Delhi Metro has blueprint for low-cost rail projects: MD

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has prepared a detailed report to implement metro rail projects in tier-2 cities at costs lower than those incurred by major metros, even as there is increased demand for metro rail in smaller cities.

“We can implement metro rail tier-2 cities at 70 per cent of the cost incurred in major cities,” said Mangu Singh, Managing Director, DMRC, at the flagging off function of the first train sets for Kochi Metro.

DMRC is the general consultant implementing the Kochi Metro project, and has been involved in similar projects across the country.

“We have gained enough expertise to implement metro rail projects at lower cost in tier-2 cities such as Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode in Kerala,” he said.

M Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister for Urban Development, Parliamentary ýAffairs, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, later told newspersons that a report has been submitted by DMRC to the Ministry on implementing metro rail at lower cost in tier-2 cities, but he had not gone through it.

One km of underground metro rail cost ₹400 crore while the cost is half for elevated line, Naidu siad.

Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) on Saturday received the first set of 25 trains for Kochi Metro from the French company Alstom, which has also supplied coaches for the Chennai Metro Rail.

The order was placed in August 2014, and the company delivered the first train set from its plant inside Sri City industrial park, 70 km to the north of Chennai.

The coaches have been manufactured at a tendered cost of ₹632.95 crore. All the 25 trains will be delivered by April 2017.

Elias George, Managing Director, KMRL, said the metro cars have been manufactured end-to-end by Alstom in India and are delivered ahead of schedule in a record time of 15 months. “It is a truly Made in India product,” he said. “I am told by Alstom officials that nearly 70 per cent of the raw materials were sourced locally,” he said.

Speaking at the flag off event, Naidu said growing volumes of private vehicles, congestion and pollution are serious urban challenges. On Friday, the Delhi government introduced the ‘odd-even’ number policy. This policy is a statement of anguish over the state of affairs in the national capital. “Yes, it was a desperate solution being tried out for a desperate problem,” he said.

Though the opinion was divided on the way the odd-even number policy has been introduced, it needs to be tried out. “We will see out over the next two weeks. From this, all stakeholders, including the people, can draw lessons for charting the future course of action,” he said.

Centre is moving ahead with great strides in implementing public transport and Mass Rapid Transit Systems — starting with 8 km in 2002, now Delhi has 213 km of operational metro in the city, he said.

At present, Metro Railways are under implementation in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Gurgoan, Nagpur and Ahmedabad. Out of these, operations have commenced in 312 km. Over 600 km of metro rail is now under construction and another 600 km are under consideration by various State governments, he said.

“The rolling out of the Kochi Metro is a happy start for 2016. This is a part of our efforts to improve public transport in the country. Metro is the flavour of the season now. Every State wants to implement the Metro,” he said.

According to Jean Francois Beaudoin, Deputy Senior Vice-President, Alstom, the Kochi Metro rail coaches were conceptualised, designed and manufactured entirely in India. “It is truly Made in India product for India,” he said.

For Chennai Metro, the initial set of coaches was manufactured at Alstom’s Sao Paulo plant in Brazil, and subsequently in Sri City.