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.

HBL