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Chennai Metro|CMRL to find contractor for Saidapet line this month

Narendra Shah
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Chennai: Metro Rail is planning to award fresh contracts for building the Saidapet-LIC underground stretch by the end of this month. The work on this stretch has been stalled after Russian company Mosmetrostroy abandoned work and metro rail terminated the contract of Gammon-Mosmetrostroy joint venture.

Officials are aiming to start work in December, a month earlier than they had calculated when the contract was terminated.

A senior official said tenders will be opened on October 19 and contracts will be awarded the same day. “Many companies have expressed interest to take up the work. We have extended the date for opening of tenders from September because the companies who evinced interest wanted more time,” he said.

Metro rail will award two contracts — one will be for building tunnels and underground stations between Government Estate and Thousand Lights, the other is for the work between DMS and Saidapet.

The firm that bags the contract will have to build connecting tunnels between the two parallel tunnels bored between Saidapet and DMS, bore two parallel tunnels from DMS to Government Estate and complete balance work of constructing underground stations.

“We are planning to give the contractor 20 months to complete the work. This means the line under Anna Salai and the stations should be ready by the end of 2017. We are also planning to open the other completed stretches in phases next year. Anna Salai’s tunnels and stations will be the last to be completed,” he added.

Metro rail recently received a go ahead from the Madras high court when Gammon challenged the government move to rope in a fresh contractor after taking over the equipment and godowns belonging to Mosmetrostroy. The Russian firm, in charge of building tunnels, had completed around 90% of its work of building tunnels between Saidapet to DMS, leaving only 3km of tunnels from DMS to Government Estate to be bored when they abandoned work under pressure from subcontractors who were demanding payment of escalated costs incurred by additional work which was not taken into account when boring begun. A few metres of tunnels that were remaining till DMS was completed by metro rail recently by roping in Afcons.

The Russian company had to abandon work after metro rail refused to pay the additional expenditure of Rs 100crore which they incurred.

Metro Rail News team signs Media Partnership deal for the Rail India Conference 2016

Narendra Shah
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New Delhi: Indian Railways have drawn up plans towards the increased upgradation of rail infrastructure and procurement of new assets of rolling stock during the current financial year with an estimated expenditure of Rs. 37,500 Crore (approx.) to shore up the infrastructural development and upkeep. The move will go a long way in boosting the Indian Economy as also provide strengthened rail infrastructure for carrying yet higher loads.

Metro Rail News team has signed Media Partnership agreement with Cerebral Business Research for providing promotional and media assistance for the event Rail India Conference 2016. The Rail India Conference 2016 is being organised by Cerebral Business Research team from 21st January to 22nd January 2016 in The Hotel Lalit, New Delhi, India. The Conference will have interactive presentations and discussions on the following tracks:

  • Update on Government plans and reforms
  • International Case Studies & Learning’s
  • Bullet Trains
  • Rolling Stock and Rail Infrastructure
  • Urban Metro
  • Network & Infrastructure Development
  • Updates on Latest Technologies
  • Technologies & Challenges for Tunnels and Bridges
  • Passenger Centric Modern Stations
  • New Ticketing Technologies
  • Cargo & Logistics
  • Project Financing
  • Safety
  • Maintenance
  • Digitization and GIS Mapping of Land Assets
  • Diamond Quadrilateral

For more detail about the conference please log on to event website http://www.india-railway.com

Mumbai Metro|2 new Metro lines may get Maharashtra state cabinet nod

Narendra Shah
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Mumbai: The Maharashtra cabinet is likely to clear two new Metro railway lines for Mumbai Tuesday. The two proposed lines — one from Andheri East to Dahisar East, and another from Dahisar to DN Nagar in Andheri West — are estimated to be completed by March 2019 at a total cost of Rs 8,571 crore.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to lay the foundation stone for the two projects during his visit to Mumbai on October 11.

U P S Madan, Metropolitan Commissioner at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), said the idea was to start work as soon as possible, considering the ambitious deadline.

Lucknow Metro|Alstom to provide metro trainsets and signalling solution for LMRC’s first metro line

Narendra Shah
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Lucknow Metro|Alstom to provide metro trainsets and signalling solution for LMRC’s first metro line

Paris: Alstom has been awarded a contract worth over €150 million by Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) to provide metro trainsets and a signalling solution for the new metro network of the city of Lucknow.

Alstom will supply 20 Metropolis trainsets, each composed of four metro cars. Each car will be fitted with air conditioning and a passenger information system for a high level of passenger comfort. Alstom will also provide Urbalis, its Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) solution which controls the movement of the trains, enabling them to run at higher frequencies and speeds in total safety. The headway of the Lucknow metro will be 100 seconds.

“We are delighted that LMRC has entrusted Alstom with the supply of its first metro. This is an important project for Lucknow’s inhabitants and its visitors as they will soon be able to commute from the north to the south of the city onboard a metro that is safe, fast, reliable and environmentally friendly,” said Dominique Pouliquen, Senior Vice-President Alstom Transport Asia-Pacific.

Lucknow is the capital of Uttar Pradesh. The new metro line will be around 23 km long and include 22 stations of which 19 elevated and 3 underground. The project shall be carried out in two phases, starting with a first corridor of 8.4 km-long. The line is expected to carry about 430,000 passengers per day in the first year, increasing to over 1 million by 2030.

The metro cars will be produced in Alstom’s Sri City train manufacturing facility in India. The signalling system will be jointly supplied by Alstom’s sites in Bangalore, India and Saint-Ouen, France.

Alstom has strong presence in India where the company has been awarded important metro projects for cities including Chennai, Delhi and Kochi.

Alstom’s Metropolis is a world leading, proven, safe and reliable train that has been sold in over 20 cities around the world, including Singapore, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Amsterdam and Paris. More than 4,500 Metropolis cars have been sold worldwide since 1998.

Media Interview|Slow pace of Chennai Metro Rail is a matter of concern

Narendra Shah
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Media Interview|Slow pace of Chennai Metro Rail is a matter of concern

It is still difficult for foreign companies to invest in India and Tamil Nadu due to bureaucratic hurdles. The slow pace of the Chennai Metro Rail is also a matter of concern, Muneo Kuruachi, Chairman of the Standing Committee of Japan-India Business Co-Operation Committee told The Media in an interview on the sidelines of the Global Investors Meet. Excerpts from the interview:

What is your investment plan?

Our mission is to be in three cities – Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. Tomorrow, we are to going to Bangalore. Our investors are mainly small and medium companies. They want to increase their knowledge of India. That means no financial commitments to GIM.

What exactly are you looking at?

Already, more than 240 Japanese companies are stationed here. The name of Chennai is very famous in Japanese business circles. Tamil Nadu is very pro-active. The potential is high. I have heard from the Japanese companies here that they find the people and work environment here to be comfortable. The quality of labour is very important and the workforce here is hard-working.

Any challenges or concerns they have spoken about?

Of course, there are many challenges, especially for newcomers.

When they try to start business, it is not so easy. Even now it takes time… too many bureaucratic processes. It is not the case of other countries, especially ASEAN countries. They are more aggressive in welcoming Japanese investments. The Indian government needs to improve on this front.

Japan has invested so much money in Chennai Metro Rail. Are you satisfied with the progress?

It is a concern. But we recognise that in case of India, everything does not move smoothly. Of course, we are expecting quick movement. (He declined to elaborate on the issue).

Japan’s Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi is signing an MoU with the TN government. How will it help?

The bank is an intermediary stage. They have a wide range of customer base. They know the needs of each customer.

Are there any plans to set up a Japanese bank here?

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi and Mizuho already have their branches here. Remaining is Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC). They are proposing to the Central Bank to set up shop here.

In Chennai?

I am not sure.

Delhi Metro|DMRC ranked first in information during travel survey

Narendra Shah
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Delhi Metro|DMRC ranked first in information during travel survey
New Delhi: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been ranked first in “information during travel”, as per an international survey of Metro systems conducted by Railway and Transport Strategic Center (RTSC).

According to a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation official, in the survey, DMRC has secured  second position in “train cleanliness and comfort”. The survey was conducted by RTSC, which manages the ‘NOVA’ and ‘CoMET’ benchmarking groups of Metro networks.

“The survey was conducted as per international standards EN 13816 (an European survey system used widely to assess the performance of the public transportation systems in Europe) and was controlled directly by RTSC through an internet link on DMRC’s website- www.delhimetrorail.com,” official statement issued by DMRC states.

The survey was conducted from April 13 to May 10, 2015. It also conducted the third edition of its in-house “Customer Satisfaction Survey” (CSS) from August 24 to September 1, 2015 and covered 96,466 respondents.

“The survey was conducted at the top 50 Metro stations of the network and some responses were also collected from inside the trains. Like the international survey, this survey was also done as per international standards EN 13816,” the official said.

CSS included various crucial aspects of Metro operations such as availability and accessibility, new facilities offered to customers, information, quality of service, customer services, outside Metro area, comfort and view on fare revision, security and safety, it added.

The official statement, however, states that the areas in which commuters expressed the need for improvement were pavements, lighting, cleanliness/orderliness and encroachment outside station premises.

DMRC will take up these issues with the civic authorities and work towards necessary improvement, it added.

 

Kochi Metro|KMRL seeks Sreedharan’s services for Phase-II expansion

Narendra Shah
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Kochi Metro|KMRL seeks Sreedharan’s services for Phase-II expansion

Kochi: The Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) is expecting that the expertise of E Sreedharan, the principal adviser to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), will be available for them during the extension of the project in the second phase.

Though it is too early to comment on whether the DMRC will be the implementing agency for the second phase of the project, KMRL managing director Elias George said that the agency is keen on availing the services of the Metro man.

He was answering to queries related to the remarks of E Sreedharan on Thursday that the DMRC would wind up its operations after the completion of the present work.

“The extension proposal of Kochi Metro Rail to Kakkanad in phase two is yet to get the approval from the Centre. So right now, we cannot comment on whether the DMRC will be the implementing agency for the second phase or not,” he added.

The KMRL’s top official’s comments came in the wake of the news channel reports that Sreedharan had said that the extension of Kochi Metro to Kakkanad will be not be taken over by DMRC. As per the news reports, Sreedharan had said that the DMRC would wind up its operations after the completion of the present phase-1 work. He also said that quarry strike has badly affected the work on the Kochi Metro project.

Regarding the Light Metro Project that would be implemented in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, the Metroman said that the Chief Minister, PWD Minister and he would meet the Union Urban Development Minister soon and a clear picture in this regard can be drawn out only after the proposed meeting.

Nagpur Metro|Airport Authority of India clears Nagpur Metro rail stretch

Narendra Shah
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Nagpur Metro|Airport Authority of India clears Nagpur Metro rail stretch

Nagpur: Airport Authority of India (AAI) has given the no objection certificate (NOC) to the metro rail stretch near the proposed new airport. The NOC was critical for construction of the metro rail elevated corridor near CONCOR siding and Khapri railway station.

The metro rail alignment is at-grade in Mihan area except for a stretch of about 800 metres, which is elevated due to presence of CONCOR siding and Khapri railway station. This area is in the safety zone of the proposed new airport and hence required clearance from airport authorities.

A proposal had been submitted by Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Limited (NMRCL) to AAI. The airport officials conducted a joint inspection with NMRCL officers of the site and then granted the NOC. The work on at-grade section will gain momentum with this NOC. The construction of boundary wall of Mihan car depot is already in progress.

Delhi Metro|DMRC to undertake cleanliness drive on Gandhi Jayanti

Narendra Shah
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New Delhi: Officials and staff of the Delhi Metro at all stations will undertake a sanitation drive and take a ‘cleanliness pledge’ on Friday to mark the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.

Officials and staff from operations & maintenance wing will take a ‘cleanliness pledge’ at all the metro stations on Friday, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Thursday said.

Officials and staff of the Delhi Metro from operations & maintenance wing will take a cleanliness drive at 9am at all the stations alongwith ticketing and housekeeping staff, CISF staff and willing members of general public travelling by the metro at that time, the DMRC said.

About 2500 officials/staff on duty at stations at that time will take the pledge besides willing passengers.

Official said that this will be followed by a mechanised cleanliness drive by Metro officials/staff at all the stations and their surroundings to promote cleanliness and its importance.

Delhi Metro|DMRC’s big security lapse, a man shoots himself at Rajiv Chowk Metro Stn

Narendra Shah
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Delhi Metro|DMRC’s big security lapse, a man shoots himself at Rajiv Chowk Metro Stn

New Delhi: The country-made pistol which was used by a man to shoot himself inside a Delhi Metro station was cleverly sneaked in the premises inside a bag from an unmanned area near a customer care counter, security agencies probing the incident have found.

22-year-old Shivesh Kumar is alleged to have shot himself in the busy Rajiv Chowk Metro station yesterday after he boarded the Metro from Chandni Chowk, underlining the vulnerability and security scare the rapid transport network of the national capital faces.

Officials said the CISF has found CCTV footage of last evening’s incident where Shivesh is seen quickly lifting a bag from over the low-height glass wall partition at the Chandni chowk station, which is created to demarcate the free and security-hold area in a number of Metro stations.

They said Shivesh was with his sister when he entered the said station.

While we went for frisking, his sister stopped at the counter with two bags. She then kept the bags on an elevated platform near the glass wall and Shivesh is later seen lifting one of the bags from over the glass partition in which it is suspected the ‘desi katta’ (local pistol) was kept, they said.

His sister and the second bag went through normal frisking and scanning respectively and hence they were cleared for travelling.

“It looks the act was deliberate on the part of Shivesh. He is being questioned by the police now,” they said.

The paramilitary force has handed over the CCTV footage of the said incident to police officials probing the case.

CISF officials probing the incident said they have requested the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to immediately make arrangements to scale up the height of the glass wall so that no one can transfer items like this.

“There are some structural deficiencies in some old Metro stations and CISF has asked DMRC to upgrade them. This is a work in progress. While on some stations the height of the glass partition has been increased beyond a normal person’s reach, say about 6-ft, on some stations it is being done,” a senior official said. .

The CISF also deploys its personnel without uniform to keep a vigil at such vulnerable areas but it seems last evening’s act at the busy Chandni chowk station went unnoticed.

Shivesh, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah, is presently being questioned by the Delhi Metro Police about the motive and other aspects.

He was admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in an injured condition last night.

“The CISF is responsible for the overall security inside Delhi Metro and this incident brings to light the immediate need to increase more surveillance in the Metro premises. This can only be done by having more manpower for the Central Industrial Security Force as the passenger footfall is increasing gradually in the Metro,” officials said.

An estimated 26 lakh people take the Delhi Metro everyday to travel in and around the national capital and its adjoining areas.

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