Metro Rail Projects in India

Mumbai Metro line 3 project estimated to cost Rs 7,000 crore more

The line 3 of Mumbai Metro is expected to cost Rs 30,000 crore. The earlier estimate, based on a detailed project report (DPR) from 2011, was Rs 23,136 crore.

“There is a gap between the approved cost and the actual completion cost. There is a provision to allow for revised costs, and we have already initiated that process. The gap is for the value of time loss and some changes that occur while implementing the project on ground,” said Ashwini Bhide, managing director, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC).

At 33.5 km, line 3 is the longest corridor of the Mumbai metro. The fully underground stretch runs along Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ. The MMRC is the nodal agency for constructing this line.

The project is being financed through a mix of debt from Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), equal equity contribution from the central and state governments, and additional subordinate debt.

Bhide said the project was on time to be completed by 2021 as planned, but if a proposed depot at the Aarey Colony was delayed, there could be a problem. The metro project has faced protests over this depot in the western suburb of Mumbai. Green activists claim the construction of the depot will destroy green cover in the area.

Bhide said the allegation was baseless and the disputed stretch had been classified as grazing land. The MMRC now awaits clearance from the Tree Authority to cut some tree and construct the metro depot.

“It is crucial because our operations start from there. By the end of 2020, the first train will arrive, for which depot needs to be ready,” Bhide said. She added, “Earlier we had a cushion (for delay in clearance), which is now wiped out completely.”

Bhide expects 80 per cent of the Metro line’s tunneling work to be completed by December this year.

“Some additional tunneling will be completed by March–April next year. Station works are at different stages (of completion) and progressing well,” she said.
 
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CBTC: The Technology behind Driverless Train.

By 2030, 5o Indian cities are expected to run on the mass rapid transport system. More people will migrate to cities in coming decades taking global city dwellers population to 6.4 billion. Conventional urban transport systems will not able to cope with the changes about ‘how and when we move’. The capacity of mass transit systems can rarely be expanded to the extent actually necessary in that case. In order to make more efficient use of existing infrastructure, existing metro lines are being modernised and increasing equipped with automated train control and safety system. More than 40 cities globally have adopted automated driverless metro trains. In India, demand for driverless metro train technology is very high. What makes automation possible in trains?
The technology behind driverless trains in called Communication Based Train Control (CBTC). CBTC technology operates through the communication between the train and equipment on the track for managing traffic. It helps identify the exact position of a train more accurately than traditional methods which depend on signal systems. The CBTC is going to be a radical move in the nation’s rail transport by displacing the presence of the loco pilot in the train. It ensures efficiency and safety of the metro in a truly international style.
Conventional metro rail requires signalling and intervention of train pilot. Whereas, the function of CBTC enabled trains is completely data based. In most CBTC rail networks, data between trains and trackside equipment are transferred using wireless communication networks, such as global system for mobile communications-railway (GSM-R) and wireless local area network (WLAN). For urban mass transit systems, WLAN is a better choice due to the availability of equipment. WLAN-based CBTC has been deployed across the major cities of the globe. In India, WLAN-based CBTC is under process in Kochi Metro Phase 1 and Delhi Metro line 8. Other Indian cities namely Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad etc also plan to deploy driverless train technology.
In megacities like Mumbai, Delhi, Beijing and Tokyo, the number of people travelling during peak hours in very high. On automated lines, trains can run at a very short interval one after another. The capacity of an existing track can be increased by almost 50%. The difference of 90 seconds between trains is feasible. Additional trains can be deployed depending upon the need without disturbing the original timetable.
To make driverless train tech possible, additional systems like platform screens, platform track monitoring system, remote sensing and intrusion avoidance is a must. These systems eliminate the risk of fatality on tracks and improve system efficiency. If passenger pulls an emergency brake, the situation in the train can be accessed by control centre with the aid of passenger area surveillance. Since the train is connected to control centre through LAN, necessary measures can be taken to avoid any further incidence. Smoke detectors inside the train and on the track report to control room in case of fire and the train is halted at next stop.
Driverless trains are energy efficient due to optimised acceleration, traction and smooth braking. On the basis of line data, the automated system calculates exactly where and how the train should be accelerated or braked to arrive it punctually at next stop. Former train pilot can work as train attendant to service passengers and can act immediately during emergencies.
According to Union Internationale des Transports Publicis (UITP), by 2025 some 2300km of driverless metro lines will be operational in the world, compared with around 800km today. The increasingly widespread use of CBTC enabled transport systems along with rising standard of living in developing countries will encourage the competitiveness of automated technology. Almost all upcoming metro projects in India will run on driverless train tech. Kochi Metro was the first to implement CBTC followed by Delhi Metro Line 8. Mumbai Metro is expected to break global records as upcoming Line 2, Line 3, Line 4 and Line 7 have already issued financial bids to induct CBTC enabled trains. Today, most driverless trains run in Europe and the middle east. That is about to change as winds of automation are soon heading to India and China.
– Chaitanya Kulkarni

Alstom bags Rs 700 crore CBTC order for Mumbai and Pune Metro project.

@anant_s @Ankit Kumar @Amal
 
Mumbai CSIA T2 Metro station under construction. You can see the tubes at the end which has been dug by the TBMs, the platform, and pillars being constructed which will hold up the roof before it all gets 'covered up'.


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Mumbai Metro: 50 Per Cent Tunnelling Completed On 56 KM-Long Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Corridor’s Underground Line

by Swarajya Staff, Jun 10 2019, 7:52 pm,
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MMRC has worked in full steam with the help of 17 TBMs to tunnel the city, and are working towards the next 19 breakthroughs on the 33.5 km long metro-3 alignment.(Image via @rajtoday/Twitter) (representative image)

Mumbai’s first underground metro rail line has seen breakthrough as 28-km (50 per cent) tunnelling of Line 3 has been completed in a period 19 months. The Mumbai Metro 3, or line 3 is a 56-km line on the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ corridor.

The breakthrough was revealed by journalist Rajendra B. Aklekar on Twitter. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) launched the first tunnel boring machine (TBM)- Krishna-1 at Naya Nagar, Mahim in September 2017.

Since then the MMRC has worked in full steam with the help of 17 TBMs to tunnel the city, and are working towards the next 19 breakthroughs on the 33.5 km long metro-3 alignment.


There are 12 launching shafts to facilitate tunneling at Cuffe Parade, Eros Cinema, Azad Maidan, Science Museum, Siddhivinayak, Naya Nagar, BKC, Vidyanagari, Pali Ground, Sariput Nagar, Sahar Road, International Airport T2.
— Rajendra B. Aklekar (@rajtoday) June 10, 2019



The first breakthrough on alignment came in September 2018, followed by 12 more breakthroughs achieved at SEEPZ, CSIA T2, Sahar Station, MIDC, Domestic Airport T1, Dadar, Worli, Vidyanagari and Vidhan Bhavan over the next eight months till May 2019.

The longest line of tunnelling completed is the 3.9 km-long stretch between Vidyanagari and the Domestic Airport, and the shortest line is the 562-meter long Sariput Nagar to SEEPZ stretch. Totally, 19,504 segment rings were used to tunnel the completed 28 km stretch.

Mumbai Metro: 50 Per Cent Tunnelling Completed On 56 KM-Long Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Corridor’s Underground Line
 
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Transport revolution in India! Modi government bets on Metrolite train network for smaller cities; top facts

By: Debjit Sinha | New Delhi | Published: July 23, 2019 3:52:42 PM

Metrolite project: The proposed Metrolite system involves less capital cost, operation and maintenance expenditures compared to a regular Metro network. These specifications can make the system more viable for smaller cities.
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The success of Delhi Metro has paved the way for the exponential growth of the rapid mass transit systems in several big cities across India.

India bets on ‘Metrolite’ systems for smaller cities! Following the unprecedented success of Delhi Metro, several big cities across India have started their own rapid mass transit systems. There is no doubt that metro networks have changed the way common people travel in these cities. Now, the Narendra Modi government wants to take forward the “success of metro rail” to cities with less ridership. To provide the rail-based mass rapid transit system to people in these cities, the central government was planning to bring in Light Urban Rail Transit System named “Metrolite” with lesser capacity at much less cost.

Top details about light urban rail transit system ‘Metrolite’ project

  • Cost-effective: The proposed Metrolite system involves less capital cost, operation and maintenance expenditures compared to a regular Metro network. These specifications can make the system more viable for smaller cities.
  • The balance between road traffic, rail traffic: The proposed system will have a dedicated path. This dedicated path will separate the road traffic with Metro lite system. Apart from this, for segregation with road traffic, fencing would be provided on either side of the network.
  • Proposals have been made for an integrated road and rail signaling system. This could be provided with priority for Metrolite system. Traffic marshals can be posted initially at crossings to enforce discipline.
  • Municipal corporations of the concerned cities will be entrusted with the responsibility to identify all possible paths for providing at-least single-track operation of Metrolite trains between two parallel roads.
  • If the road width in the cities does not permit to have both lines; one line can be provided on a particular road and the other line can be provided on a parallel road also. As an alternative, the entire road can be closed for road transport and the only train can be operated with pedestrian plazas, as per proposals made by the Central government.
  • Proposals have been made that there won’t be any AFC gates, X-ray baggage scanner, Platform screen doors and DFMD (Door Frame Metal Detectorare) in the Metrolite shelter. Ticket validators could be installed inside the train and in shelters with NCMC (National Common Mobility Card) or another ticketing systems. There could be random checking and heavy penalty will be slapped on the passengers traveling without a valid ticket in the system.
  • Standard gauge of 1435 mm width can be adopted for the Metrolite system. The ballast-less track has been proposed in elevated sections and embedded track on road for At-grade sections.
  • Metrolite trains with a maximum 12T axle load is to be adopted for passenger peak hour peak direction traffic (PHPDT) capacity from 2,000 to 15,000. Up-to 300 number of Passenger loading for 3-coach train unit. Trains will be capable of travelling in elevated, at grade and tunnel sections, as per proposals.

Transport revolution in India! Modi government bets on Metrolite train network for smaller cities; top facts
 
India’s first underwater metro to start in Kolkata soon. Piyush Goyal tweets video

Piyush Goyal shared a video that talks about the engineering associated with the construction of the underwater metro tunnels.

Updated: Aug 08, 2019 20:24 IST
By Trisha Sengupta
Hindustan Times, New Delhi
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The entire project is about 16.6 km long. (Twitter/@PiyushGoyal)

Commuters in the City of Joy will soon be able to travel through India’s first underwater metro. Today, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal took to Twitter to announce that the metro will be built under Kolkata’s Hooghly river.

“India’s first underwater train will soon start running under the Hooghly River in Kolkata. This train is an example of excellent engineering of India and an evidence of the progress of Indian railways,” reads Goyal’s tweet when translated from Hindi. “This service will ensure comfortable transportation for Kolkata residents, and will also make the country proud,” he further added.

Along with the caption, Goyal also shared a video that talks about the engineering associated with the construction of the underwater metro tunnels.


Shared just a few hours ago, the post has amassed more than over 6,000 ‘likes’ and 1,400 retweets. The video, accompanying the tweet, has also gathered about 28,000 views.

People showered all kinds of comments on the post. “You are doing marvelous job. Congratulations,” wrote a Twitter user. “Thanks a lot for a great progress of Indian railway,” tweeted another. “It’s amazing. India’s 1st water underground train,” rejoiced a third.

The project, which is about 16.6 km long, connects Howrah to the west and Salt Lake to the east. Out of the entire length, 10.8 km runs under the ground. It’s 502 meters of this 10.8 km that will run under the Hooghly river.


India’s first underwater metro to start in Kolkata soon. Piyush Goyal tweets video
 
Pune Metro to have India’s 1st aluminium bodied rail coaches! 10 amazing facts to know

By: Nikita Prasad | Published: August 20, 2019 1:38:04 PM

Pune Metro coaches will be India's first aluminium-bodied coaches with Titagarh Firema winning the international bid for the design, supply, manufacture and commissioning of passenger rolling stock for the Pune Metro Rail Project.

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Artistic impressions of Pune Metro stations and coaches

Pune Metro on fast-track! The upcoming metro network in the city of Pune will have India’s first aluminium bodied metro rail coaches, giving a huge leap for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make In India’ initiative. Being targeted for operations by the year 2021-2022, the Pune Metro Rail project has been undertaken by the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha Metro). Maha Metro is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) of Government of India and the Government of Maharashtra. The Pune Metro network intends to develop world-class metro stations. With the recent project update of having technology-advanced, state-of-the-art metro coaches, it has raised a level for all rapid transit systems across the country. Some of the prominent facts and features about the Pune Metro coaches are as follows:

Pune Metro aluminium-bodied coaches: Top features
  • Pune Metro coaches will be India’s first aluminium-bodied coaches with Indian multinational Titagarh Firema winning the international bid for the design, supply, manufacture, testing and commissioning of passenger rolling stock for the Pune Metro Rail Project. Titagarh Firema, based in Kolkata, West Bengal will be supplying as many as 102 aluminium-bodied, lightweight metro rail coaches for the Pune Metro network.
  • According to Lalit Tejwani, Vice President, Passenger Transport and Electricals, Titagarh Wagons Limited the order is valued at Rs 1,100 crore and the contract is for a total of 34 train sets, having three cars each, which will be supplied in a span of 160 weeks. “The metro coaches will be built on the basis of Italian technology which will be manufactured in India for the first time,” Tejwani told Financial Express Online.
  • Once operational, the Pune Metro network, will serve the areas of Pune Central and its extended city limits of Pimpri and Chinchwad. The Pune Metro rail project comprises two lines. The 16.5 km line 1 extends from PCMC to Swargate having 14 metro stations, while the 14.6 km line 2 extends from Vanaz to Ramwadi having 16 metro stations.
  • The aluminium-bodied Pune Metro rail coaches will be able to achieve a maximum speed of 95 kmph and will have the capacity to accommodate as many as over 925 passengers. The coaches will also be equipped with a regenerative braking system.
  • These metro coaches will be fully air-conditioned with features such as humidity control, and will be provided with digital routes as well as station display, with its interiors matching international standards.
  • The next-generation aluminium coaches are more energy efficient and have better technical aesthetics. The coaches will have an emergency or panic button in order to ensure the safety of passengers. The passengers will also be able to speak to the train operator on board and to the emergency control at operation control center (OCC), if required.
  • During initial operations, the trains in Pune Metro will consist of three coaches which will be subsequently converted into six coaches as per the traffic requirement at later stages.
  • The Pune Metro coaches will be equipped with mobile and laptop charging facilities for passengers on board. CCTV cameras will also be installed in the coaches and metro trains will be monitored through regular operations.
  • The metro coaches will be aerodynamically as well as ergonomically designed with the exteriors beautified with vibrant folk art reflecting the strong historical and cultural heritage of Pune, Pimpri and Chinchwad areas.
  • The Pune Metro coaches will also be capable of functioning in driverless mode, however, Pune Metro’s operations will be with the duty of train drivers or operators.

Pune Metro to have India’s 1st aluminium bodied rail coaches! 10 amazing facts to know