Mumbai Metro One

A Chinese firm has bagged the first major order to supply trains for the Mumbai Metro at a cost of Rs 604 crore. The order is for the supply of 16 trains of four coaches each. CSR Nanjing Phuzen Rolling Stock Co Ltd of China will deliver the first train within 18 months and the rest within 24 months.CSR is known internationally and is about 100 years old. It had earlier had a collaboration with Alsthom.Mumbai Metro’s first line, Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar, will cost Rs 2,356 crore and will have 12 stations. Mumbai Metro One is a special purpose vehicle which is constructing the metro line and is owned by Reliance Energy Ltd, MMRDA and French multinational firm Veolia.

When contacted, a spokesperson of MMOPL claimed that this will ensure that the entire Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar (VAG) corridor of Mumbai metro would be completed on schedule. Their expectation is to have the entire 11.5-km stretch of the metro up and running by July, 2010. MMOPL will complete construction of the VAG corridor in a record 30 months. According to the official, the interiors of all the 16 trains will be designed and fitted locally. And each of their coaches is expected to have continuous seats along the side walls, as is the case with metro trains worldwide.Together, with standing room, the total passenger capacity would be around 375 per coach, with four coaches making up a train. All the trains would be fully airconditioned. They will take a call on fitting further fixtures like TV sets, intercom and other security systems later.MMOPL eventually plans to expand the 16 trains ordered on Tuesday to 18 later on – and that too – with 6 coaches each. Sources revealed the firm plans to install state-of-the-art communications and security systems in all trains, including intercom facility for communication with the driver/control centre that will have an option of live visual images through CCTV cameras for emergencies. All 12 stations on the VAG route will be equipped with escalators, built in the middle of existing roads with entry-exit on sides. Peak hours will see train services at intervals of 3.5 minutes with ticket rates comparable to use of existing transport.
Simultaneously, the MMRDA is set to call financial tenders for the now-delayed Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd corridor, the second corridor. While technical bids were received on August 8 last year, the perusal of these documents was put off and financial bidding delayed owing to indecision on whether the government should continue with the PPP model. While the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation, on the lines of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, was formed, the Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd corridor will now continue on the same model as the first route, with Metropolitan Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad stating that financial bids will now be invited soon.