Exclusive Interview

Our Managing Editor, Narendra Shah have a conversation with Mr. Sandeep Gulati, MD, Egis India. Here are the edited excerpts:-

How has been your experience in India to the last 25 years?

SG: India has been one of the key markets for Egis. We started 25 years ago with only Roads and Highways, and today we are present in almost all the sectors that the group operates in.

India has a turnover of 40 million euros today. It is the fourth largest country in the group in terms of turnover. Looking at the potential, we are targeting to have a turnover of 75 million euros in India by 2027 , which means appx doubling in 5-6 years.

We have opened a design center in Gurgaon, India. The center would cater to the group’s international businesses. Design center of Egis in India is of great significance as it confirms India’s capabilities to deliver on world stage. Our capable workforce will get the opportunity to work for global projects and get the best training and skill development. This would be the company’s first-ever design center in Asia and 2nd in the world. Also, the group plans to make additional investments in the country. In the last 25 years, we have been part of some of the most iconic infra projects in the country which includes the Statue of Unity, Dam Rehabilitation and Implementation Program (DRIP), Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), almost all the major metro projects, three smart cities, three airports, to just name a few.

How did you see the growth of the Indian infra market?

SG: India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. And it has ambition to become a five trilliondollar

economy. The government has been consistently investing in infrastructure development in the last few years to realise this ambition. The latest Budget announcements are very encouraging, and Infrastructure will have a renewed push. As an example government has announced 100 new airports, development of green expressways, many new metro projects- all this is very positive.

By 2050, around 50 % of the population in India will be living in urban areas. That means around half the population will continue to live in semi-urban & rural areas. There is a lot of investment required for 24X7 potable water, road connectivity, rail connectivity, station developments, which have just only started. Therefore, when I see India, I see an excellent infra market that will thrive and grow for many years to come.

Egis has opened a design centre in Gurgaon, India. How it accelerates the transport infra?

SG: The design centre is started with the purpose to serve our global clients from India. It will help Egis India in two ways. Firstly, it would offer our Indian engineers an opportunity to work on global projects and, therefore, upskill. Secondly, it would offer the group the obvious cost advantage and best quality to be competitive worldwide.

What are the focus areas for egis in India?

SG: The idea is to grow in all the domains, but more specifically, in the rail domain – both urban transport like Metro projects as well as in Conventional rail like High/Semi Speed. Another promising area is water domain, both Urban and Rural Water, Water Resources, Waste Management, Desalination etc. Hence we are keen to focus on these two domains in the years to come.

What is your view on Atmanirbhar Bharat Policy?

SG: The Atmanirbhar Bharat Policy in principle is what every developing country should aspire for to be a developed nation. Our design centre, in a way, is what Atmanirbhar Bharat Policy is in essence, where we are finding a balance between global opportunities and local talent for a symbiotic relation, where both benefit from the association. We must focus on capability building and getting the nest in class technology so that India can deliver on world stage.

Govt is going to invest the 2 lakh cr in Metro, Railway and RRTS Project in India. How it helps the Metro & Railway Sector?

SG: India is a large country with a huge population. The rail sector is already a popular mode of transport for both goods and passengers. Metro is a preferred mode of transport in key cities and upgradation is in process. Obviously, this investment by the government will help the sector by attracting the best talent and best technology available in the market, thereby increasing the chances of having world-class infrastructure. SG: Infrastructure investments will play a very key role in the recovery. Infrastructure is an employmentintensive sector; therefore, it will generate many jobs in a very short span of time, including blue and whitecollar jobs.

Aviation sector has suffered greatly in the lockdown; how do we see the sector doing in future?

SG: Yes, the Aviation sector has suffered. But I feel the recovery will be strong once the threat from pandemic subsides. Leisure travel has already started, and business travel will follow soon. So I am looking at happier days in Aviation.

How many metro project Egis is currently associated?

SG: In India, Egis is currently associated with Chennai Metro, Mumbai Metroline 3, Kochi Metro, Kolkata Metro, Nagpur Metro, Delhi Metro and Pune metro.

How do you see the post covid recovery in the country and what role will infrastructure play in that?

One of the world’s top five heavy engineering and construction companies of the world L&T (Larsen and Toubro) does not need any introduction. The prestigious Indian multinational technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and financial services conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, has already made significant strides in most of the sectors of greater importance like defence and aerospace in India and abroad and is well contributing to growth and development of the country.

As of 2020, L&T Group comprises 118 subsidiaries, 6 associates, 25 joint-venture and 35 joint operations companies. A business of this size and scale needs an immaculate leadership to lead in a way worth inspiration and learning for the others.

Needless to say that it really demanding to be one of the key members of a company of such diversity and demand reaching capability in a rapidly growing, competitive and technologydriven market.

Mr. S.N Subrahmanyan is the new Chief Executive Officer & Managing director of Larsen & Toubro. In an exclusive interview to E.T. Now Rise with India Program, He in India Economic Conclave unambiguously shared his opinion on various issues like his long term vision for L&T, building infrastructure for the decade, measures to make India more selfreliant, opportunities and threats in next decade.

Below is a brief profile of Mr. S.N Subrahmanyan:

Ans (S.N.S): S.N Subrahmanyan the present CEO & M.D. of Larsen & Toubro is also the Vice Chairman on the boards of LTI, L&T Technology Services & Mindtree and Chairman of L&T Metro rail (Hyderabad) Limited. SNS, as popularly called in his close fraternity and corporate world he also serves on the board of directors of this multi billion dollar conglomerate. Prior to taking over the reins of L&T as CEO & M.D. in July 2017, Mr. Subrahmanyan in his capacity

led L&T’s infrastructure business to its position as the country’s largest construction organisation and 14th in the world.

He is now responsible for leading the breadth and width of L&T’s considerable business interests to new growth levels, riding on the enormous benefits of digitalisation, big data, and predictive analysis that he drives internally with exceptional zeal. He places a premium on innovation, project management and talent development, particularly in leadership roles. Hailing from Chennai, India, Mr. Subrahmanyan commenced his professional journey with L&T in 1984 as a project planning engineer armed with a degree in civil engineering and a postgraduation in business management. Mentored by stalwarts, he took on roles of increasing responsibility across business verticals. With an entrepreneurial mindset, drive, and foresight, he began to rewrite the rules of the game.

He led L&T’s foray into the realm of executing developmental projects starting with the extremely successful HITEC City project in Hyderabad and the Bangalore International Airport, forging deals in the process without precedent in the construction space. Successfully setting up the Ready Mix business in India for the first time, bagging mandates to design & build all major international airports in India, venturing into untapped geographies like the Middle East, Africa & ASEAN to establish L&T’s credentials and presence and building long-term relationships came easy to him.Under his leadership, L&T has transformed itself into a company that executes a wide range of projects at speed & scale and in the process, builds the tallest, largest, longest, smartest, and most complex.

L&T is among the three Indian companies to feature in the top 46 most honoured companies according to the New York based B2B publication. The company was recognised as a remarkable institutional investor and as the Company of the Year by business publication - Business Standard in 2020. L&T has also featured on the Forbes list as one of the world’s best employers.

In 2020, Mr. Subrahmanyan was ranked as the Top CEO (Sell Side) and the 3 rd Best CEO (Overall) in the All-Asia Executive Team Survey conducted by Institutional Investor and recognised as the CEO of the Year by the leading Indian news channel, CNBC-Awaaz. He has been conferred the Emergent CEO Award at the CEO Awards in 2019 for his exemplary leadership and for delivering seamless growth for L&T. Mr. S.N Subrahmanyan earned the 13th position in the Construction Week Power 100 Ranking for 2019, that had previously recognised him as the Infrastructure Person of the Year for 2012. He has also been accorded the Leading Engineering Personality award by the Institution of Engineers (India) in 2014. He holds positions of preeminence on various industry bodies, construction institutions and councils.

In February 2021, he was appointed Chairman of the National Safety Council (NSC) for three years by the Union Ministry of Labour & Employment. In this role he shall guide the NSC,which has a major part to play to ensure safety in workplaces under the new Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (OSH Code, 2020).

Metro Rail News tries to go for an indepth analysis of the big interview conducted by E.T. News in their rise In India program. The tech stalwart Mr. S.N Subhramanyan explicitly shared his views on numerous issues related to glitches, delays in project, project overrun costs and projects failure in India, reforms required, reforms undertaken, selection of the contractor, bidding process, India’s Corporate Sector, nepotism, nationalistic approach through Aatmnirbhar Bharat, posing challenge to Chinese voyage in terms of manufacturing and number of other issues the boss of L&T had it all and gave enlightening comments on various aspects he was queried on and had a discussion.

A must read the interview for tech giants, EPC players, policymakers who vision to transform India into a self-reliant and a country of elite recognition in terms of capabilities in infrastructure development and fruition of projects requiring extraordinary calibre and zeal.

Below is the detailing... (Inputs as received from E.T. News)

Topic/Issue : Engineering, procurement & construction, sustainability.

Question (E.T. Now): How is it that you have been a part of India’s story for decades? How do you think India can achieve its objective of reforming, performing as well as transforming?

Ans (S.N.S): A series of processes going on many decades, and some fantastic leaders have built this platform called L&T and have taken it to where it is now. We see many other players coming up in this space but to have that kind of deep-rooted engineering, technology methods, the frontline, the training centres, the capability, the deep-rooted methodologies, and people we have embedded within the system takes a lot of hard work. It also requires lots of gutsy and major decisions. EPC is principally a risky area. You enter into engineering procurement and contract with an organisation to deliver planned infrastructure. You are taking a lot of risks. These risks include engineering risks, performance risks, process risk, delivery risks and finally, testing commissioning and handing over. Unless the organisation has gone through it multitudes of times, it does not generate the confidence within itself to deliver it. Worldwide we have seen many EPC companies disappear. Thanks to good luck and God’s blessings, we continue to thrive in this.

Topic/Issue : Growth of L&T, Staffing, Management, Role of various sectors, MSMEs etc.

Question (E.T. Now): The government has been very successful when it comes to the Make in India initiative. A plethora of announcements as well was made in the budget as well on this front itself. L&T is now at the forefront of selfreliant India. What more do you believe needs to be done on this front?

Answer (S.N.S): In the world of EPC, to be 100% self-reliant is always a bit difficult. There are certain processes and deeprooted engineering knowledge that we do not possess and in certain areas we do. We have to depend on the world’s leading engineering and process companies that know the space of hydrocarbon, metal, and specialised metals. It will continue to be like that because everybody need not go to the moon. We know we have access to it, and we make use of it.

But the fact is that an organisation like us has worked with many of the leading processes and engineering companies in the world and therefore, we have an excellent association with them. We have done projects with them. We have gone

through the ups and downs and goods and bads, and therefore the relationship helps us to continue developing on it to produce a total EPC solution. But what we need to see is beyond process and engineering.

Of the engineering capabilities Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has built, not much is known to the outside world but we have more than 7,000 engineers working within the various verticals of L&T and to an extent, we would be one of the largest engineering companies in the world. We do these services more for our own projects. We hardly do any consultancy outside. But if we were a constant company, we were also one of the largest engineering companies in this part of the world. Apart from that we have our L&T Technology Services which takes engineering to the outside world including process engineering and certain aspects and they have nearly 15,000 engineers working for them. So in a way we are one of the largest pureplay engineering companies beyond being engineers and contractors. Now having said this as we go forward, beyond engineering this procurement and contracting, I think in EPC, anything that anybody can do, we can do in India and even better. In procurement, there are certain specialised equipments and such which one can do in India but at the same time, there is not much economy of scale because that kind of development is not there. So for some of these processed equipment where there are patents, we may have to buy. But to a large extent -- nearly 90-95% -- we are quite capable of handling our needs. We are quite capable of making in India and not only by us but along with the ecosystem of partners, MSMEs, SMEs we are able to do it in India. This says a lot for the way we have propelled ourselves as an EPC organisation. execution or delays. What are some of the key challenges in this that you foresee, what needs to be done?

Topic/Issue : Project delays, selection of EPC players, dilution of the prequalification process, gradation of the contractors, raising competition in construction sector, cost overrun, land acquisition, resorting to disputes and arbitrations, cash flow management of the contractors, decision making EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW process in construction sector, etc. Question (E.T. Now): We have seen the infrastructure story in India grow multifold. There continues to still be some amount of glitches in terms of Answer (S.N.S): Much of the problems in infrastructure is because of delays that occur due to various reasons and also the way we go about choosing EPC players. My deep-rooted belief has worked in India and the Middle East and certain other continents, including Africa and to some extent in the Far East, and a lot of the emphasis has to be placed on how you prequalify the partner that you want to deliver you EPC. The unfortunate situation in India that we have gone on to for obvious reasons into the L-1 method of choosing a contractor, maybe rightly so but then the way you choose L-1 is important. Now, if you allow joint ventures, if you allow unsolicited dilution of prequalification criteria and qualify one and all, somebody can always become L-1 but may not necessarily be the rightly prequalified contractor become L1. We have seen umpteen projects get very badly delayed going into disputes and court cases and such and the government system may not be able to easily onboard and remove a contractor and then the project gets extremely badly delayed and a poor country like us cannot afford the kind of cost increases that take place so enormous emphasis has to be placed on pre qualifications. It is possible that in some crucial jobs etc only one company could get prequalified. So be it, it happens in many countries, there is nothing wrong in having one company prequalify. So in such cases what you do is you have a gradation of contractors, for certain types and value of work you have certain types of contractors doing it, if two-three of them have done it very very well, you take them to the next value and then the next value and so on and so forth so ultimately at some point of time you will have two or three or five L&Ts working in this country It is not that we are afraid of competition; we face competition in every aspect of our lives. That that is fair enough but there is a method. It is competing with somebody who has the knowledge. We have to get into the right way of doing things. First of all, we have to see that projects are done properly and on time. Second is land acquisition and clearances. In many cases one gets into a job and then you find the land clearance is not done, right of way is still not done and all this creates a lot of time and cost overrun which can be avoided if proper planning and proper thought through is done prior. The next point of course would be after you get the job. There are scope of changes or deviations or alignment changes or multiple authorities working at cross purposes and therefore you have to stop and find the right balancing to get to do a job and naturally if time delays their having mobilised the resources are very much there, the cost is ticking along, working capital is ticking along and you need change orders and such and which again leads to cost increases. The other important thing which is really hitting us nowadays is the frequent resorting to disputes and arbitrations which are also not ordered and some of them go to court and much of them go to court and the court system works in its own way and takes 10-12 years to get a decision.

I am not sure that is the right way to do commercial projects; profit delayed is profit denied, cash flow delayed is cash flow denied and many companies have seen very bad situations due to cash flow management because in a project there are plant and money that do not get labour, material and plan can be mobilised with the contractor but money has to be given by the client. So money does not flow in the way it ought to. One cannot keep on taking money from other jobs and putting it into one bad job because the decision is not being made there, thereby destroying the entire P&L and balance sheet. I think this is happening quite often nowadays. Some mind application has to be done whereby much of the matters are not sent to disputes, it is sort of sorted out across the table.

Second, if even it is taken to disputes you cannot have a conciliation process, the dispute process and arbitration process and then the lower court to high court to Supreme Court, nobody can survive this process. There has to be a method by which if a dispute is settled in whosever favour the other party has to agree to it, under very rare circumstances that should be allowed to go to arbitration. Arbitrations have to be completed within a year and there is a NITI Aayog rule which clearly states that 75% of the money has to be paid to the contractor or the client whoever wins the disputes 9/10 it is the contractor, the money has to be paid to move on, not being done in the manner it ought to. We have also raised it in many forums. I have personally raised it but this is something which we

need to see how to make the system work in a more evolutionary manner, in a positive manner and in a manner by which projects benefit by taking quick decisions. And if that can be done I think many of the issues that we have will get sorted out.

Last but not least when you start a project whether in whichever form, whether it is a private client or the government the financial closure ought to be done. Sometimes we have done projects fast enough but the budget allocation is not there and it has to wait for the next year and sometimes there is a dispute on the budget within the departments on where what has to be allocated and projects have suffered because of want of money. Sometimes a change of government takes place and priorities change, contracts are not honoured or the shifting of budget takes place, such if can be avoided it is much healthier from an overall ecosystem point of view, it gives a better feeling to how we take forward projects. At the end of the day, we are a hungry country and we need investments, we need projects in whichever, whatever form one does it, it is always good and whatever project is done is always good that is the way we view it.

Topic/Issues : Future prospects, investment in IDPL, Hyderabad Metro, I.T. business, EPC, Defence and Service sector of L&T, Green Portfolio of the company.

Question (E.T. Now): What would then be your long term vision for the company and what would be your message to shareholders as well from a longer-term perspective?

Ans (S.N.S): No, much of the vision had been set in motion before I assumed my particular seat here. Mr Naik has deeprooted thoughts and set the company on a particular track and method. Much of the heavy investments that we need to do -- be it heavy engineering facilities in Hazira, the huge power factories for making turbine and boiler in Hazira, the yards at Sohar, Hazira and Kattupalli for fabrication and for both normal and modular fabrication, the factories in Coimbatore, the shipbuilding facilities at Kattupalli and fabrication yard and the other factories and also the land towards I.T. expansions whether it is at Baroda, Mysore, Bombay or Chennai -- have all been put into place. To that extent, my work in that kind of visionary thing is less and therefore my immediate priorities are to concentrate on sweating the assets out to maximising the output that we can get from the assets that we have created. Some of these investments have not gone well, especially the investments in IDPL, the investments that we have done in Hyderabad Metro, certain heavy investments that we have done for the shop, on Hydel plant etc. We are trying to move these assets out of our balance sheet by finding a good place to house them. It is a work in progress and I guess in a year or two that ought to be done. My emphasis has been more on the services side. So we acquired MindTree recently, it has done quite well and the company has got well integrated with us a new leadership team there. We acquired smaller I.T. companies of platforms, digital, IoT and sales force of such natures it helps us to propel our I.T. businesses much further and in a more efficient manner. We have been placing more emphasis on engineering. So that is the way we look at it. So you look at L&T today it is 65- 70% EPC and projects, 10% manufacturing and precision engineering and defence and the rest is services which is all the three I.T. companies; L&T Finance and if you want to call real estate service.

So my emphasis has been to push the services a little faster than what they were growing so far and that will continue to be my emphasis. If we find good opportunities, both organic and inorganic -- we will pursue that and to sweat the assets of EPC project side to whatever extent we can to become more global in nature and we will continue on that path as we see it. One other thing that we have been looking at very seriously is also the green portfolio. Not much is known but we are a large green player. We are the largest solar EPC in the country. We do about 550 to 600 megawatts every year. Now with the solar business, we have also gone to the Middle East. We have the largest contractors of Hydel projects in the country. We have five to six projects going on at the moment. We are the largest contractors of nuclear power plants in the country. We have at least two projects going on at the moment. We are seriously thinking - We are the largest contractors of nuclear power plants in the country. We have at least two projects going on at the moment. We are seriously thinking - we are the largest contractors of FGD, the fluid gas desulfurization units for coalfired power plants. We are nearly 40-45% of the market share of that business. We are seriously thinking of looking at green hydrogen, which is the hydrolysis of water and producing hydrogen that is a business that we are seriously looking at. Carbon capture is another theme that we have been working on but the process involved is still very costly unless, we are applying our mind on it, we have some interesting talks going on with possible collaborators or solution providers. If something comes out of it we will look at it seriously. So in a way green is the way to go. All our offices and factories we are trying to make it as green as possible. We are in the process of doing it. There is a separate task force working on that within the company. And on the possible green initiatives of L&T, we have explained and if there is a good method to look at it from a business point of view we will take it forward as we go along. So this is probably one thought process that I thought I would mention.

Topic/Issues: Governance, GST, IVC Act, Government’s initiatives during Covid-19, Aaatmnirbhar Program, Chinese Incursion, Nationalist Feeling, Population, Employment etc.

Qstn (E.T. Now): How do you see the next 10 years panning out in terms of being a turning point for India? How do you think India can harness the opportunities to navigate the challenges?

Ans (S.N.S): One has to be practical out here to state the obvious right. We have had politically at the central level; we had a very fantastic seven-year of stability with the majority government being in place. I think there is a very big positive thing from a citizen point of view, from a business point of view and I think it is an extremely good thing that has happened to the nation. On top of it this government has been very bold in taking certain very far-reaching decisions to state a few the GST act, the one nation one tax act, I think it is a remarkable tax.

Earlier we used to have huge sales tax departments and to understand the sales tax of each state etc. has all gone now, we just have one nation one tax. The RERA act that has come in, the IBC

Act which is in play, the various measures that the government has taken towards easing the crisis that happened after the pandemic in terms of easing out interest rates reducing bank guarantee interest and easing out cash flows in many projects, putting in conciliation methods to sort out tough situations in many projects and contracts, easing bank restrictions, advancing loans to MSMEs and SMEs from their business point of view. The Aatmanirbhar programme, which I think is a phenomenal measure to make things more within the country, the nationalistic feeling which came in when the Chinese incurred did the incursion of the border many of us were buying products and other fabrication from China which has now all been shifted to within our country. I think the way we look at ourselves is totally different today, we are I think more self-confident and more positive as people and a nation. Of course, usual headlines on the paper on this keep going on because we are a vibrant democracy but from an overall point of view, I think all of us feel a lot more reassured, a lot more positive and a lot more self-confident in how we are going about life and our businesses. L&T is part of that, and it is a reflection of it. Even during this pandemic, we book the largest order in history - the high speed of $3.2 to $3.3 billion; we book the longest bridge ever Dhubri-Phulbari - the bridge in Assam Meghalaya border. We book the largest equipment order from a construction equipment point of view from Tata Steel, we book the largest head row refinery and FCCU order from HRRL Barmer and therefore in my view and there is a positive feeling, there is a positive intent during the pandemic many good things happened, and that is the way we look at it, and therefore I feel that many things that have been put into place. The fundamentals that have been created, the many reforms that have taken place in a quiet manner have laid the foundations for a very strong national development for the next 10-15 years and let us all be positive and do whatever we can to push this in a nice manner to take it forward to wear it out to go to. At the end of the day, the key thing - as we have a young burgeoning population and the key objective is to provide employment and more projects, more infrastructure - their people will get employment, we feel good about what we see around us and that is healthy and good from a national point of view that is the way I look at it.

Mumbai, the financial capital of India, has witnessed phenomenal growth in population and employment opportunities for approximately all class of the society in last few decades. The city continues to in habitat a very discrete group of people and the trend is expected to continue in the future. The job opportunities it offers has served as a major attraction for immigration from hinterland of Maharashtra as well as from all parts of the country.

Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) is one of the fast growing metropolitan regions in India. It comprises of 7 municipal corporations, 13 municipal councils and 996 villages and extends over an area of 4,355 sq. km. MMR is projected to have population and employment (both formal and informal) as 34.0 million and 15.3 million respectively by year 2031. The dominant feature of the passenger movements in Mumbai therefore, is overwhelming. Dependence of travel and daily commute on public transport modes is increasing day by day which requires alternative and modern means of transport system to be incorporated in the public transport domain to provide people a safe, comfortable, eco-friendly, clean and easy commuting option. In MMR, public transport systems are overcrowded and the road network is congested as there is a large gap between the demand and supply. Four fold growth of population since 1951 has been largely accommodated in the suburbs while the highest concentration of jobs has remained in the Island City. The physical characteristics of the city are such that the suburbs have been constrained to spread northwards only, and all transport facilities are concentrated within three narrow corridors.

Therefore, the major challenge in Mumbai today is to provide connectivity and promote growth by providing adequate inputs to the infrastructure which would improve the quality of life of the residents in the metropolitan city. Mumbai Metro : A Brief History

The Mumbai Metro is a rapid transit (MRT) system serving the city of Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region in Maharashtra, India. The system is designed to reduce traffic congestion in the city, and supplement the overcrowded Mumbai Suburban Railway network. It is being built in three phases over a 15-year period, with overall completion expected in October 2026. When completed, the core system will comprise fourteen high-capacity metro railway lines, spanning a total of 356.972 kilometres (24% underground, the rest elevated, with a minuscule portion built at-grade), and serviced by 226 stations.

As of August 2018, Mumbai metro consisted of one operational line (Line 1 elevated from Versova to Ghatkopar), and four lines under various stages of construction.

Line 1 of the Mumbai Metro Line 1 is operated by Mumbai Metro One Private

Limited (MMOPL), a joint venture between Reliance Infrastructure (69%), MMRDA, (26%) and Veolia Transport RATP Asia, France (5%). While lines 2, 4, 6, 7 (under construction), 5 and their extensions (bidding in progress) will be built by MMRDA, the completely underground line 3 (also under construction) will be built by Mumbai Metro Railway Corporation Limited (MMRCL). The total financial outlay for the expansion of the metro system beyond the currently operational Line 1 is 82,172 crore (equivalent to 930 billion or US$13.00 billion in 2019), to be funded through a mix of equity and bilateral, multilateral as well as syndicated debt. In another boost to connectivity, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to connect Mumbai and Virar with a Metro line.

In June 2006, Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the first phase of the Mumbai Metro project, although construction work began inFebruary 2008. A successful trial run was conducted in May 2013, and the system's first line entered into operation on 8 June 2014. Many metro projects were being delayed because of late environmental clearances and land acquisition troubles. A number of transportation studies have been carried out in the past for Mumbai Metropolitan Region. These studies discussed travel pattern, network characteristics, and the degree of traffic saturation on the existing roads in the Study Area. Following major studies have been done in the past and recommendations were made for transportation improvements in Mumbai Metropolitan Region

a. Mass Transport Study (1969) b. Techno-Economic Feasibility Study for the 7th Rail Corridor c. East West Rail Corridor Study d. Comprehensive Transport Study (CTS) for MMR e. Mumbai Metro Study by Mumbai Metro Planning Group f. MRTS Study by TEWET g. Sky Bus Metro Study by MMRDA h. Comprehensive Transport Study -2008 Mumbai does have a very good transportation system but has not been able to keep pace with the increasing demand. The carrying capacity of the Rail and bus based system has been increased considerably over the last 4 – 5 decades but traffic has increased much faster. Due to various constraints of existing system and limitations in increasing their carrying capacity, there has been a need for an alternative, safe, eco-friendly and modern transportation system for Mumbai. Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) therefore, has been introduced for commuters of Mumbai to ease the pressure on the present transportation system and take care of commuters of Mumbai and their rising needs in public transportation services.

Mumbai Metro : A required transportation system for the metropolitan

The metropolitan city and capital of Maharashtra, Mumbai is among the largest cities in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of over 2 crore (20 million) as of 2011, and a population growth rate of around 2% per annum. Mumbai has the advantage of a high modal share of the public (88%) in favour of a public mass transport system. The existing Mumbai Suburban Railway carries over 70 lakh (7 million) passengers per day, and is supplemented by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus system, which provides feeder services to station-going passengers to allow them to complete their journeys.

Until 1980s, transport in Mumbai was not a big problem. The discontinuation of trams resulted in a direct increase of passenger pressure on the suburban railway network. By 2010, the population of Mumbai doubled. However, due to the city's geographical constraints and rapid population growth, road and rail infrastructure development has not been able to keep pace with growing demand over the last 4-5 decades. Moreover, the Mumbai Suburban Railway, though extensive, is not built to rapid transit specifications. The main objective of the Mumbai Metro is to provide mass rapid transit services to people within an approach distance of between 1 and 2 kilometres, and to serve the areas not connected by the existing Suburban Rail network.

Public Transport System is an efficient user of space and energy, with reduced level of air and noise pollution. As the population of the city grows, the share of public transport, road or railbased, should increase. For a city with population of 1.0 million, the share of public transport should be about 40 - 45%. The percentage share of public transport should progressively increase with further growth in the population of the city, reaching a value of about 75% when the population of the city touches 5 million mark. With Mumbai’s population crossing 20 million, the share of public transport at 88% is quite good. However, over the past decade the share is likely to reduce further if corrective measures are not taken immediately. While upgradation of existing suburban system is underway through MUTP, it is felt that additional mass transit corridors are required to meet the expanding demand.

Mumbai Metro Line 7 & 9

Mumbai Metro’s Red Line (lines 7, 7A, 9) is a 31.05 km under construction elevated & underground metro line connecting Mira Bhayandar – Dahisar East – Andheri East – CSIA Terminal 2 through 23 stations.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is the owner of Red line. A new nodal agency called Maha Mumbai Metro Operations Corporation (MMMOCL) was established in June 2019 to operate and maintain all Mumbai Metro services on all lines owned by the MMRDA. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was the interim consultant for Line-7’s development through a formally signed agreement between MMRDA – DMRC in 2015.

The Red Line is partly being financed through official development assistance (ODA) loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and New Development Bank (NDB). Its foundation stone was laid by the Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi in October 2015, civil construction contracts were awarded in April 2016 to 3 firms, and soil testing to facilitate construction began in July 2016.

In September 2018, the Maharashtra government’s cabinet approved the Red Line’s extension to Mira Bhayandar (Line9) and to CSIA Terminal (Line-7A) with an estimated combined cost of 6,518 crore. The Red Line’s first section is expected to open in 2021 and will be connected to other metro lines, bus and suburban rail services through multiple interchanges throughout its route. The line’s official colour was revealed to the public on February 28, 2020 as part of a major branding exercise to establish style guidelines with help from Systra MVA Consulting.

System Specifications

• Top Speed: 80 kmph • Average Speed: 34 kmph • Track Gauge: Standard Gauge – 1435 mm • Electrification: 25 kV, 50 Hz AC OHE • Signalling: Communication-based Train Control (CBTC)

Red Line Route Info

Status: Under Construction Estimated Daily Ridership: 570,400 (2024) ; 667,700 (2031) The Red Line is being developed in three sections or parts – Red Line – Line-7: Dahisar East – Andheri East • Length: 16.495 km • Type: Elevated • Depot: Dahisar (proposed) and Malvani (temporarily shared with Yellow Line) • Number of Stations: 14 • Stations Names: Dahisar East, Ovaripada, National Park, Devipada, Magathane, Poisar (formerly Mahindra & Mahindra), Akurli (formerly Bandongri), Kurar (formerly Pushpa Park), Dindoshi (formerly Pathanwadi), Aarey, Goregaon E (formerly Mahanand), Jogeshwari E (formerly JVLR Junction), Shankarwadi, Gundavali (formerly Andheri East) • Estimated Cost: Rs. 6,208 crore

Red Line – Line-7A: Andheri East – CSIA Terminal 2

• Length: 3.17 km • Status: Under Construction • Estimated Cost: Rs. 6,518 crore (L-7A & 9) • Type: Elevated & Underground (2.915 km) • Number of Stations: 2 • Stations Names: Airport Colony & CSIA Terminal 2

Red Line – Line-9: Dahisar East – Mira Bhayandar

• Length: 11.38 km • Status: Under Construction • Type: Elevated • Number of Stations: 7 • Stations Names: Pandurang Wadi, Miragaon, Kashigaon, Sai Baba Nagar, Meditya Nagar, Shaheed Bhaghat Singh Garden and Subhash Chandra Bose Ground • Estimated Cost: Rs. 6,518 crore (Line-7A & Line-9)

Red Line Fares (Ticket Prices)

Red Line’s fare structure, prices and rules have not been announced yet. MMRDA plans to use the latest technologies for its automatic fare collection (AFC) system to allow QR codes and phones enabled with Near Field Communication (NFC) to utilize the system.

Mumbai Metro (Line 7 & 9) : Brief Summary Line 7

Red Line 7 of the Mumbai Metro is part of the metro system for the city of Mumbai, India. The 33.5 km (20.8 mi) line is partially elevated (16.475 km (10.237 mi) section under construction, and 13.5 km (8.4 mi) section approved) and partially underground (3.5 km underground section approved), and consists of 29 (14 elevated under construction, 12 elevated approved and 3 underground approved) stations, stretching from Golden Nest, Bhayander in the north as Metro 9 to CSMIA T2 in the south as Line 7A.

Line 9 (i.e. Line 7 Extension)

Metro Line 9 is extension of Line 7 form Andheri to CSIA and Dahisar to Mira Bhayander and is 13.581 km long (11.386 km elevated and 2.195km underground) with 11 stations. It shall provide interconnectivity among the existing Western Express Highway, Western Railway, ongoing Metro Line 2A (Dahisar to D N Nagar) and Metro Line 7(Andheri (E) to Dahisar (E)).

It shall provide rail based access to the commercial, Govt. bodies and geographical landmarks in Mumbai. Maintenance Depot has been proposed at Mira-Bhayander (main depot for entire line-7). Total land area proposed for maintenance facilities is 20.0 Hectare. It shall reduce the current travel time by anything between 50% and 75% depending on road conditions.

In order to provide an eco-friendly and convenient transportation alternative to nearly 3.0 million residents of capital city of Bihar, Patna, the Patna Metro Rail is being developed.

The ancient city of the country had been facing a lot of problems in terms of its transport and commute systems. A rapid urbanization of the city with a fast migration of workers, labourers and daily commuters from the nearby districts in Patna had been putting an enormous pressure on the public transport system which is infamous of being not very developed and eco-friendly.

The city therefore, needed a ‘Smart Transport’ system in its public transportation domain to cater to the requirements of an ever increasing population. A modern and intelligent transport system for Patna has also been long felt to give a recognition to this historically important city.

Patna, ancient Patliputra along with number of cities nearby like Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Rajgir, Vaishali etc. are well known tourist spots of the country. These areas need no mention as the stated places hold the repute of being epic centres of policy, administration, governance, art, culture, and education for mankind in its early stage. Patna Metro hence, becomes a much required transportation system to be developed for the state and country. The urban rapid transit system is also being developed in Patna as part of the government’s plan and objective to help and develop Indian cities by significantly improving its transport system and provide the citizens and commuters a safe, clean and eco-friendly transportation along with helping the city to grow and develop maintaining its rich cultural heritage, historical importance if any, a distinguished identity of its art, culture and historical importance if any.

Soil testing work for Patna metro rail project | Image Copyright: Respective Authority

Patna Metro Rail Project : Detailed Overview

The Patna Metro Rail project involves development of metro rail system in Patna spanning 60 k.m covering 55 stations. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) – Patna Metro Rail corporation Limited (PMRCL) has been incorporated to implement this project.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been selected as the agency for the construction and development of Patna, Metro.

The Patna Metro is planned to be developed in three phases with Phase-1 being developed and implemented initially.

Under Phase 1, the project will cover a distance of 31.39 km at an estimated cost of Rs. 133.65 billion (13365.77 crore). Of the total length of the metro to be developed in first phase, about 16 km of the stretch will be underground while the remaining 15km stretch will be elevated.

It would consist of two corridors :

(i) Corridor 1 (East-west Corridor) – The corridor with a total length of 16.94 km (5.48 km elevated, 11.20 km underground) is proposed to connect Danapur Cantt. To Aetbarpur/Bypass Chowk via Saguna More, Bailley Road, Patna Junction and Mithapur. The corridor would pass through Danapur Cantt., Saguna More, RPS More, IAS Colony, JD Women’s

College, Raj Bhawan, Secretariat, High Court, Income Tax Square, Patna Junction, CNLU terminating at Mithapur/ Bypass Chowk.

The Danapur – Kendriya Vidyalaya- Saguna More, Belly Road, Digha, AIIMS Road canal has been proposed to be made elevated, while Gola Road – Patna Junction via Mithapur bupass is propsed to be made underground and have 11 stations (3 elevated, 8 underground).

(ii) Corridor 2 (North – South Corridor) – This Corridor is proposed to cover a distance of 14.45 km from Patna Junction to Patna ISBT at Gaya line via Dak Bunglow crossing, Fraser Road, Gandhi Maidan, PMCH and Rajendra Nagar. The Corridor has been planned to pass through Patna Junction, Dakbunglow, Gandhi Maidan, Kargil Chowk, PMCH, Patna University, Ramkrishna Nagar, Khemnichak, Jaganpura, Moinulhaq Stadium, Malahi Pakri, Dinkar Golambar, Rajendra Nagar, Zero Mile terminating at Gouri Chowk. The Corridor has been propsed to be made underground (4.55 km, 3 stations) from Rajendra Nagar to Patna Medical College (PMCH) with remaining corridor being elevated (9.9 km, 9 stations).

Financing

The Patna Metro Rail Project has been proposed to be financed through a mix of equity and debt. Of the total project cost, 20 percent of the project cost is proposed to be borne by the central and state governments each, while the remaining 60 percent is proposed to be met by taking financial aid from external funding agencies like Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The cost of per kilometre of operational track of Patna Metro is expected around Rs. 4329 million.

Rolling Stock, Fare & Speed

Every train in the Patna metro is expected to have minimum three coaches with a capacity to accommodate at least 800 passengers. The fare is proposed to be nominal and within the reach of common people. The maximum speed of the metro in initial operations would be 70-80 km/hr.

Major Milestone

The Bihar cabinet approved the proposal to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a metro train service in Patna on 11 June 2013. Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) was selected as the consultancy agency for the same and sanctioned 2.52 crore as consultancy fees. On 18 June 2013, the Government of Bihar signed a MoU with the consulting firm - RITES for a feasibility study and detailed project report preparation for the Patna Metro railway project.

Under the agreement, RITES was asked to submit the feasibility report by the first week of December 2013 and the DPR by February 2014. In the scope of its work, the consulting firm was required to identify the mass transit corridors on the basis of a detailed traffic-demand-assessment study, topographic survey, soil survey at 500- meter intervals on the proposed stretch, among other measures.

On 17 June 2014, the planned Patna Metro project received the green light. The Patna Metro Train Corporation was set to be created before 15 August 2014. A detailed report for the project, now planned to proceed in four stages, was due on 31 October 2014.

The Bihar urban development department is the nodal agency for Patna Integrated Mass Rapid Transport System (PIMRTS). The Bihar government decided to launch the Patna metro or monorail system by 2015. Metro rail emerged as a more viable option for the city than the monorail for the execution of the proposed Patna Integrated Mass Rapid Transport System (PIMRTS) due to the load factor. The planning commission extended its technical support to the proposed metro project.

Various Stages of Development

The different stages of development of Patna Metro Rail Project are as under:

• The Planning Commission of India gave approval to Patna Metro project on 14 September 2011.

• Work on Detailed Project Report (DPR) initiated. The DPR expected to be completed by May 2015.

• Bihar Cabinet approved Patna Metro DPR prepared by RITES in February 2016. A budget of 16,960 crore planned to execute under PPP mode by 2021.

• The project got assurance of Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu of centre’s in- principle approval to the project within a month in May 2016. Patna Metro Rail Project gets a fresh boost.

• Bihar chief secretary Deepak Kumar approved the proposed Patna Metro Rail’s revised detailed project report for putting it up before the state cabinet, with revised estimated cost of the project at 19,500 crore, including land acquisition cost on 3 July 2018.

• RITES submitted the revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the Urban Development and Housing department on 20 Sep 2018 ,

• The Bihar cabinet approved the

constitution of “Patna Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (PMRCL)” as special purpose vehicle (SPV) for implementation of the metro rail project in the capital on 25 Sep 2018 ,

• Public Finance Committee approved the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Patna Metro Rail Project on 28 Sep 2018.

• Bihar cabinet approved the DPR for Patna metro rail project to be sent to the central government for approval on 9 Oct 2018.

• The Central Government approved the DPR for Patna Metro on 20 Nov 2018. Patna Metro gets approval from Public Investment Board (PIB) on 6 Feb 2019.

• Union Cabinet approves Patna Metro Rail Project comprising two corridors on 13 Feb 2019.

• Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi laid foundation stone for Patna’s first metro rail corridor on 17 Feb 2019.

• The office of the Patna Metro Rail Corporation Limited (PMRCL) formally started at India Bhavan, Patna on 4 March 2019.

• Announcement made regarding Patna Metro to start working in three months on 25 Jul 2019.

• Initiation of the drone survey for the project on 23 Aug 2019. The survey planned to complete by 15 October.

• DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation), the construction agency for Patna Metro oversees the project execution on 4 Sep 2019. Work expected to begin by end of year 2019.

• Consulting Engineers Group Limited and the subsidiary unit CEG Test House and Research Centre Private Limited started soil testing for Patna Metro on 18 Nov 2019.

• Consultancy contract for both corridors for Patna Metro Project awarded to AECOM on 28 Feb 2020.

• Bids for 6.1 kms of metro route construction connecting Mahahi Pakri to New ISBT, part of route 2 of phase-1 opened in Jun 20. • Tender for constructing metro depot at New ISBT awarded to Quality Buildcon Pvt Ltd on Jul 2020.

• Bihar Chief Minister Mr. Nitish Kumar through Video conferencing inaugurated the start of work for Patna Metro on Sep 22, 2020.

Office of Patna Metro Rail Corporation Limited Indira Bhawan | Image Credit: Patna Smart City

Key Statistics and Details

1. Project Name – Patna Metro Rail Project – Phase 1 2. Sector – Urban Transport 3. Sub Sector – Metro Rail 4. Project Promoters & Shareholders – Patna Metro Rail Corporation Limited (PMRCL) with 100% equity stake. 5. Model of Construction – Under PPP (Public Private Partnership) mode. 6. Ownership – Government (State) owned 7. Project Type – Green field 8. Key Consultants – RITES Ltd., National Institute of Technology, Patna (NIT-P), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Consulting Engineers Group Limited (CEG), CEG Test House and Research Centre Private Limited, Systra MVA Consulting (India) Private Limited. 9. Major Contractors – NCC Limited, Quality Buildcon Private Limited 10. Actual/Expected Construction Start Date – 22/09/2020 11. Actual/Expected Construction Completion Date – 09/01/2025 12. Time Delay – 12 Months 13. Initial Completion Date – 09/01/2024 14. First Revised Completion Date – 09/01/2025 15. Status – In progress. Metro under construction. The construction work on Rajendra Nagar Terminal – ISBT stretch expected to be completed by 2022

Future Plans & Other Information

• RITES is in process of preparing prefeasibility report for the Digha-Gandhi Maidan corridor passing through Digha Ghat and Kurji.

• Khemnichak proposed to be developed as the interchange station where passengers would be able to change their routes.

• Under Phase II, the project is planned to cover a distance of 13 km from Bypass Chowk/Mithapur to Deedarganj via Transport Nagar along NH 30 Bypass. The section is proposed to be built elevated along the bypass road and proposed to have 11 stations. Under Phase III, the project is planned to be developed from Bypass Chowk/Mithapur to Phulwarisharif/AIIMS via Anisabad along NH 30 Bypass with a total length of 11 kms. This route will have 11 stations too.

informed decisions about what option will provide them with the best experience according to their circumstances, such as whether it is more relevant to have the shortest journey time or guaranteed a seat.

Connected mobility services offer predictable, convenient, accessible, affordable, environment- friendly, safe, and secure mobility. Obstacle detection & collision avoidance features in rolling stock digitally help the train driver to safeguard in many scenarios such as detecting objects, helping in driver blind areas, and detecting objects on rails in mountain areas for collision avoidance, etc. The ability to prevent collision with objects can save costly repairs and prevents revenue loss due to the rail vehicle being out of service.

IoT for asset management and preventive maintenance in railways is a network connectivity landscape in the train, enabling the system to monitor and control the rail subsystems live, ranging from entertainment and infotainment to the powertrain of rail. Information concerning the categorization of faults can be analyzed across multiple assets, even various operators, to spot trends and identify preventative maintenance areas. A unified cloud-native approach will enable data and analytics synergies for the customer across product development, customer use cases, dealerships, allied businesses, and service networks enabling innovations in customer experience, offerings, services, and business models.

While digitalization of the rail system yields unprecedented productivity gains and customer service improvements, enhanced connectivity is needed, and hence cyber risk exposure is very high. For critical networks such as signaling, train protection, and energy networks, such exposure to cyber risk is inappropriate. Any unauthorized changes to instructions, commands, or alarm thresholds could damage, disable, or shut down equipment, create environmental impacts, and/ or endanger human life. What needs to be addressed is the cybersecurity scope across various levels – right from hardware & software of ECU to Gateways to Vehicle Networks and then to the IT network on the wayside.

In essence, digitization is vital to railways’ ability to evolve into an economically viable and environmentally sustainable mode of transport. Technology companies should invest in creating platforms, tools, or solutions to enable digitization while also developing and expanding internal capabilities to add value to customer’s digital rail programs.

The global transportation industry is looking at creating a smart, seamless, and user-friendly movement of people and goods, and Rail transportation plays a vital part in this transformation. It will benefit from digital solutions innovations by applying technologies like Big data, Predictive maintenance, the Internet of trains, AI-integrated solutions, Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, etc. The rail industry is looking forward to connected rail transportation that marks the next stage of the digital revolution where trains are never late, and train travel is cheaper, more convenient, safer & well connected.

Digitization will be a continuous process visibly marked by the emergence of industry 4.0 and railway 4.0, and digital railway. Passenger experiences, Mobile applications, e-ticketing, Automatic Train Supervision, Cybersecurity, Driverless Trains, and digital platforms for predictive maintenance are key digitalization areas in the rail sector.

Experience Visualization is a key area of digitization that enables the ability to visualize the product. This allows the Rail companies to make significant improvements before prototyping, boosting the overall product value that saves time and money. Rail OEMs & Operators can display their products with different configurations using Virtual Reality (VR). Helping leading train manufacturers with real-time configurators such as multiple combinations of the door, window options with various seating, and other interior combinations will help in showcasing their products with varying configurations in the Autodesk Vred VR environment.

Enabling the Connected Journey is another area in which the digital revolution helps. A travel planner application could recommend the fastest or most comfortable trip, station road conditions, live train timings, available parking facilities, passenger boarding, etc. This enables passengers to make

Smart railway can be defined as spruce and sharp amalgamation of the latest programming & robotics such as machine learning, global positioning system or GPS, big data, cloud etc. And, it is exclusively meant to make rail operations more precise and well-organized. Infiltration of digital setup and stipulation for automated rail operations has propelled the technology in more than one way. Most railways worldwide are operated through government establishments where accretion of such latest technologies is made through bonds and indentures. Wining these pacts is often considered as the major strategy espoused by the leading players in the industry.

This avant-garde technology is taken recourse to by the machinists in railway, mostly government consultants operating rail functions within the country with topend proficiency and skill. Furthermore, digitalization is projected to gain tow for smart technology. The complete setup of this technology is more likely to be obtained by most rail transportation service providers from developed and developing economies. The technology installation is executed through open treaties and pacts between service roviders of rail transportation authorities across the globe. These pacts stated about the set of constraint are required to be encountered within a certain lapse of time. These deep-rooted contracts and settlements are directly linked with the potential business opportunities with the rail contractors.

The processors, however, need to emphasize toward carrying off the deals for new installations to get to a competitive advantage.

A journey planner application can easily acclaim the most contented happening trip considering live train timings, road conditions to the station, available car parking facilities, passenger stacking, and many more, thereby letting passengers fabricate informed choices about exactly what preference would dole out the finest experience for them.

On the other hand, smart grids are appraised as the next generation of electricity supply structures, capable of perking up supply constancy, obtainability, and energy efficacy through the use of relevant statistics, evidence, and transmission technologies. With the emergence of autonomous vehicles and enriched cargo management facilities, the industrial IoT has also come across new possibilities. With trains running at high momentum through subways, shafts, and adverse weather conditions, it often becomes a challenge, at times, to set up an IoT system. But high-end advancements in networking have enabled smart trains to make their way in the sector, offering huge benefits when conveying goods, laying out the muchneeded comfort for passengers, and shooting up the operators’ ROI.

At the same time, legacy structure and set-up are gradually being supplanted by train management systems in which trains turn out to be intersected communiqué pivots, diffusing data among themselves and respective network control hubs and sustaining instructions from control axes. Machine-to-machine communiqué, on the other hand, with proper cloud assistance, acilitates operators to make use of tools, tracks and stations more competently while vividly plummeting safety risks as well. Safety and security are certainly the major elements of IoT solutions in regards to train management. For instance, on-board train detection and location systems that allow trains to be well aware of other trains' spots and sites can certainly be a great inclusion. This significantly diminishes the risk of unwanted crashes while permitting trains to run safely in close propinquity to one another.

Speed is another vital safety application. Certain methods have been developed to exhibit train speed for drivers and pass on the information back to the central control coordination system. On-board monitoring structures are intersected

Image credit : Siemens Mobility Global

with outdoor signaling networks that can control train speeds or even tenuously command trains to halt on the basis track settings.

According to Allied Market Research, the global smart railway market is anticipated to grow at a considerable CAGR from 2020 to 2027. In the last few years, rapid urbanization across the world led to huge increase in local commute requirements. This, in turn, also paved the way toward rising need for improved passenger & freight capacity, and surge in number of railway projects across the globe. These factors have boosted the market in several ways. At the same time, shifts in passenger payment habits have also supplemented the growth. On the other hand, high cost associated with the overall setup is expected to impede the growth to some extent. Nonetheless, rail operators' innovative initiatives for business extension & development have almost toned down the restraining factors and created growth prospects for the frontrunners in the industry.

However, it’s worth mentioning that the breakout of the covid-19 virus impacted the global smart railway market negatively, especially during the first phase of the lockdown. The massive ban on travel curbed the growth of the market significantly. But, as the lockdown restrictions have now been eased off, and the world has started reshaping at a steady pace, the market is projected to revive soon. For more information, visit at https://www.alliedmarketresearch. com/smart-railway-market

Authored by

Koyel Ghosh is a blogger with a strong passion and enjoys writing on miscellaneous domains, as she believes it lets her explore a wide variety of niches. She has an innate interest for creativity and enjoys experimenting with different writing styles. A writer who never stops imagining, she has been serving the corporate industry for the last four years.

koyel.ghosh@alliedmarketresearch.net

Koyel Ghosh

The world is facing one of the severest pandemic of human mankind. The recurring nature of the Covid-19 has been validated as the world passes through its different waves and witnesses its various forms, new variants, mutations that keep on changing and appear before mankind in a more complex structure. People therefore have started living, somewhat in a new and customized way to try and have a normal life while protecting themselves from the deadly virus at the same time.

Although vaccination has been launched for the corona virus, it is still a study phase rather than a therapeutic or curable pandemic stage. So, the vaccination available seems to be more preventive rather than curative as the function of the vaccines for any other disease is.

Since, the spread of pandemic is so enormous in comparison to the supply and availability of the vaccine that protecting everyone from the deadly virus seems to be an enormous task to be accomplished.

Hence, authorities, health practitioners, government, and local bodies worldwide continue to stress preventing oneself from Covid-19 by maintaining health & hygiene, taking proper and healthy food, wearing masks, using sanitisers, hand wash as methods to be adopted although being vaccinated.

Initiatives to combat Covid-19 in public transport To combat Covid-19 and help people lead a normal life by providing them easy commuting and transportation facilities, some new initiatives have been taken and adopted in various transport systems across the world. There has been a remarkable effect on Covid-19 on transportation system too like other aspects viz; health, economy, education, lifestyle etc. affecting human life.

New initiatives therefore, have been taken in both private and public transport systems to help people face the Covid-19 pandemic while availing a normal and safe transportation. Transport system both private and the public had to face severe repercussions due to a sudden stoppage and complete hauls.

The sudden outbreak of the virus and its effect on the public transport system raised several questions such as:

• What would be the general change in mobility behaviour due to the virus outbreak?

• Shall people start using bikes, personal cars or cycles more and avoid taking public transport?

• Will new mobility service like shared biking, ride-hailing see a surge in trips due to a virus outbreak?

• Will the public transport system like the train, bus, metros would completely go on a haul due to the pandemic?

• How would the public transport system compensate for the economic loss borne due to the Covid-19 outbreak? These questions basically had been the concerns reading the public transport system initially as the pandemic broke out.

Therefore, a number of efforts have been seen in the transport sector specifically to try and control the spread of the pandemic because public transport systems being the points of mass gathering have been considered one of the most vulnerable places for the spread of the virus. The virus being highly contagious and able to travel from a sick body to a healthy one at an enormous speed raised an urgent need for social distancing and taking adequate measure to protect one getting in contact of virus which seemed practically impossible at public transit centres therefore, there appeared to be an undying need of taking new initiatives.

The same has been done in transport systems in a phased manner which can be summarized in the following four accomplished phases –

The four phases of Covid-19 and the proposed transport response :

Phase 1: 'Import' of virus / few cases (containment) – This was the stage in which 'virus' was imported through a person travelling from a country where the infection was spread. This was the stage in which adequate containment

was required to be implemented. Isolation and control measures were introduced so that sick people do not pass on the infection to others. The aim of transport authorities in this stage was to reduce the circulation and concentration of passengers in public transport and help promote social distancing.

Phase 2: Community dispersal/ community containment – This had been the stage of the progress of the virus. In this stage, people were infected due to community contagion within the same country without direct contact with those who travelled to areas of risk. The aim of transport authorities in this stage has been to reduce circulation and concentration of passengers in public transport as much as possible.

Phase 3: Epidemic dispersion / sustained transmission –The third phase has been the virus's sustained transmission phase. The transport authorities in this stage tried to radically modify or suspend public transport to stop the further spread of the virus.

Phase 4: Relaxation – After control over the virus and its spread in the fourth stage there had been relaxation from restrictions in transport systems. So, it is clear that globally, cities and countries are implementing many measures in the field of transport to stop the further spread of Covid-19. It is not yet possible to draw any conclusive conclusions about the efficiency and effectiveness of these measures. At the same time, the goals of sustainable mobility have also been prioritized. Three approaches i,e, Avoid-ShiftImprove, have implemented by transport authorities worldwide to try and control the spread of the virus. Depending on the phase of the pandemic the approaches had been implemented. In phases 1 and 2, Shift and Improve's area measures had been relevant to enable physical distancing on the one hand and the transport of essential goods and people on the other hand. Phase 3 focussed on avoid measures that dramatically reduce the transport volume and focus centrally on essential actors and goods. In this phase, the transport sector implements the instructions of the health authorities – transport is a servant of health paradigms. In many places, these requirements include a strict quarantine/ lockdown. In Phase 4, the main focus has been on preventing a resurgence of the epidemic through Improve measures while at the same time enabling an economic upturn.

Various steps were taken to combat Covid-19 Crisis in Transportation Three significant approaches adopted to combat pandemic –

1. Avoid – This approach involved avoiding or reducing travel or the need to travel.

2. Shift – The approach is based on the promotion of clean public transport, walking and cycling as resilient & contactless transport modes.

3. Improve – The approach focuses on improving transportation through technological upgradation and better mercantile.

Following had been the methods to implement these approaches : Bans / Restrictions

• Active differentiation between essential and non-essential transport

• Travel bans

• Ban on migrants and travellers from other countries, areas of higher contamination

• Curfew / lockdowns

• Reduction of shopping, recreation, school services, etc.

Other Policies

• Teleworking/ Flexible work schedule • Expansion of e-government services • Virtual meeting and conferences • Development of emergency action plans for future use • Allowing certain services to become freight providers or combined offers (such as buses).

Planning/Engineering Instruments • Expansion of bike & cycling routes • Priority schemes for quality public transport • Dedicated services for essential travellers • Prioritize delivery of most essential and important goods • Reflects needs of women and children to support their activities and journeys • Enhance epidemiological safety of private car use • Reallocate street space for freight, e.g., convert parking to dedicated delivery/ pick up zones

Quality of Public Transport • Sanitation/Cleaning • Provision of additional space/reduction of crowding • Free bike sharing scheme • Demand management at PT stations/ entrances to reduce crowding • Reduced contact points through digital ticketing & payment procedures • Social distancing measures • Speed reductions to reduce injury rates • Encourage bicycle taxis/bicitaxis • Medical support in intermodal stations

Information Instruments • Public awareness campaigns • Mobility management • Marketing schemes • Co-operative agreements

Industrial Automation & Controls for Metro & Tunnel

Recommendations of various agencies regarding Covid-19 protection Below mentioned are few recommendations by agencies like UITP (Public Transport Authorities and Operation), Transport Research Board (TRB) and American Public Transport Association (APTA) regarding protection from Covid-19.

1. Engineering Controls – Separate people from the contamination (E.g., protection through Plexiglas barriers for drivers and ticket sellers). 2. Administrative Controls – Emphasis on training, plans, policies and procedures that articulate and enforce means to reduce infection.

3. Personal Protective Equipment – Use of gloves and respiratory protection to reduce contamination.

4. Hand Hygiene – Washing of hands, use of alcohol based waterless hand sanitisers.

5. Environmental Hygiene – Cleaning (e.g. Steam Cleaning, disinfectants) of stations, vehicles and workplaces to minimize surface contamination.

6. Social Distancing – Maintain a space of 3-6 feet between persons to minimize contamination from aerosol and droplets (e.g. sneezing and coughing);

7. Ventilation – Control heating, ventilation and air conditioning to reduce the spread of contamination.

Protection of staff and infrastructure in transport systems Few recommendations to protect staff and infrastructure in transport system as per prominent international agencies is as under-

a) Information and awareness: Staffs in the public transport system should be well informed and aware so that the risk of infections could be minimized.

b) Training: All staff should receive special training on ways to disinfect utilities and surfaces properly. Furthermore, teams should be trained on various ways to communicate with and react to passengers' concerns about measures taken to prevent the virus from spreading (e. g., disinfection measures).

c) Provision with protective gear and disinfection: Staff should be provided with adequate protection gear (face masks, gloves/hand sanitisers) to secure their health and avoid being infected.

d) Health check-up: Regular health check-ups should be done mandatorily to help employees feel safe and identify any potential infections at an early stage.

e) Closing front door / No ticket sales by driver / E-Ticketing: In many bus companies, passengers board the bus at the front and pay for their ticket or show it to the driver. It is not only an operative headache but also a permanent health burden for the driver. For this reason, many public transport operators now prohibit passengers from boarding at the front and no longer sell tickets on the bus. This should become the rule even without a spreading virus and accelerate the transition to electronic and contactless ticketing/payment (e. g. smart cards, QRcode based ticketing/ payment)

f) Separation of drivers/ticket sellers and passengers: Drivers and ticket sellers and any other staff should be separated from passengers by Plexiglas or other means in buses and transit systems.

g) Provision of infrastructure: Especially in BRTS, drivers and other staffs should be provided toilet and other facilities at identified destinations.

h) Protection of infrastructure and operations: Common spaces such as canteens and cafeterias should be well managed. It can include extended serving hours, requirements to maintain distances of at least one metre while waiting and eating.

Protection of passengers

The protection of passengers is not only a necessary welfare measure but also an important measure to maintain people's confidence in public transport. Measures must therefore be effective but also adequately accessible and understandable in terms of communication.

a) General information: Information for passengers on standards of conduct can be disseminated through various channels. Banner, poster, hoardings, social media can be the different platform to convey the message to the general public regarding various safety measures.

b) Risk information: Transparency is the most crucial aspect of dealing with extreme situations. In other words, in case that there was any passenger infected with COVID-19 using public transport, the local government and public transport provider should do their best to provide extensive information about the risk (e. g., by providing QR-code based info platforms to passengers), trace the activity of persons and share all potentially valuable information with the public. It will help to identify further cases and to ensure trust in public transport from the passengers.

c) Information on public transport schedule and time table adjustments: A

direct and transparent communication (e.g. Social Media) of schedules, time tables and intervals should be communicated to passengers to ensure public transport system and operation effectiveness, reliability, trust and convenience.

d) Access control and temperature checks: To minimize the risk of infected people entering public transport stations (e. g. subway, or train stations), health control checkpoints should be made operational. Before accessing a public transport station, people's body temperature should also be checked. In case that signs of fever are found, people should not be allowed to enter the station.

e) Cleaning & disinfection: Regular disinfection of vehicles and equipment (such as turnstiles and handrails) with special anti-microbial cleansers should be done to reduce infection risks. f) More space & social distancing: Various measures should be implemented to increase the distance between passengers to minimize the risk of infections. It can be done by increasing the frequency of public transport.

Additional initiatives for Covid-19 protection in different transport systems

Several developments are currently coming together: On the one hand, governments and administrations are deliberately reducing or suspending public transport services, while on the other hand people are avoiding travel and using public transport fearing risks of infection. All this leads to a decline in demand for public transport - but public transport is still needed to provide basic services, especially for employees of systemically relevant functions. In this context, a coordinated approach consisting of reducing demand and supply is necessary.

a) Impact assessment: In order to avoid rebound effects from demand control and management measures (e. g. higher passenger density due to schedule changes and longer intervals), comprehensive impact assessments should be conducted before implementation. Examples, e. g. from Jakarta, show that a one-sided reduction of supply while demand remains the same leads to even greater concentration and counterproductive results. b) Public transport booking and appointments systems: To manage demand, a staggered access to public transport stations has been trialled in few countries. For example, e.g., has done an experiment with a "subway by appointment" system prevents crowding at the entrance of subway stations. Users can use apps to get appointments to enter two of the busiest subway stations in Beijing during peak times. It works via a QR-Code on user's phones that are valid for a half-hour time slot to enter the station. c) Shift to Cycling: Cycling is a great way to stay healthy (not only in times of the COVID-19 outbreak) and is a suitable alternative to gyms which in many cities had to close. But cycling is also an effective way to support social distancing and relieve the burden on public transport. Even though cycling besides being a healthy and sustainable means of transport is an excellent way to release pressure from public transport systems, it is important also to induce a shift from private car usage (incl. ride-hailing and taxis) to cycling but also walking to ensure the health of people and allow them to conduct physical activity safely. Denmark released recommendations for public transport users, among which the first recommendation is to walk or cycle if possible. Germany has stressed that people should avoid public transport and instead cycle more to reduce infection risks.

Shared-Mobility Services

Below listed is an overview of implications of COVID-19 and measures taken by shared mobility service providers to combat the infections-

a) Suspension of services: Against the COVID-19 pandemic, many shared mobility companies have suspended their ride-sharing services. It was reported that Uber halted its pooled rides services in the US and Canada, and Lyft did so in all its markets. Both of them only provided ride-hailing services to individual customers. Ola stopped its services in Delhi. In Hamburg, ridepooling company Moia suspended its operations. The world's largest escooter rental company Lime stopped its services in nearly 24 countries and Uber (Jump) and Bird (Circ) stopped operations in almost all European cities.

b) Protection of drivers and passengers: Shared mobility companies took various measures to protect their drivers and passengers from infection. Uber announced to suspend the accounts of drivers and passengers who tested positive for COVID-19 or may have been exposed to it. Most companies provided disinfectants to their drivers to keep their cars clean. Swedish Escooter company Voi recommended its customers to use gloves to protect them from infection risks. It was reported that Clevershuttle increasingly used its LEVC London Cab which has a glass window between the driver and passengers in the back of the car. Also, plastic film protective sheets were used to avoid contact and reduce infection risks.

c) Financial support to drivers: To support drivers who were affected by the virus and got infected and sick, transport companies set up a special fund to keep them in case financially they got infected with COVID-19 and had to face loss of income. Drivers in Australia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, Japan and Mexico. Grab Malaysia introduced a "ride cover" policy to include coverage for Covid-19 and financial support was proposed to be given by the company to drivers who struggle during the outbreak. Ola has launched an initiative under its social welfare wing, Ola Foundation called "Drive The Driver Fund", wherein the company offers support to autorickshaw, cab, kaali-peeli and taxi drivers through a contribution from the Ola group, investors and a citizen crowdfunding platform. The fund supports drivers and their families that have been affected by Covid-19.

d) Provision of food delivery services: It has been reported that food delivery services companies like KFC and Pizza Hut have launched a contactless delivery service in an attempt to reduce the risk of person-to-person transmission of COVID-19. After customers select the "contactless delivery" option when placing an order online, couriers call them to set a delivery location. The courier watches from at least a 10-foot distance as the customer picks up the order.

e) Transport of medical staff: Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, a number of cities have started providing free transportation to medical workers, deploying two special fleets of drivers

dressed in protective uniforms with regularly disinfected vehicles. In Bogota, e.g., a bikesharing company provided 400 electric bicycles to medical staff, allowing them to reach their work and make use of the emergency bikeways.

Few Examples : Urban Transport System, Covid-19 protection Covid-19 pandemic has suddenly impacted our way of life and our local, regional and global transport systems. Evidences and reports show that there has been a steep drop in the public transport ridership volumes by 90% across the world. Further, it has also been observed that there is up to 60% reduction in air pollution.

Hence, re-establishing an earlier level of ridership in public transport is a big challenge for cities. People may be looking for more options especially personal modes that allow for safer travel in a post lockdown scenario.

It is therefore, to avoid a resurgence of car and other private vehicle usages, many countries around the world have encouraged e-ticketing, digital payments and reallocating street space for cycling and pedestrians through street closures, creating Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) priority zones, pop-up bike lanes & sidewalks, providing parking and charging equipment and financing options to make cycling more accessible.

Some of few initiatives taken in various countries recently in view of Covid-19 to promote NMT are as following :

• About 40 miles of new NMT lanes to support cyclists have been added in New York. • The USA has closed 10% of its streets for motor vehicles, in Oakland. • Columbia has also added cycle lanes in Bogota City. • 22 miles of streets have been transformed into cycling lanes in Italy, Milan. • New Zealand has removed on-street car parking and built up 17 km of temporary bike lanes and widening of existing bike and footpaths in Auckland. • China, Thailand, Singapore have extensively started promoting bikesharing. • There's a growing promotion towards giving space before offices, shops, malls, and restaurants for free parking to cyclists and non-motorized vehicles to show advocacy towards clean and safe transportation systems in various other countries.

Metro Automation and new initiatives for protection from Covid-19

Surveys reveal that the ridership on trains and buses across the globe has already doubled as most of the world's public transport system is returning to normal commuting, frequency and schedule with the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic passing through in most of the countries and the advent of Covid-19 vaccine.

However, authorities of public transportation have a different opinion where they say that the safe distancing on public transport is almost impossible. There's also an interesting fact on the other side too.

So far there's been no conclusive evidence of public transport spreading Covid-19. Complex hit cities such as Milan, which has reopened its transit system have not seen infection cluster emerging from public transportation. Neither has Japan which has some of the world's busiest rail networks. Still none of the countries isn't taking any chances and has responded with different strategies to manage risks. South Korea has made the wearing of masks compulsory on public transport to reduce the risk of a second wave of infection. In South Wales, Australia passengers onboard buses are kept to 12 and trains to just 32 people. In China, where the pandemic broke out the entire transport network was shut down for two months to curb the virus's spread. While in Singapore, commuters have to wear a mask and avoid talking while travelling in a transit system or public transport.

Steps were taken for checking the spread of the virus in the metro system around the world

1. Experts say that wearing a mask properly (i,e; covering the nose and mouth properly) reduces the chances of spreading Covid-19 to 99.7% even if social distancing is not maintained properly. Hence, most of the countries are making proper wear of masks compulsory in the public transport system. Additionally, while travelling in the transit system people are not allowed to talk or use their phones.

2. Transport ambassadors are deployed at stations and bus interchanges to check whether passengers are wearing mask properly or not. It's worth noting that if safe distancing is not possible on public transport and a handful of passengers are not wearing their masks properly, the chances of spreading the virus are very less even if safe distancing is not maintained.

3. Cleaning is another approach that time and again continues to be the priority step to stop and control the virus's spread.

4. The Railways and Metro system across the world are trying to deep clean and sanitize railway coaches. Countries like US, Russia, Japan and China are testing UV light system to try and kill the Covid-19 virus.

5. Few countries like Hong Kong is using Robots, which roll through the train coaches to spring disinfectants.

6. Subway stations in few other countries like Korea and China use a temperature screening system in metros and rapid transit systems to check raised temperature or potential fever in passenger boarding and un-boarding trains.

7. The mobile and online reservation system already in practice has completely ruled out counter reservation systems in many other countries in rapid and metro transportation to manage people's flow.

8. Few countries in Europe are also experimenting with using electrostatic sprayer packs to clean trains in many places.

9. Metro authorities in few countries are using technology for demand management and avoiding congestion. E.g., through a travel app called "TfL Go", Transport for London (TfL) provides commuters information that they need when the quieter times are for their journeys.

10. New automated system which limits admission to passengers when the expected capacity is surpassed at the stations, which is validated through entry gates introduced in few metro systems. For e.g., in the official app of Metro de Madrid, a new feature introduced provides real-time information regarding occupancy at different metro stations.

World report on metro automation MRTS, Metro automation, Initiatives are taken to combat Covid-19 in India

Urban Rail, popularly referred to as Metro Rail, has seen substantial growth in India in the last few years. More and more Indian cities are experiencing the need for metro rail to meet their day-to-day mobility requirements. Metro rail projects provide high capacity public transit and are capital intensive.

However, witnessing the fact that Indian cities are growing rapidly. There is a need to direct the growth in a planned manner with adequate attention to the transport system at early stages in its development so that the commuting requirements of an ever-increasing population in rapidly growing cities in the country can be met. Therefore, the expenditure on developing the metro rail system in India seems to be more an investment rather than a capitalbased expenditure only.

Metro Transportation is a clean, ecofriendly and safe public transportation system. Cities in India are witnessing fast growth in the number of personal motor vehicles, with severe congestion and pollution being the most visible manifestation of the number of motor vehicles' growth. Therefore, efforts at remedying this situation need to focus on improving the public transport system. It is in this context that the development of MRTS (Mass Rapid Transit System) such as metro rail, bus rapid transit, light rail, etc., is done most sustainably from the social, economic and environmental perspectives for growth and development of the country. The Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) in cities/urban agglomeration is generally classified into Busways and Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), Light Rail Transit (LRT), Tramways, Metro Rail and Regional Rail.

Metro Rail is a fully segregated rail based mass transit system, which could be at grade, elevated or underground. Due to its physical segregation and system technology, metro rail can have a very high capacity of 40,000-80,000 passenger per hour per direction (PPHPD). Metro system also includes monorails which however has lower capacities and higher maintenance cost. Metro Lite and Metro Neo are two new types of metro services that are relatively cheaper and easier to operate. The UGMS (Underground Metro System) is the most expensive metro service that needs greater mechanics, complexity, machinery and time to operate.

Initiatives and suggestive measures

Covid-19 pandemic can also be seen as an opportunity to visit different public transport options and develop green, pollution-free, convenient and sustainable solutions. For this to happen there requires specific steps to be taken being as under :

1. Encourage & Revive Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) – As most of the urban trips are clocked in under five kilometres, NMT offers the perfect opportunity to implement this Covid- 19 crisis requires low cost, less human resource, easy and quick to implement, scalable and environment friendly.

2. Recommencing Public Transport with

greater confidence of Commuters – Public transport is the backbone in urban areas especially for the low/middleincome commuters for which these services are the mainstay of their daily transit needs. However, it is imperative at this stage that transmission of infection through the usage of public transport should be curbed by adopting the correct sanitization, containment and social distancing measures.

3. Active utilization of technology to curb the spread of the virus – Enabling technologies such as Intelligent Transport System (ITS), Indigenous cashless and touchless system like BHIM, Phone Pay, Google Pay, PayTM etc. and National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) should be promoted and used to reduce human interactions, in operations of public transit systems.

Various initiatives in Metros in India

Below mentioned are the initiatives taken by metro services in the country to stop the spread of virus and metros and transit systems:

1. Wearing of mask is compulsory in all metros and rapid transit systems in the country. 2. Installing Aarogya Setu App (an indigenous app for mobile, which helps detect Covid patients in one's vicinity and providing immediate help, if required) is mandatory. 3. Suitable marking inside train coaches, stations to ensure social distancing. 4. Thermal screening with access only to asymptomatic persons. 5. Sanitization provisions for passengers at entry and regular sanitization of all areas having a human interface. 6. No transportation service in containment zones. 7. Increase in dwell time at certain metro stations to make sure that there is an increase in intake of fresh air through the air-conditioning system. 8. Prohibition of the token system in some metro services like DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation). Only Smart Cardholders (QR code users on the Airport Express Line) to be allowed in DMRC. 9. Alternative seats to be left vacant, not more than three people allowed in a lift at once. 10. Protocol issued by certain metros, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) to stand on alternative steps of the escalator to maintain social distancing. 11. BMRCL (Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited) allows only 50 passengers at a time on the platforms. 12. More and more metros are promoting digital bookings only. Mumbai and Hyderabad metro already providing ticket booking facility through Paytm. 13. The metro system is undertaking significant IEC (Information, Education and Communication) campaigns to sensitize users and travellers regarding various guidelines and SOPs for travelling in metros. 14. Few metro services in the country (Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited) are undertaking mock drills to view various Covid scenarios. 15. The announcement regarding metro train services needed to be increased specifically to create extra capacity on the network (not to attract more customers) to improve and maintain social distancing already done by different metro services.

Summary

The long-term implications and impacts of COVID-19 on public transport and shared mobility and in general mobility behaviour cannot be fully assessed in the moment. But it is clear that all possible efforts need to be made to ensure that measures taken by governmental agencies, public transport and shared mobility companies to ensure the safety of staff and passengers as well as a further spread of COVID-19 shall be based on comprehensive impact assessments, taking into account social, environmental and climate as well as economic impacts. No doubt that people's safety in public transport and popular mode of modern day transportation like MRTS (Mass Rapid Transit System) is a challenge to transport authorities. But, significant developments are being made in this regard and a number of initiatives are being taken to ensure a safe and convenient journey in these modes of transportation. The mass rapid transit system has already gained the popularity of eco-friendly and pollution less transportation system which the world is looking for. Hence, a safe public transportation system running smoothly can be imagined amidst an effort for controlling the spread of the virus in parallel.

The Indian Railways has prepared a National Rail Plan for India - 2030. The plan is to create a future ready railway system by year 2030. Some of the key features The drafts of the National Rail Plan endorsed in Union Budget 2021-22 aims at enhancing railway infrastructure through make in India by bringing down the logistics cost for industries. 1. As per the plan it is expected that estern dedicated freight corridor and eastern dedicated freight corridor will be commissioned to the nation by June 2022. 2. The Son-Nagar Gomoh Section 263 kms. of eastern dedicated freight corridor has been proposed to be taken up in PPP mode this year itself. The Gomoh- Dankuni section of 274.3 kms also proposed to be taken up in short subsections shortly. 3. Future dedicated freight corridors projects namely East- Coast corridors from Kharagpur to Vijayvada, East-West corridors from Bhusalwal to Kharagpur to Dankuni and North-South corridor from Itarsi to Vijayvada propsed. The detailed project reports will be undertaken in the first phase. 4. Broad gauge route kms – Generally referred to as RKM, electrified is expected to reach 46000 kms, 46000 rkm i,e; 72% by the end 2021 from 41548 rkm on 1st oct 2020. 100% electrification of broad gauge route to be completed by Dec 2023. 5. For passenger convenience and safety following measures have been proposed –• Introduction of specially designed vista doors, LHB coaches on tourist routes to give better travel experience to passengers. • High density network and highly utilized network routes of Indian railways to be provided with an indigenously developed automatic train protection system which aims to eliminate train collisions due to human error. Allocation of a record sum of Rs. 1 lakh 10055 crores for railways out of which 1 lakh 7thousand and 100 crores is for capital expenditure only.

Urban Infrastructure Important announcements also proposed towards racing the share of public transport in urban area through expansion of metro rail network and augmentation of city bus services. A new scheme proposed to be launched at the cost of Rs. 18 thousand crores to support augmentation of public bus transport services. The scheme aims at proliferating deployment of innovative PPP models to enable private sector players to finance, to acquire, to operate and maintain over 20000 buses. The scheme targeted to boost the automobile sector, provide impetus to economic growth, create employment opportunities for youth and enhance ease of mobility for urban residents. Important provisions in the field of metros made. Its worth noting that a total of 702 kms of conventional metro is operational and another 1016 kms of metros and RRTS is under construction in 27 cities. Two new technologies that is Metro Lite and Metro Neo is proposed to be deployed to provide metro rail systems at much lesser cost with same experience, convenience and safety in Tier-II cities and peripheral areas of Tier-I cities also. Central counterpart funding proposed to be provided to Kochi Metro Railway Phase II of 11.5 Kms at a cost of 1957.05 crores. Chennai Metro Railway Phase II of 118.9 kms at a cost 63246 crores, Bengaluru Metro Railway project Phase 2-A and 2-B of 58.19 kms at a cost of 14788 crores, Nagpur metro rail project phase 2 and Nashik Metro at a cost of 5976 crores and 2092 crores respectively.

Introduction What is National Rail Plan What are the key objectives of NRP What is vision 2024 plan under the National Rail Plan transport 45 percent of country’s freight by 2030 which is 1.6 times increase over 27 percent currently. This is the part of the draft of the National Rail Plan and after 2030 the Indian Railways aims to have a revenue surplus that would be adequate to finance future investments and also repay debt obligations of past investments so far this year passengers earnings are down to 87 percent from the last year as the Civid-19 pandemic disrupted railway services in the March evening as freight earnings have increased by 8%.

The Drafts of National Rail Plan 2030 are as under - • The draft National Rail Plan proposes to eliminate waiting list in passenger trains by running more trains. Railways are using artificial intelligence to access our demand and would want to work with rail movements towards meeting this demand. • The Railways aims to create capacity by 2030 which will be ahead of demand till 2050. This can be stated to be the second draft of the National Rail Plan • While the final draft of NRP reflects to develop capacity beyond the demand. This the first time that the business plan and the infrastructure development plan of the railways is jointly planned and developed on a single platform.

Key Objectives The key objectives of National Rail plan can be stated as under- Create Demand – It aims to create capacity ahead of demand by 2030

which in turn would cater to growth and demand right up to 2050 and also increase the model share of railways from 27 percent currently to 45 percent in the fleet by 2030 as part of National commitment to reduce net zero carbon emission by 2030. Forecast Growth of Traffic – In both fleet and passenger year on year up to 2030 and on a dedicated basis up to 2050. It will formulate strategies based on both operational capacities and commercial policy initiatives to increase moral share of rate based in freight to 45 percent by 2030. Reduce transit time of freight - It also aims to reduce transit time of freight substantially by increasing average speed of free trains from present 22 kms per hour to 50 kilometer per hour. Reduce overall cost of Rail Transportation – It aims to reduce the overall cost of rail transportation by nearly 30 percent and pass on the benefits to the customers. It aims to map the growth in demand on the Indian Railway Route Map and simulate the capacity behaviour of the network in future. Identify infrastructural bottlenecks – It also plans to identify infrastructural bottlenecks that would arise in future with growth and demand and select projects along with appropriate technology in track, signalling and rolling stock to mitigate these bottlenecks well in advance. So, these are the opportunities of National Rail Plans. It has now also got a mission 2024 plan.

Vision 2024 under the National Rail Plan The vision 2024 has been the part of National Rail Plan. It aims to accelerate the implementation of certain critical projects by 2024. Such as 100 % electrification, multi-tracking of congested routes, upgradation of a speed to 160 km/hr on Delhi – Howrah and Delhi – Mumbai routes and also upgradation of speed to 130 km/hr on all the Golden Quadrilateral and Golden Diagonal routes. It also aims at elimination of level crossing on all Golden Quadrilateral and Golden Diagonal routes. So, these are the plans under Vision 2024. This would accelerate the implementation of the critical projects mentioned above. Hence, the NRP envisages an initial surge in capital investment right upto 2030 and post 2030 the revenue surplus generator would be adequate to finance future capital investment and also take the burden of debt service ratio of the capital already invested without extracurricular funding of rail projects. The mentioned details are the plans which is in the draft stage of the National Rail Plan.

Elaboration It has been long demanded that a country like India needs to de-politicize its conventional, yet very significant transportation sector in oder to facilitate competitive and safety oriented approach. Indian Railway is one of the lengthiest rail networks on the map of the world. The transportation scenario that we witness in our country is largely due to the physiographic and climatic conditions that our country is blessed and surrounded with. But, in spite of the fact India is the 7th largest country of the world we are not considered to be country of great distances because of the consecutive settlements that we have made. That is the reason that the development of the transportation network after attainment of the independence civil aviation was certainly sidelined. There was a complementary development of roadways and railways. But it has been long that railways have been essentially reeling under the trouble of absence of competitive growth, absence of technological innovation, absence of dependable earning and precisely in last few years we have noticed that there have massive changes in policy orientation of development and mobilization. However, Indian railways keeping it at with par with Atmnirbar Bharat Abhiyaan, industrial revolution for IOT, the union budget 2021-22 recommendations and announcements that aims to develop railways through a dedicated rail plan referred to as National Rail Plan 2030. The Key issues of NRP 2030 can be summarized as under •Indian Railways 2030 : Future Perspective • Promotions of Digital Systems & Smart technologies for Indian Railways • Make in India: Manufacturing for Indian Railways • Capacity Enhancement and congestion Reduction • Enhanced customer services • Introduction of new technologies in Railways •Land & Railway infrastructure modernization •Enabling ecosystem of material procurement – •Track modernization and renewal of tracks •Innovative and advance energy technologies •Decarbonisation & energy efficiency of Indian Railway •PPP for container freight terminal •Signalling and electrification •Innovative financing solutions •Investment opportunities for new projects •Station Redevelopment •High speed network •Security and safety measures • Tools and Trends in use of data analytics for enhancing safety • Big data and cyber security challenge However, it can be illustrated that all the points mentioned above are inter and co-related to each other. Hence, we can summarize and explore three prominent points which can be stated to be as three blocks or key factors for the NRP-2030

Decarbonisation: Decarbonisation relates to Electrification and Low Carbon Technique. The decarbonisation Indian Railways pathways broadly illustrates two major pathways All solar pathway – The first potential of decarbonisation of IR is all solar approaches. This renewable technology option is identified to be the cheapest generation pathway. Solar and Wind Pathway – The second potential as the name suggests is more balanced. The Indian Railways by using either of the pathways or by using both aims at decarbonisation by 2030 which is one of the major components of Indian Rail Plan 2030. With Ministry of New and Renewable Energy taking new strides wind resource mobilisation quite at par with the solar mission it is very likely that we will have the second pathway that is goving to give more favourable and balanced purview of decarbonisation of Indian Railways by 2030 as per the IRP 2030.

Digitalization : Digitalization is absolutely evolving issue of modern era where issue like Internet of Things (IoT) and the mobilisation of efficiency is taken into account of. The mobilisation of efficiency does not only refer to efficiency in terms of consumer services but in broader sense it relates to efficiency in terms of Communication, Navigation, Surveillance Services. The Industry 4.0 is a general term used for the ongoing automation of traditional manufacturing and industrial practices, using modern smart technology. Large-scale machine-

ecarto-machine communication (M2M) and the Internet of Things are integrated for increased automation, improved communication and self-monitoring, and production of smart machines that can analyse or diagnose issues without the need of human intervention. Technological innovations in Indian Railways, the defined pathways are identified under following six categories –1. Innovative Technologies 2. Need for hassle-free transport services 3. Smart Technology – that is altering customer behaviour 4. Big Data and IoT - having a huge impact on train safety these days 5. IoT and Big Data - to provide an insight on traveller behaviour –6. Focus on high productivity and asset optimization – The digital growth pathways are oriented towards on board and off board rail services which unarguably is one of the most important aspects that can be justified and illustrated. In the lines of common and popular reference of smart cities to be mobilized as smart railway stations sustainable, mobility, affordability, renewable, technology are few terms that is commonly used. So, in the lines of smart cities, development of smart railway stations is something being applied as a very significant pathway when it comes on to mobilisation of digital growth. It is important to note that in the process of development of smart railway stations various components like Users, Services, Sustainable, Infrastructure actually overlaps with the six components of digital growth pathway for Indian Railways in Indian Rail Plan 2030. So we need to take the integration all together because when we list the key factors or do key planning purview we usually don’t get all the insight of the things that we actually need to include and apply. Every smart city needs to have a smart transportation infrastructure and if it is the smart transportation infrastructure it cannot be aloof of railways. Following are defined as components of Smart Railway Stations –• Maximal Engineering Understanding • Improved Communication • Transparency in decision-making • Life Saving and Infrastructure • Improved Quality of Life • Engaged to the communities • Develops longer term plans • Aides the safety and security concern • Universal format model Co-creating Innovation Smart Railway Stations aims at developing IoT benefits for sustainable, inclusive and competitive growth. This by default is the most important dimension when it comes on to the development of Indian Railway Plan towards digital growth. Improving Communication where every dimension gets covered very clearly.

High Speed Railways Below listed is the inauguration year of high speed rail networks in different countries of the world: Japan – 1964 France – 1981 Italy – 1988 Germany – 1991 Spain – 1992 South Korea – 2004 Taiwan – 2007 China – 2008 India – First HSR expected to begin operation by end of year 2024 From above data it is very clear that mobilisation for high speed rail network started significantly late in our country. Studies across the world have already revealed that high speed rail network has a significant contribution to the growth and development of an economy.

Moreover, the need for HSR (High Speed Rail) in context of Indian economy becomes significantly important and relevant due to following reasons : 1. HSR is energy efficient and is less polluting than Road/Air travel. 2. India imports about 80% of its oil requirement. HSR network will help in using indigenous energy resources like thermal/hydel/nuclear based energy 3. Economically as well as environmentally, Rail based transport system is ideally suited for India. HSR Network is one of the key components of National Rail Plan 2030. Below mentioned are some of the more specific reasons as why development of HSR network in India has been incorporated as a key component in NRP 2030?

(a) The High Speed Rail Network saves energy costs and reduces greenhouse gases. Compared to plane, private car, bus & classic trains transportation by a high speed railway in terms of fuel equivalent grams per passengerkilometer is lesser by 25 to 75 percent in costs. In energy efficiency we are running the national mission on energy efficiency and we all are aware of the fact that energy efficiency is one of the key components that comes up with the sustainable development goals. High Speed Railways in India will be ensuring energy efficiency of railways.

(b) Land requirements for high speed railways are smaller. Land requirement has always been debated that the HSR network work would result into huge diversion of land. But, if we take up a logical and in-depth analysis it proves that land requirements are much more smaller compared to any of the expressways that is being developed under the highway development program. It should be noted that a HSRline allows more passengers than any six lane highway per hour. More importantly an elevated rail corridor reduces the hassle of land acquisition. It has been noticed that there has been several bottlenecks in Bharatmala I towards land acquisition, diversion, forest side, protected areas and many other concers of similar nature.

(c) Decongestion and Capacity addition needs to be taken up in comparison because growth of railways and growth of roadways has always been complimentary to each other in India. Railways or a HSR network compared to roadways and motorways is far more efficacious in terms of decongestion and capacity addition. A high speed train for same number of frequencies can carry much more passengers when compared to vehicles in similar capacity on road. So, it can be stated that reduction in commuting time between cities and added capacity gives an excellent opportunity for decongestion of the mega urban centers and growth of smaller towns and other cities.

(d) Decongestion of Metropolitan cities – It has been observed that there has been a spreading out of economic activities as well as residential growth with the help of efficient connectivity which is generally termed as an outgrowth. The entire process generally has a favourable spill over effect overall growth.

Travel Time – When compared in terms of cumulative time consumed commuting by road, water and air, the travel time through a high speed rail network is

the lowest. The total travel transit time in a high speed rail network is very less compared to other means of transportation available to a passenger. The specificity make it an ideal mode of transportation.

The NRP- 2030 proposes four high speed rail corridors in the country –Amritsar- Patna (Via Delhi) Ahmedabad – Pune (Via Mumbai) Hyderabad – Kochi (via Bangalore, Chennai) Kolkata - Haldia Hence, it can be summarized that the NRP-2030 aims at giving India a future centric transportation system by 2030 and further strengthening it till 2050.

Conclusion

Indian Railway is one of largest carriers of passenger and cargo in the world also has a very vast and deep network connecting the nook and cranny of the country and the remote locations. The Indian Railways is also the provider of employment opportunities to the maximum number of people. The IR recently has issued a draft called the National Rail Plan 2030. The draft aims at building its capacity and also the fate carrying capabilities. In short it can be said that these are the two main pillars on what the draft talks about.

Indian Railways although bears the infamous fate of being the legacy of British Raj but subsequently it cannot be denied too that Indian railways went through multiple phases in postindependence era which has given it the shape which the railways carries for itself presently. The journey of Indian Railways after independence has been more a story of self-reliance and adaptability rather than a british legacy which has helped her to transform into one of the biggest rail networks of 21st century helping to commute more than 125 crore people. There have been efforts done for modernization and upgradation of Indian Railways on a regular basis in the country. Effort for adding new railway lines has been done on a continual basis to meet the demand of an ever increasing population to commute and need to run more and more trains for them. There have been transformational phases when IR moved from steam locomotives to diesel and from diesel to electric. The railways in the nation aim to achieve 100 percent electrification of all its broad gauge network by Dec 2023. The attainment of an 100 percent electrification status of all its broad gauge rail network by December next year also has an special reference to it which symbolises India’s commitment to adherence to Paris climate conference which appeals for making sincere efforts by all nations to reduce carbon emissions by their railways bring it to zero by 2030. It means that the electrification process of all rail networks in the country needs to be done in much more faster way. For this to attain we need modern locomotives, we need more current coaches. There’s also a need of increasing the rail lines by more than double in some of the traffic areas which have a very high frequency and train traffic. At the same time the economics of the railways which also is a concern the National Rail Plan is to see that the Railways given its mass network and the kind of investment that has already been paid and subsequent investments are required to be implemented to keep this system very robust.

The National Rail Draft plan lays down certain important postulates. It formulates few questions to be answered as the National Rail Plan primarily focuses on creating a future ready rail system for the country by year 2030. So, some of the important points that NRP focuses is as under –1. What Should be the kind of scenario by 2030 to help get the maximum benefit of the ambitious plan prepared by Indian railways for the nation? 2. What infrastructure projects will have to be rolled out so that for the next 20 years i,e; from 2030 to 2050. In that 20 years what all needs to be done in terms of capacity utilization and capacity upgradation? 3. There’s also an important fact that IR has been competing with the road sector. There is a desperate need in India to develop road transportation and passenger carrying capability to reduce the passenger traffic pressure on railways. There can be few possible answers to the questions above. It must be noted that despite a massive network Indian Railways has meagre share of merely 27 percent in terms of freight transportation. Hence, the objective of the railways to deliver productivity and show signs of major contribution to the revenue in India is that it must increase its freight carrying capability to at least 45 percent by 2030. It therefore, may also be noted that it is the part of the national commitment for increasing the freight carrying ability of the Indian Railways. If an economy is able to get more goods to be transported by railways compared to roadways then it is beneficial for the country in a number of ways. Other than cheap transportation and faster transportation it also ensures reducing the carbon emission to a great extent. Hence, the National Rail Plan to be accomplished on a successful node seems to meet two objectives• One is to improve Railway infrastructure by 2030 so that it meets the demands and requirements for a period which would be approximately 10 years or a decade from now. • The second objective stresses up on laying the foundation stone for improvements that should serve us for another 20 years that is upto 2050. The National Rail Plan has been drafted as the template of planning for future development of Indian Railways. National Rail Plan has been developed to plan infrastructural capacity enhancement along with strategies to increase modal share of the Railways & Business. The objective of the Plan is to create capacity ahead of demand by 2030, which in turn would cater to growth in demand right up to 2050. As part of the National Rail Plan, Vision 2024 has been launched for accelerated implementation of certain critical projects by 2024. Future projects for implementation beyond 2024 in both track and signalling have been identified with clear cut. timelines for implementation. Three Dedicated Freight Corridors, namely East Coast, East-West & North-South identified along with timelines. PETS survey already underway. Several new High Speed Rail Corridors have also been identified. Survey on Delhi-Varanasi High Speed Rail already under way With draft copy of the rail plan been finalised and budget allocated for its implementation it can be said that the National rail Plan 2030 aims for a transformational development of Indian Railways in coming years.

Karnataka Government on Friday has appointed Rakesh Singh, an IAS officer from the 1989 batch, as the Managing Director (MD) of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL).

The office of MD becomes vacant after the appointment of Ajay Seth, the predecessor of Rakesh Singh, as Secretary of Economic Affairs by the Central government on Tuesday. Ajay Seth served for 30 months as MD of BMRCL.

Rakesh Singh is also the Additional Chief Secretary of Water Resources Department and working as the Administrator of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

Ajay Seth played an imperative role in fast-tracking the metro project in the city by setting strict guidelines for each corridor alongwith monthly monitoring of civil work progress. He also sorted out land acquisition issues for the project. He is instrumental in completing many works for the city metro including the last inauguration of 6.29 km stretch of Green line from Yelachenahalli to Silk Institute in January 2021. Now Rakesh Singh will have the responsibility to look after the next phase of construction of Bangalore Metro.

Ajitabh Sharma, 1996 batch IAS officer, has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation Limited (JMRC).

Previously, Ajitabh Sharma was posted as Principal Secretary of Mines & Petroleum Dept and IT& Communication, Government of Rajasthan.

Recently, in a major reshuffle of bureaucratic officers, Rajasthan Government transferred 67 IAS officers including collectors in 7 districts. However, as per media reports, Ajitabh Sharma is not happy with the State Government and has applied for central posting on deputation basis. Jaipur Metro is operating on huge losses with low ridership and the situation is further worsened as a result of Covid-19. At present, Jaipur Metro is operational on a route of 11.97 km (Pink Line) from Mansarovar to Badi Chaupar with 11 stations under Phase-1 and Phase-1B. Under Phase-1C, Pink Line will be extended by 2.85 km from Badi Chaupar to Transport Nagar with 3 stations. Once constructed, the estimated ridership for the entire stretch i.e. from Mansarovar to Transport Nagar, will be over 1.38 lakh till 2031. Last Month, JMRC also finalised the revised detailed project report of Jaipur Metro corridor Phase-2. A total of 23.5 KM metro rail network has been planned between India Gate (Sitapura) and Ambabari with 21 elevated stations at the estimated cost of Rs. 4,546 Crore.

JMRC decided to not construct any underground tunnels as it would increase the cost of the project.

JMRC has also invited invitations and suggestions from the public.