina Vihar starting from Monday.
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The corridor is the Majlis Park (Mukundpur) to Shiv Vihar line.

“DMRC has started underground tunneling near Naraina Vihar on the Ring Road Metro stretch which is approximately 2.2km long,” said a spokesperson for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). The statement comes amidst fears that delays in the phase III could have an impact on the deadline for the corridors. Phase III will have two new corridors—Mukundpur to Shiv Vihar and Janakpuri (West) to Botanical Garden. The stretch is between Mayapuri and Delhi Cantonment and the tunnel will be 1,103m long. “The soil profile of the area is mixed with quartzite rock and silt soil, and therefore, the Tunnel Boring Machine mobilized for the work is capable of tunneling in soil as well as rock and has a special mixed cutter head,” he added

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Delhi Metro: DMRC to extend its Blue Line till Noida Sector-62

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Narendra Shah

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03/02/2015

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New Delhi: Delhi Metro is extending its existing Dwarka-Noida City Center corridor till Noida Sector 62 and, thereafter, to Greater Noida. The Sector 52 station will be an interchange station for another Metro line planned for Greater Noida.

The alignment of the Noida City Center extension till Sector 62—a distance of 6.6km—will connect Noida with the heart of Delhi. One of the longest corridors in the Delhi Metro network, the extension will pass through sectors 34, 51, 59 and 62 to Electronic City.

The proposed extension will start from the dead end of the existing Noida City Center station and run straight along the median of Captain Shashi Kant Marg for about 2.2km before taking a left turn near Sector 52. It will run straight on the median of road leading to Sector 62 and along NH-24 for about 4.5km.

“While taking the left turn from Captain Shashi Kant Marg towards Electronic City, it has been kept in view that there will be a need in the future to have grade separator arrangement (with clover leaves) at this crossing,” said a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) official.

The length of the extension from dead end of Noida City Center station to the planned dead end near NH-24 is 6.675km. In Noida, the existing corridor has stations in sectors 15, 16 and 18, Botanical Garden, Golf Course and Noida City Center. “Botanical Garden station is planned as an interchange station for the Janakpuri-Botanical Garden line of Ph-III,” the official added. This corridor will be 36km long with over 20 stations. It is one of the two corridors coming up in Phase III of the network.

The extension to Electronic City and beyond is expected to give a boost to the connectivity in NCR. What makes the alignment exciting, according to Delhi Metro, is the plan to have Noida Sector 52 as an interchange station for the Metro line planned for Greater Noida.

“The recommended network in the ‘Revised Metro Plan for 2021′ prepared by DMRC totalled a length of 413.83km, comprising Delhi and adjoining parts of NCR, and was slated for completion latest by 2021 in phases,” said the Metro spokesperson.

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Delhi Metro: Supreme Court asked Delhi High Court to decide on Gammon’s plea on DMRC tenders

By

Narendra Shah

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03/02/2015

0

New Delhi: Supreme Court today asked Delhi High Court to “expeditiously” decide a plea filed by Gammon India Limited that it has “arbitrarily” been denied contract of a ₹600 crore metro rail project despite its financial bid being lower than the company which bagged it.

“The parties (Gammon India, DMRC, Centre and others) agree that the pleadings shall be completed before February 25. We request the High Court to commence the hearing on that day,” a bench headed by Justice T.S Thakur said.

It also ordered maintenance of ‘status quo’ with regard to construction and other works in pursuance of award of the contract.

The bench, which also comprised Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, said the parties would not seek any adjournment of hearing before the High Court which would expeditiously decide the plea of Gammon India Ltd.

Earlier, Gammon India had moved the High Court seeking a direction to DMRC and the government that its financial bid, submitted through a letter on October 13 last year, be considered for awarding the contract.

The high court, which issued notices on Gammon’s plea, had however refused to stay the operation of contract awarded to M/s GYT-TPL Joint Venture.

Gammon India then moved the apex court seeking ‘status quo’ on the construction and other works in pursuance of award of contract to M/s GYT-TPL Joint Venture.

“The financial bid of Petitioner (Gammon India Ltd) is significantly lower than successful bidder. The successful bid of M/s GYT-TPL Joint Venture is ₹665.87 crores whereas the Petitioner has bid ₹639.49 Crores, ₹26.36 crores less than the successful bidder.

“There could not have been any justification for giving a go-by to the petitioner in light of the difference in the bid amounts…,” Gammon India alleged.

It also claimed it has been “effectively blacklisted” by DMRC by refusing to open its financial bid in connection with “DMRC contract no CC–87 by making allegations which are wholly unconnected with the subject tender without so much as a letter to the Petitioner to explain anything.”

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Mumbai Metro: Maharashtra plans for Metro Rail along the proposed Coastal Road in Mumbai

By

Narendra Shah

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03/02/2015

0

Mumbai: Maharashtra state government has plans to expand the scope of the ambitious coastal road project in Mumbai, following the Centre’s willingness to modify coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms for the project. A grand addition is now foreseen: A Metro Rail component and a bus rapid transit (BRT) line along the proposed 34-km freeway connecting south Mumbai to the western suburbs.

Senior officials confirmed that the option of setting up two additional lanes for a Metro Rail and another two lanes for a dedicated bus transit network are now on the drawing board for the project that was originally conceived as a six-lane ring road to decongest vehicular traffic.

The coastal road plan entails reclamation of 110 hectares of land. The project had hit a hurdle during the previous Congress-NCP regime over CRZ regulations prohibiting reclamation.

The breakthrough came at a meeting between Union Environment Minister Prakash Jawdekar and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis last month, with the former expressing willingness to amend CRZ norms on some conditions.

On Monday, the CM held another discussion with Jawdekar in this regard in Mumbai.

Sources said the Centre was willing to accede to the state’s suggestion that the norms be amended by inserting a clause in the CRZ Notification permitting reclamation for road projects.

The proposal to incorporate a Metro Rail and BRT line aims to strengthen Mumbai’s public transport systems. While the estimated cost of the coastal road is pegged at Rs 9,000 crore currently, the addition of the mass rapid transit systems could push up costs by Rs 7,000 crore.

At least two of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s proposed Metro routes, meanwhile, could return to the drawing board if the coastal road’s Metro Line is okayed, including the Dahisar-Bandra-Mankhurd route and Colaba-Bandra-Seepz route.

While the MMRDA’s routes are brownfield projects and partly underground projects requiring complex rehabilitation of project-affected people, a Metro route on the coastal ring road will ensure a larger span in a shorter time frame, officials said. It would also be a cost-effective option. Official estimates say the cost of setting up an underground Metro Rail route is Rs 800 crore per km, whereas an elevated rail can be built at Rs 220 crore per kilometre.

In case of the coastal road project, the option of a Metro route “at grade” would cost Rs 70 crore per kilometre, senior officials said.

The state hopes to obtain a formal nod from the Centre for the coastal road project soon. It has set its sights on readying the detailed project report and starting work by the year-end.

Meanwhile, on the memorial for warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji off the Arabian Sea, following a legal opinion that the bhoomipujan for the project must be taken up only after the Centre’s green nod, Fadnavis has requested the Centre to complete the necessary formalities before May 1. The state has plans to carry out the bhoomipuja on that day.

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