Alstom’s facility in Sri City to manufacture trains for Chennai Metro Rail is likely to be commissioned before the year-end. The French company’s facility will start supplying trains in 2014. The exact date is yet to be finalised.
The new facility will support Alstom Transport SA and Alstom India‘s role in the Rs 1,471-crore order for the supply of 168 metro coaches for the Chennai Metro, said a company official.
At the facility, which is located 70 km north off Chennai in Andhra Pradesh, 33 trains for the Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) will be manufactured. Construction is progressing to plan. All machinery required for the factory ordered by Alstom is expected to arrive in time. Alstom will also build on capabilities and resources within India.
Recently, a high-level team of CMRL inspected the progress of the work at the facility. According to a CMRL source, at Sri City, civil work for the car body shell shed and fitting shed is complete. Machines for the welding school are getting ready.
To ensure a faster ramp-up of the project, nine train sets (36 metro cars) will be produced and tested by Alstom at its Lapa factory in Brazil. The remaining metro cars will be produced at Sri City.
Metro – on track
Tentatively, the first phase of the Rs 14,000-crore Chennai Metro Rail project is scheduled for completion in 2014-2015.
The Government of Tamil Nadu approved in principle two initial corridors in 2007. Nearly two years later, the Union Government approved the project.
Out of the total cost, the Central and State governments together are expected to contribute about 41per cent. The balance will be met by a loan granted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.