RAILWAY SAMACHAR

Technical experts rule out

feasibility of running bullet train

PATNA: The dream project of railway minister Lalu Prasad as announced in the current interim railway budget that there are plans to run bullet trains in the country is likely to prove a chimera for the Indian Railways. Technical experts of the railways rule out its feasibility on various grounds. Lalu has proposed to run high speed bullet trains on six routes, including Patna-New Delhi. The railways have about 60,000 km of tracks across the country. But the track condition is not conducive to run bullet trains or any other fast trains which will run at 150 kmph or more. It is merely a dream to think of running bullet trains on the Indian Railway tracks in the present condition, feels a technical expert of the railways. Bullet trains are specially designed to run at the maximum speed of 250 or 300kmph in foreign countries. Apart from a separate infrastructure, dedicated highspeed tracks are required to run bullet trains which are economically not viablenow. Moreover, no goods trains will run on the special tracks of bullet trains due to safety point of view which is not possible here, said a technical expertand former chief engineer of railways G N Sahay. According to him, the maximum permissible speed is 150 kmph on the Delhi-Gawalior route followed by Delhi-Ahmedabad and Ahmedabad-Mumbai routes. There are instances when accidents occurred due to higher than permissible speed of trains across the country, he said. To run bullet trains, the railways will have to lay separate tracks of super high quality. The entire route must be fenced and it has to be ensured that there isno railway crossing levels on the route of bullet trains. The railways will haveto adopt cab signalling system too. About 38,000 crossing levels are located at different routes in the country. Butthe Patna-Delhi route is heavily dotted with crossing levels, the technical expert said. According to Sahay, the railways will need about Rs 10,000 crore to build the infrastructure on a particular route. Besides, maintenance of bullet trains isvery costly, particularly of its loco motives. When a bullet train leaves its originating station, tracks are cleared up to its destination point. This is not feasible here in the sense that bullet trains cannot run at one stretch nor isit a substitute for air traffic in the country, he said. According to sources, a high-level team of technical experts from Japan and France had carried out a survey to run bullet trains in the country in 2001.However, these technical experts ruled out its feasibility on various technical and safety grounds, too. Since then the feasibility of bullet train in the country has become a million dollar question with most of technical expertsruling out the slightest possibility of its running in the country, sources said.

Light Rail Transit System launched

Kolkata : Projects today reported that Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharya CM of West Bengal launched a Light Rail Transit System at Kolkata on February 18th 2009. Kolkata Mass Rapid Transit, a SPV promoted by a consortium led by Srei Infrastructure, West Bengal Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation andCzech based Amex International, the technology partner has been floated toimplement the project. As per report, the INR 6,000 crore projects will be implemented in 2 phases andis expected to be completed within four to 5 years from commencement of construction. The LRTS project will stretch over 40 kilometer and will comprise two corridors namely Joka to Esplanade and the Esplanade to Barrackpore sector. The air conditioned LRTS will start from north and end at the southern part ofthe city through central district connecting 37 stations including Taratala,Khidderpore, AJC Bose Road, Park Street, Esplanade, Sealdah, Shyambazar, Dunlop, Khardha, Titagarh and Barrackpore. However, the state government will also announce a INR 4,676 crore East WestMetro Rail project on February 22nd 2009 along with a 46 kilometer 4 lane elevated Ring Road across the city costing INR 6,000 crore. East West Metro and the LRTS will be linked at Sealdah in central Kolkata. Consulting Engineering Services will be preparing the DPR for the LRT that willalso include figuring out a system by which passengers could seamlessly passfrom the LRT to the new Metro link. The DPR is expected by September after whichthe project will go to JNNURM for viability gap funding. (Sourced from Projects Today)

Hyderabad Metro on bumpy track

Hyderabad : Hyderabad Metro Rail Project has become uncertain after the Centre decided to take over the Maytas firms. Maytas Infrastructure Limited, headed by Mr Teja Raju, elder son of Mr B Ramalinga Rajuhad bagged the INR 12,132 crore project last August. The Maytas consortium's model of public private partnership was dubbed by the Andhra Pradesh Government as innovative and unique based on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer of the 71 kilometer long metro rail. The consortium comprises Navabharat Ventures Limited, Maytas Infra Limited, Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited and Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited. Though, the consortium is still intact, Maytas Infra was finding it hard to achieve financial closure. an official of Hyderabad Metro Rail said that "The state Government felt that Maytas had time till March 31st to achieve financial closure but the firm is in trouble after Ramalinga Raju revealed the Satyam fraud. Now that the Centre has taken over, the project becomes uncertain because it will take time to complete the legal formalities to hand over to a new boardto be appointed by the Centre."The project had courted controversy right from the beginning. Mr E Shreedharan MD of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation had expressed reservations and doubts over the viability of the project. As per Maytas model, the Andhra Pradesh Government didn't have to spend a single penny on the project. Instead, the Maytas Metro Limited which would have spent INR 12,132 crore to build the elevated metro rail would also have paid the Government for being allowed to execute the project. Over the 35 years concession period of the project, Maytas would pay the state INR 30,311 crore asa payback, INR 11 crore on signing of the agreement, INR 50 crore on achieving financial closure, INR 200 crore in the 4 year, INR 100 crore a year from 7 to 9 year and, INR 1,750 crore from 18th to 34th year. The Maytas hoped to generate its revenues by developing prime real estate and leasing space for commercial use along the elevated project, at stake was nearly 18 million square feet of virtual space or 269 acres available at 66 stations and three depots along the 71 kilometer metro rail. Maytas planned to develop shopping malls, multiplexes, residential apartments, office spaces etc within the applicable laws, and give them on lease. (Sourced from Express News Service)

MH Govt. may take up the Phase II of metro

Mumbai : Projects Today reported that the Maharashtra Government may have to opt for Delhi model to implement the Phase II of Mumbai metro project as the ongoing credit crunch has kept the bidders away from the proposed rail link project. As per report, the Delhi model will entail government funding while the PPP model will mean that the private sector plays a leading role in funding, constructing and operating the line. Phase II project route stretch from Charkop to Bandra to Mankhurd which is to be implemented on PPP basis has failed to attract bidders despite of the fact thatthe bidders were granted extra time. The Phase II project is estimated to cost INR 6,500 crore. (Sourced from Projects Today)