Metro Rail News - State Govt, Maha Metro and Indian Rly to execute MoU to run HSR trains

Jul 12,2018

It is good news for Indian Railway commuters to get High Speed Local Trains in four towns namely Bhandara, Wardha, Katol, and Ramtek. The government is planning to run the high-speed local trains between Nagpur and four nearby towns- Bhandara, Wardha, Katol, and Ramtek.

A Memorandum Of Understanding will be executed between Maharashtra government, Indian Railways and Maha Metro on July 16 for planning and execution of the project.

Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, Cabinet Minister Nitin Gadkari, Railway minister Piyush Goyal, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and other dignitaries will be present in MoU signing ceremony which will be organized at Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) Suresh Bhat Hall.

“The project would be first of its kind in the nation High speed fully air-conditioned coaches will run under the project. All formalities like timings, number of trips, revenue sharing pattern, special stations etc will be  decided after MoU”, said Dr. Brijesh Dixit, MD of Maha Metro.

At present the average speed from Nagpur city to Gondia passengers train is 50 km per hour while the Ramtek passenger train is 27 km per hour. To overcome the speed issue they are planning to run three-coach Electric Multiple Units (EMU) to these towns with four trains on each route.

They have planned to run EMU’s at 120 km per hour. However, the Maha metro will use existing tracks, platforms, signaling and etc of railways for the services.

Refuting allegation by former BJP MP and current MPCC vice-president Nana Patole and activist Prashant Pawar, “Maha metro will also have to start Pune Metro Rail’s priority section with rental coaches” said Dixit

Patole stated that Maha metro’s joyrides are only benefiting L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Limited(LTMRHL). He added that Maha metro is paying Rs.45 crore as hiring charge for six coaches to LTMRHL for three years.

“Coaches, signaling system etc are not made in the country, hence we are so dependent on foreign countries. We have to place orders only after getting loans. we are likely to get three coaches in September. It will take 6-7 months more for certification and etc. Till then we cannot wait and render the entire infrastructure unutilized” Patole said

“Coaches, signaling system etc are not made in the country, hence we are so dependent on foreign countries. We have to place orders only after getting loans. we are likely to get three coaches in September. It will take 6-7 months more for certification and etc. Till then we cannot wait and render the entire infrastructure unutilized” Patole said

Dixit added that payment of 15 crores has been made tp LTMRHL “we could not take coaches from Chennai as our platform’s design is for three coaches, while Chennai has a set of four coaches”

Dixit said one of two sets of three coaches each will be moved to Hingna-Subhash Nagar T point corridor once the work is completed.

He said Metro Rail will begin operation Manje Square in Sitabuldi and Kapri in March 2019.

On Wednesday, the elevated stretch between airport south station the Maha metro operated electrical shunting vehicle ‘Buland’. This is first of the elevated stretches where all the work have been completed and is ready for the trial run.

At a grade stretch, the Maha metro started metro rail joyrides between airport south and Khapri station in April.

After the conclusion of the MoU programme, the dignitaries will dedicate NMC’s newly commissioned sewage treatment plant (STP) having a capacity of 200 million liters per day (MLD) to the public.

Also, the civic body’s project to supply 150MLD treated sewage from the STP to Mahagenco’s Koradi and Khaparkheda thermal power stations will be announced. At the same time, bhoomipuja of waste-to-energy project will be performed.

At the cost of around Rs. 236 crores at Bhandewadi dumping yard the NMC had constructed the STP on PPP model through a consortium of three private companies, including city-based Vishvaraj Infrastructure Limited (VIL).

This is the MNC’s second STP after an earlier one with a capacity of 130 MLD, which was commissioned under the central government’s JNNURM scheme.

The civic body is already supplying 130MLD treated sewage to Koradi thermal power station. Now, the quantum will increase to 330MLD.

Under the waste-to-energy project, the private operator will produce 11.50MW power by treating 800 of the total 1,100 to tonnes of garbage generated from the city daily. The power will be supplied to MSEDCL.