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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
 Posted - 06/09/2008 : 02:31:53
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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080609/jsp/calcutta/story_9379795.jsp
The East-West Metro that was cleared by Delhi last week will be a
unique project even for a city that has had an underground rail link
for 24 years. Metro presents an FAQ to put doubts, if any, to rest.
What is East-West Metro?
Although modelled on Delhi�s Metro Railway, the East-West project
will be the first in the country to have an underwater section. The
stainless steel rakes will be almost noiseless, lighter, spacious and
more comfortable than those that ferry people on the Tollygunge-Dum
Dum route. Work on the Rs 4,676-crore project will start in January
and the first phase is likely to be inaugurated by 2014.
The state will bear 30 per cent of the cost and the Centre 25 per
cent. The remaining 45 per cent will be a soft loan from the Japan
Bank for International Cooperation.
Which places will it connect?
It will connect Sector V in Salt Lake with Howrah, a distance of
13.77 km. There will be 12 stations, six above the ground and as many
underneath. The surface stations will stand atop concrete pillars
around 12 metres high.
Which portion will be under the Hooghly?
The underwater stretch will be around eight km, from Howrah to Subhas
Sarobar. A joint venture company, Calcutta Metro Railway Corporation,
will be in charge of the project. It will appoint a consortium of
general consultants #65533;�" to be selected through a global bidding
process #65533;�" to execute the project.
What kind of technology will be used?
The stretch underneath the Hooghly will be created with a massive
tunnel-boring machine. The plan is to dig a tunnel 30 metres below
the riverbed, through which the tracks will be laid. The tracks will
be of standard gauge, instead of broad gauge. From Subhas Sarobar,
the tracks will be elevated.
Will it be safe under water?
Londoners have been passing through the Thames tunnel for over a
century.
The use of a tunnel-boring machine instead of the drilling and
blasting method will ensure that the East-West Metro tunnel is
created without disturbing the surrounding soil and, therefore,
avoiding subsidence. Experts say that nobody will be able to make out
they are travelling through an underwater tunnel and that no
structure built on the surface will be under threat.
The stations of the tracks underneath will have entrances on the
ground, just like the Metro stations between Tollygunge and Dum Dum.
How much digging is involved?
There won�t be too much activity #65533;�" or chaos #65533;�" at ground level because
half the project will be underground. The concrete pillars on which
the elevated portion is to stand will be built on the median dividers
to avoid traffic disruption. The only problem, if any, will be
constructing the stations.
At which point will the two Metros meet?
East-West will meet the North-South corridor at Central station.
Passengers using the North-South Metro can walk a tier below and get
a link to the East-West Metro. �The architects who designed Central
station had left a provision for such connectivity,� an official
said.
How much time will it take from one end to the other?
Between 35 and 40 minutes.
irse
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 06/09/2008 : 02:33:59
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KOLKATA: Nearly all hurdles have been cleared for the East-West Metro
corridor, but transport experts are of the opinion that a few issues
still need to be sorted out before actual construction starts.
For one, these experts from the Indian Railways and the Delhi Metro
Railway Corporation (DMRC) are not happy with Kolkata Metro Railway
Corporation's (KMRC) plans to start construction from the Salt Lake
end.
"This is a mistake that many agencies make. The most difficult
stretch is the underground one between Howrah and Sealdah. This will
also turn out to be the most popular stretch. Ideally, work should
start from Central station and proceed in both directions," a senior
officer said.
The 13.7-km stretch will have 12 stations in Howrah, Mahakaran,
Central, Bowbazar, Sealdah, Phoolbagan, Salt Lake Stadium, Bengal
Chemical, City Centre, Central Park, Karunamoyee and Salt Lake Sector
V. The first six will be underground and the rest elevated.
"The most important stretch will be the one between Howrah and
Sealdah. Even if construction can be completed in the next three
years, lakhs of commuters will be benefited. Work can continue on the
remaining stretch after services have started on this one," the
officer added.
Engineers will be tested while designing and building a tunnel under
the Hooghly. Something of this sort has never been attempted anywhere
in India. According to a DMRC official, work on this should start in
the first phase rather than in the elevated section.
"KMRC will end up blocking funds and manpower in a considerably
easier section. The tunnel between Mahakaran and the Hooghly will
pass right under the central business district. There will be
problems even if advanced tunnelling equipment are used," he said.
While the implementing agencies have already started hiring experts
in civil engineering, officers feel there should be only one person
in charge of the entire project.
The experts also fail to understand the logic behind the decision to
appoint the general managers of Eastern and Metro Railways as
directors of KMRC. "Instead of selecting people in high positions,
they should have gone for people who can actually help. The GMs have
little idea of the city. There are a number of other senior officers
in the railways who could have done a far better job," one of them
irse |
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 06/09/2008 : 20:27:19
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Both the east-west and north-south Metro routes are trying to reach out to NSCBI International Airport. Metro Railway, the first underground railway of the country, is already making a feasibility study for an extension from Dum Dum Metro station. And, the East-West Metro project, which got the stamp of approval from the Union cabinet on Thursday, is engaging the consulting group RITES for a probable expansion till the airport from the proposed Karunamoyee station.
At Karunamoyee crossing, from where the EW Metro track would go ahead towards citys IT hub at sector V, Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) would have the provision to build an arm towards VIP Road which will finally go up to the airport, sources say. KMRC officials say the airport connectivity would strengthen the feasibility of the project and make it more likely for Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC), the principal funding agency for the project, to grant the loan.
"The East-West Metro would run on the elevated track along Kestopur canal. The 6.5-km track would costs us around Rs 800 crore. We want the work on the airport link to begin simultaneously so that at the time of completion, the EW-Metro attracts a higher volume of passengers. On the other hand, the airport track will benefit a lot of fliers, especially those who are booked on no-frills airlines," said chief traffic and transportation engineer B K Sadhu.
In the last few years, NSCBI airport has witnessed a massive jump in its operations, with an ever higher number of domestic and international carriers jostling for space. But compared to the jump in operation, the passenger dispersal system remains outdated. Because of the sole dependence on the personalized mode of transport like taxi and private cars, the airport area witnesses heavy traffic jams. "There has been tremendous change in profile of the air passengers also in last three four years. So the Metro link is more than necessary," said Sadhu.
In most major cities, the airport is linked with an efficient mass rapid transit system. But Kolkata remains an exception, despite having the Metro railway. Recently, the Railways Board asked the Metro Railway whether the Tollygunge-Dum Dum route can be extended till the airport. The Metro said it would need some modification in the traction system and a redesigning of the platform. It promptly proposed a study for the extension.
The Metro, in its report to the railways board, suggested that instead of terminating nearly 1 km away from the airport terminal building the track may lead closer to the domestic terminal. "This will facilitate easy shift from the Metro to the airport. In this age of no-frill airlines, no passenger will like to spend Rs 500 on cabs when the plane ticket costs just Rs 2,500," said a senior Metro Railway official.
The existing Metro route railway goes up to Noapara car shed after emptying the trains at Dum Dum station. There is a proposal to turn Noapara into a station and build an underground corridor that would link up with the elevated circular railway track somewhere near Dum Dum Cantonment station.
"It will take some remodelling. On the elevated track, the power-supply is through overhead lines whereas the Metro has a third rail for this. Platforms also need to be redesigned because the Metro-rakes are narrower than a normal EMU coach," said an official.
The elevated track from Dum Dum Cantonment to the airport remains a symbol of colossal waste only two trains make the journey every day and on average every train has just two persons. Besides, passengers have to climb stairs 100 feet. "Instead of taking the Metro to the airport, its a mystery why the railways built the elevated track," said a transport official. |
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 06/13/2008 : 00:17:21
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Posted - 06/05/2008 : 11:24:44
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http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_c_online.php?
leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=IN&autono=39256
New Delhi June 5, 2008, 15:39 IST
Kolkata, the city which has the distinction of India's first metro
railway network, will once again set a precedent by having an
underwater rail connection. The union cabinet today approved the much
awaited extension of the Kolkata metro with its neighbouring city
Howrah which will include a tunnel under the river Ganges.
The project, estimated at a cost of Rs 4676 crore will connect the
railway station of eastern India, Howrah, and the information
technology suburb of Salt Lake. The link will cover a total distance
of 13.77 kms with 8 kms running underground. The project will be
executed through a joint venture company to be formed with a 50:50
partnership between West Bengal and the centre.
The Cabinet today approved the constitution of a Special Purpose
Vehicle (SPV) for the project. "The SPV will be constituted for
successful execution of the project as well as its operation and
maintenance", Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan
Dasmunsi announced today. The project is expected to be completed in
six and half years in two stages. The first stage of 5.77 kms,
elevated section would be commissioned in five and half years time.
The project report says there will be a two-tier fare structure of Rs
8 and Rs 16.
The detailed Project Report of Kolkata's East-West Metro connection
had been prepared by E Sreedharan, the head of the Delhi's Metro
project. Although the original proposal was to extend the link 3.5
kms inside Howrah district, the cabinet however, approved the rail
line till Howrah station. JBIC of Japan will partially fund the metro
link, sources added.
Information and broadcasting minister, who also heads the All India
Football Federation, was happy announcing the project as it would
enable soccer fans across the river to come easily to the Asia's
biggest football stadium at the Salt Lake. But in the cabinet
meeting, Dasmunsi had a tough time to get the project approved
quickly. According to sources, Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson
Montek Singh Ahluwalia insisted that the project be referred to a
Group of Ministers (GoM). He also wanted that the Centre should not
have any financial responsibility and the whole project should be
left to the state for execution. However, Dasmunsi argued that in
Chennai and Bangalore the metro links have a participation of the
Central government and Kolkata should get a similar treatment.
irse |
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 06/16/2008 : 03:51:49
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Central Station may host the two Metro routes
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Central-Station-may-host-the-
two-Metro-routes/322750/
Kolkata, June 13 The station had been designed in the 1970s to
operate as an intersection
Not many know that the planners of the Metro had floated the idea of
an east-eest route from Ramrajatala to Salt Lake way back in the
1970s.
Accordingly, the Central Station was designed as a future junction of
north-south and east-west corridor.
"The Central Station, with its futuristic design, was ahead of its
time when it was constructed," said a senior engineer of the Metro
Railways.
It was built on the lines of multi-tier stations of the London and
Paris metro. "It has provisions for a two-tier set-up. There is space
below the existing station to accommodate another platform and
tracks," said Jayanta Kumar Mitra, Chief Operations Manager, Metro
Railways.
A new set-up (platforms, tracks and other related facilities) will be
located nine to twelve metres below the existing station.
The second level will serve only the east-west corridor. Escalators
and staircases will run down from the first level to the platform
below.
The station already has three platforms running parallel to each
other and only one at the centre is currently operational.
The other ones now lie idle, and the east-west corridor lines will
put to use these two platforms.
If a commuter wishes to travel from say Sector five station (east-
west) to Shyambazar ( north-south), he will have to disembark at the
second level of the Central station and take an escalator to the
first level.
The commuter will now be on the platform to board the Shyamabazar
bound train. The doors of the trains will open on both sides to allow
people to get in from platforms on either side.
An integrated ticketing system of smart cards will be
introduced. "Commuters can move from one tier to another without
having to go out and buy tickets again," said Mitra.
irse |
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 06/17/2008 : 07:17:18
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Calcutta metro may become tourist attraction
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kolkata_/E-
W_Metro_corridor_may_be_the_next_tourist_attraction/articleshow/313010
4.cms
15 Jun 2008, 0241 hrs IST
KOLKATA: The East-West Metro railway corridor may emerge as a tourism
destination in itself. It will have four landmark stations and two
high-capacity stations of international standards, which will stand
apart for their architectural marvel and thematic design.
"A lot of tourists will come only to see these stations," said a
senior transport department official. Officials from the department
recently met some leading architects of the country for the design of
the landmark stations.
The stations at Salt Lake stadium, City Centre, Karunamoyee and
Sector V will be the new icons of the city. "These four places have
some unique features. For example, the Salt Lake Stadium station will
have a sports complex at one side and the Swabhumi Heritage Park and
Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals on the other. So, the station will
reflect these features," said chief traffic transportation engineer B
K Sadhu.
Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) will engage international firms
to design and construct its Howrah and Sealdah stations. These two
points are very important as a huge volume of passenger traffic will
shift from the surface railway to the underground railway network.
The depth of the Metro tunnel would equal the height of a 10-storey
building. So, it will have escalators at different levels, apart from
staircases. A challenging construction for technologists, the
corridor will be the first in the country to run below a river.
The transport department, the nodal agency for the project, wants to
steer clear of certain hurdles before construction work begins. And,
land acquisition is a key hurdle. The department has decided to build
an eight-storey building on a plot of Calcutta State Transport
Corporation, now used as a garbage dump. Traders displaced from land
acquired for the project would be rehabilitated in a part of the
building while the rest of it might house the KMRC office.
The state government will start work on the elevated portion from the
Salt Lake-end by October. RITES are close to completing the detailed
project report, which estimates the cost to be around Rs 3,349 crore.
It wants to engage Delhi Metro Rail Corporation as the probe
consultant of their report. Designing and drawing is the next stage.
Significantly, construction of the Metro corridor will not disrupt
life on the surface though 70% of it would run underground. This is
because machines will be used to bore the tunnel without obstruction
on the surface. "The part of the tunnel from Howrah Maidan to Eastern
Metropolitan Bypass as well as the part that will run underwater,
through the Ganga, will be an engineering marvel," said a senior
transport department engineer.
irse |
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2008 : 03:59:53
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Get ready to shell out more for East-West Metro corridor ticket
Posted by: "yogesh_b_k" yogesh_b_k@yahoo.com yogesh_b_k
Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:50 am (PDT)
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Get-ready-to-shell-out-more-
for-EastWest-Metro-corridor-ticket/326383/
Kolkata, June 22 Soon commuters will have to cough up higher fares
while travelling in the East-West Metro corridor.
It is likely that two different fare structures will exist " an
expensive one for the proposed East-West corridor and a subsidised
one in the old stretch from Dum Dum to Tollygunge.
A single ticket for commuters will be in place for those crossing
over from one corridor to another.
“ An integrated fare collection system between north-south Metro
corridor, run by Kolkata Metro Railway and the East-West Metro
corridor, run by Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) is being
planned out, said M Ramachandran, Secretary, Ministry of Urban
Development and Chairman of KMRC.
The Metro Railway officials pointed out that even with the “single
ticket system, the fares in the two zones will be vastly
different. “While the fares fixed by the Metro Railway are highly
subsidised, the KMRC which is a profit making body cannot afford to
keep the fares so low. Commuters will have to pay two different fares
for the same distance travelled, said a senior Metro Railway
official.
“It may not be possible to bring the fares at par in two corridors
presently as the level of service for both might be different, said
Ramachandran. For instance, while the current fare for the first 5
kms in the north-south stretch is Rs 4, it will be Rs 8 for the first
two and Rs 9 for two to four kilometres on the East-West corridor.
irse |
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2008 : 07:09:24
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KMDA stands in way of E-W Metro extension Topic List < Prev Topic | Next Topic >
Reply | Forward < Prev Message | Next Message >
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=6&theme=&usrsess=1&id=217732
KOLKATA, Aug.9: In a classic example of too many cooks spoiling the broth,
Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) has raised objections to the
proposed extension of the East West Metro project from Salt Lake to the airport
through VIP road citing a number of flyover projects in the same area.
Instead KMDA has proposed that the extension should be taken up from Salt Lake
to the airport via New Town, Rajarhat.
In a letter to the transport department the chief executive officer, KMDA, Mr PR
Baviskar has pointed out that the proposed extension of the East West Metro
would include an elevated corridor on the median verge of the VIP road.
He also reminded that there is another proposal of connecting Howrah station to
the airport through an elevated road project using the same median verge on the
VIP road stretch.
According to KMDA, the first phase of this project from Rabindra Setu till
Girish Park is awaiting approval from the Centre under the Jawarharlal Nehru
National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme. In future the flyover is
proposed to be extended to Ultadanga and finally to the airport via VIP Road.
After examining the proposal as directed by the urban development minister, Mr
Asok Bhattacharya, the KMDA has also reminded the transport department that the
proposal for the metro extension being a new one, was not considered in either
the traffic transportation master plan for Kolkata Metropolitan Area or the
Metropolitan Transportation Project report of Railways.
The transport department has also been reminded of another long delayed project
of constructing a flyover from Lake Town to Baguihati. Citing these long awaited
proposals, KMDA has asked the transport department to reexamine the route for
extending the East West Metro Corridor via VIP Road.
Mr Baviskar has proposed that the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC),
commissioned to make feasibility study and preparation of the detailed project
report, should be asked to study the route via New Town, Rajarhat as proposed by
Infrastructure Development Finance Company in their comprehensive mobility plan
for Kolkata Metropolitan Area.
But a senior official of the transport department pointed out, “All these
projects were conceived long ago but could not be taken up, primarily due to
dearth of funds. It is unlikely these are going to be taken up in near future.
We have already commissioned DMRC to prepare the DPR after receiving clearance
from the chief minister.”
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2008 : 11:55:53
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Metro Rly. drops separate ladies compartment plan
Kolkata (PTI): The Metro Railwayson Saturday said it would withdraw the recently introduced system of reserving two separate coaches for ladies in underground trains from September 8.
A Metro Railway statement said the experiment reserving separate ladies compartments in trains from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm fromSeptember 1 was being withdrawn because of a huge numbers of complaints.
From September 8 there would be reserved seats for ladies in all compartments.
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2008 : 06:15:38
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http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/EastWest-corridor-project-
runs-into-hurdle/361960/
Kolkata, September 15 The experiences with land acquisition in
Singur and Nandigram have forced the state government to tread
cautiously. The Left government has decided to do away with the
railway stations on the much-hyped East-West Metro Corridor project
rather than to venture into any fresh land acquisition controversy.
In the second board meeting of the Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation
(KMRC), the recently-constituted body to implement the project, the
Left government proposed to scrap the plans of setting up a central
station at the Bowbazar Crossing. It has been proposed that the
station at Bowbazar will be the junction connecting the East-West
Metro Corridor with the existing North-South one.
M Ramachandran, the secretary of the Union Ministry of Urban
development, said: "The area is congested and it may be difficult to
acquire land for the station." He further said: "The state
government has suggested whether the station can be dispensed of
altogether. But no final decision has been taken in this regard and
the matter will be taken up in the next board meeting." He was
speaking to media at the sidelines of a seminar on urban development
organised by the Merchant Chamber of Commerce.
The Bowbazar station already finds mention in the Detailed Project
Report (DPR). The DPR has to be changed if the station is scrapped,
said Ramachandran. The distance between metro stations on the route
has already been specified. Doing away with a station will increase
the distance between the preceding station and the next station. We
have to see whether it is feasible or not," said the secretary.
Earlier, transport minister Subhas Chakraborty had claimed that
there was no political resistance to the issue and work on the
project was going on smoothly.
The project, however, is already facing resistance from the local
traders. In the last four months, the 300-year-old furniture market
on the B B Ganguly Street at the Bowbazar crossing has witnessed
dwindling sales. As the word spread about shops being pulled down to
make way for the Metro corridor project, the steady flow of
customers has come down to a mere trickle.
Though only 14 of the 88 shops in the furniture market will be
relocated, these shops are extremely popular and have been the
landmarks of the market. The relocation will affect the identity of
the market and we will lose our customers, said a trader.
irse |
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2008 : 12:53:15
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'09 date for E-W Metro work
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kolkata_/09_date_for_E-
W_Metro_work/articleshow/3487288.cms
KOLKATA: Construction of the East-West Metro corridor from Howrah
Station to Salt Lake will begin early next year.
Board members of Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) met at
Writers' Buildings on Monday. The meeting was attended by KMRC
chairman M Ramachandran, who is also the secretary, union ministry
of urban development, and KMRC managing director, Sumantra
Choudhury, the state transport secretary. The project is likely to
be completed by October, 2014.
State urban development secretary P K Pradhan, also on the board
said that three crucial tenders for the project will be called by
December and construction of the elevated part of the project
between Salt Lake's Sector V and Beliaghata will be started at the
beginning of 2009.
The elevation will be 11.6 metre from the ground level to the
train's level with a clear height of 6 metres from the ground level
to the train tracks. Tenders for the six stations between Sector V
and Beliaghata (covering around 5 km) will be called in two
packages. The proposed 13.77-km route from the Salt Lake end is:
Central Park, City Centre, Salt Lake stadium, Narkeldanga Main Road,
Phoolbagan, Sealdah Station, BBD Bag, Jagannath Ghat, Howrah Station
and finally Howrah Maidan. After problems cropped up in displacing
the gold dealers at B B Ganguly Street, the state government is in
two minds about constructing this station at Bowbazar.
Ramachandran told TOI, "We have been told about acquisition
problems. Now it is for the state government to say if this station
needs to be constructed. We'll do away with it if the government so
wants."
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 11/22/2008 : 03:37:13
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Construction of first stretch of monorail to start in March
http://news.webindia123.com/news/ar_showdetails.asp?id=811210759&cat=&n_date=20081121
Kolkata | Friday, Nov 21 2008
Construction of the first stretch of monorail in Kolkata is expected to start in
March next year with a city-based private firm getting contract for the Rs
1,200-crore project.
''We have got the contract to construct the first 20 km on a build-own-operate
basis at an approximate cost of Rs 60 crore. Work is scheduled to start in March
to connect Budge Budge to Taratala,'' Mr P C Sen, Chairman of Andromeda
Construction, told reporters on the sidelines of a conference here.
Mr Sen said the state transport department and the public works department had
already given the go ahead to the ambitious project to be completed in two
years.
The second phase of the project envisages construction of a 52-km stretch from
Taratala to Rajarhat.
Mr Sen said the expenses for the first phase would be raised with a debt-equity
mix of 4:1 with the company looking for for foreign financial partners.
Andromeda, which is scheduled to source coaches from Germany, mulls to place
orders with domestic wagon manufacturers like Titagarh Wagons and Jessop in
future.
Partnering Andromeda, German company Fernmeldewerk Munchen Aubing would supply
signalling equipment, while Derap AG and Helbling Technik, also of Germany,
would provide the knowhow, Mr Sen said.
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 03/23/2009 : 05:28:17
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_c_online.php?
leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=IN&autono=39256
New Delhi June 5, 2008, 15:39 IST
Kolkata, the city which has the distinction of India's first metro
railway network, will once again set a precedent by having an
underwater rail connection. The union cabinet today approved the much
awaited extension of the Kolkata metro with its neighbouring city
Howrah which will include a tunnel under the river Ganges.
The project, estimated at a cost of Rs 4676 crore will connect the
railway station of eastern India, Howrah, and the information
technology suburb of Salt Lake. The link will cover a total distance
of 13.77 kms with 8 kms running underground. The project will be
executed through a joint venture company to be formed with a 50:50
partnership between West Bengal and the centre.
The Cabinet today approved the constitution of a Special Purpose
Vehicle (SPV) for the project. "The SPV will be constituted for
successful execution of the project as well as its operation and
maintenance", Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan
Dasmunsi announced today. The project is expected to be completed in
six and half years in two stages. The first stage of 5.77 kms,
elevated section would be commissioned in five and half years time.
The project report says there will be a two-tier fare structure of Rs
8 and Rs 16.
The detailed Project Report of Kolkata's East-West Metro connection
had been prepared by E Sreedharan, the head of the Delhi's Metro
project. Although the original proposal was to extend the link 3.5
kms inside Howrah district, the cabinet however, approved the rail
line till Howrah station. JBIC of Japan will partially fund the metro
link, sources added.
Information and broadcasting minister, who also heads the All India
Football Federation, was happy announcing the project as it would
enable soccer fans across the river to come easily to the Asia's
biggest football stadium at the Salt Lake. But in the cabinet
meeting, Dasmunsi had a tough time to get the project approved
quickly. According to sources, Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson
Montek Singh Ahluwalia insisted that the project be referred to a
Group of Ministers (GoM). He also wanted that the Centre should not
have any financial responsibility and the whole project should be
left to the state for execution. However, Dasmunsi argued that in
Chennai and Bangalore the metro links have a participation of the
Central government and Kolkata should get a similar treatment.
Posted - 01/24/2009 : 23:23:05
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Rail meet to address the fast growing logistics needs
24 Jan 2009, 2109 hrs IST, Rakhi Mazumdar, ET Bureau
KOLKATA: Railway Board chairman KC Jena held a high level meeting on Saturday here to discuss a detailed plan being prepared by the Indian Railways
to address the fast growing logistics needs- both for passenger and freight services- in the Greater Kolkata metropolitan area.
The plan, which is perhaps the first of its kind being tried out by the Railways' system to tackle fast growing needs of Kolkata and its suburban area, essentially revolves around an integrated approach by Eastern (ER), South Eastern (SER) and Metro Railway to tackle the demanding transportation needs of the area over the next 15-20 years.
The meeting was attended by Deepak Krishan, General Manager, Eastern Railway, AKJain, General Manager, South Eastern Raiway and VN Tripathi, General Manager, Metro Railway and principal head of departments of all the three Railways based in Kolkata.
"A detailed and holistic plan is being worked out encompassing all the three railways, namely ER, SER and Metro to identify the needs of the greater Kolkata region. We are in the process of shortlisting a consultant who will help us prepare the blueprint for its execution," a top Railway official told ET.
The Railways' technical services arm, RITES, is likely to be one of the agencies shortlisted for the consultancy. "A decision on the appointment of the consultant is expected shortly. We will have to decide whether it is through an open tender or through a single tender, he added.
"We have decided on the terms of reference for the job and have completed an internal study to make a detailed assessment of the number of passengers and freight customers as well as the number of freight terminals in and around Kolkata. This will help us understand the need to either relocate or augment these terminals to meet future needs," the official said.
The plan will be worked out with other key agencies involved in growth and development of the city namely, Kolkata Metropolitan Development Agency (KMDA).
The meeting also reviewed the performance of the three railways and also discussed the launch of Metro Railways' extended services upto Garia. The service in that stretch is likely to operational by end of March 2009.
Posted by S ravi- 02/21/2009 : 21:02:15
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ight Rail Transit System launched
Kolkata : Projects today reported that Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharya CM of West Bengal launched a Light Rail Transit System at Kolkata on February 18th 2009. Kolkata Mass Rapid Transit, a SPV promoted by a consortium led by Srei Infrastructure, West Bengal Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation andCzech based Amex International, the technology partner has been floated toimplement the project. As per report, the INR 6,000 crore projects will be implemented in 2 phases andis expected to be completed within four to 5 years from commencement of construction. The LRTS project will stretch over 40 kilometer and will comprise two corridors namely Joka to Esplanade and the Esplanade to Barrackpore sector. The air conditioned LRTS will start from north and end at the southern part ofthe city through central district connecting 37 stations including Taratala,Khidderpore, AJC Bose Road, Park Street, Esplanade, Sealdah, Shyambazar, Dunlop, Khardha, Titagarh and Barrackpore. However, the state government will also announce a INR 4,676 crore East WestMetro Rail project on February 22nd 2009 along with a 46 kilometer 4 lane elevated Ring Road across the city costing INR 6,000 crore. East West Metro and the LRTS will be linked at Sealdah in central Kolkata. Consulting Engineering Services will be preparing the DPR for the LRT that willalso include figuring out a system by which passengers could seamlessly passfrom the LRT to the new Metro link. The DPR is expected by September after whichthe project will go to JNNURM for viability gap funding. (Sourced from Projects Today)
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Edited by - S.ravi on 02/21/2009 21:11:11
Posted by S ravi- 03/10/2009 : 10:28:01
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CMRL has stipulated 2015 as the deadline for Egis to execute the project.Kolkata metro rail is also expected to be completed on the same deadline.
S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
1564 Posts
Posted - 03/10/2009 : 10:33:17
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Kolkata : CITU stalls Metro work for hours
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/citu-stalls-metro-work-for-hours/433059/
Kolkata A few days after Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee inaugurated the East-West Metro project with much fanfare, CITU activists today stalled work at Pranab Nagar station, a part of the Metro extension project from Tollygunge to Garia.
Around 30-40 activists of the CPM's trade union wing, CITU, raided the site office at Pranab Nagar demanding that the locals recommended by them be given jobs. Following the intervention of the police, work was resumed in the evening.
Incidentally, the state government has contributed to the extension project by forking out a portion of the cost.
The contractor, Ratan Das, said that 30-40 youth came to the office on motorbikes around noon. They wanted the supervisor of the site office to appoint 25-30 locals and place them in charge of security. "A few days ago, the CITU office at Naktala also sent me a letter with the same demand," he said.
Das alleged CITU activists often pressured him to appoint some locals, which he had even done. Das said he had got a contract worth Rs 8 crore to develop the Pranab Nagar Station at Garia.
The contractor said with the Metro railway authorities fixing March 31 as the deadline for finishing the job (the station would be handed over to Metro railway then), it was not possible to recruit any person in the time being.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2009 : 23:00:05
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Few cabs & buses to ply, best bet is Metro http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kolkata-/Few-cabs--buses-to-ply-best-bet-is-Metro/articleshow/4522512.cms
13 May 2009, 0540 hrs IST
KOLKATA: The traffic turmoil that slowed down Kolkata on Tuesday will continue on election day as large numbers of taxi, buses and mini-buses will remain off the roads, largely due to requisition by the Election Commission (EC). The Metro, though, will operate its usual weekday service, thereby providing the only reliable transport option for commuters on Wednesday.
Although the papers of 9,000 vehicles of the 35,000 taxis registered with the Bengal Taxi Association have been seized by EC, only about 2,000 will ply on Wednesday. "Many are scared of driving during the elections and we don't want them to take undue risks either. Though we haven't given our members any specific instruction, there will be few cabs on the roads on Wednesday," the association's general secretary Bimal Guha said.
Similarly, of the 14,000 taxis with the Calcutta Taxi Association, approximately 6,000 will be on the roads, despite the requisition of only 2,300 vehicles by the EC, its secretary Tarak Nath Bari said. "During the first half of the day, we anticipate between 4,000-5,000 taxis to be on the streets and another 3,000 vehicles should ply during late evening and night," he said.
Whereas Bari indicated that taxis affiliated with his association would be available across the city, Guha said that many drivers would be reluctant to go to destinations where violence was expected. "Few will want to go to Diamond Harbour or similar places where trouble could brew. But it'll depend on what happens on Wednesday," Guha said.
For commuters looking to head out on election day, apart from the expected dearth of taxis, the situation will be made worse with only a skeletal bus service in operation.
With 80% of Kolkata's 2,000 mini-buses with the EC, only about 400 will service the city on Wednesday, Mini-bus Operators Co-ordination Committee's general secretary Abasesh Daw informed. "All the routes in the city will be affected. There will be buses, but passengers will have to wait longer. Most remaining buses with out-station staff should operate properly, but local staff will vote
either before or during their shifts," he added.
Private buses, too, will operate with reduced frequency as about 60% of the 6,000 vehicles are on election duty. "There were 2,000 buses plying on Tuesday and the situation won't be different on Wednesday," Bengal Bus Syndicate president Swarna Kamal Saha said.
On the autorickshaw front, the situation was unclear. However, Tapan Awasthi of Calcutta Autorickshaw and Auto Riders Union said the election would not affect the service of the 10,000 autos under its wing.
Only the Metro will operate as usual. "Regular weekday service will continue on Wednesday," Metro Railway official P Dutta said.
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 06/09/2009 : 00:39:32
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Metro extension on a priority basis: Mamata
http://news. webindia123. com/news/ ar_showdetails. asp?id=906080325 &cat=&n_date= 20090608
Kolkata | Monday, Jun 8 2009
Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today said efforts were on to complete and connect the Metro link between Tollygunge and Garia in the city's southern part on a priority basis.
The Trinamool Congress supremo said she did not know why the work was so tardy on the two-km stretch after she inaugurated the project in 1998. ''May be I was not there (in the ministry) and the project did not get proper notice as it should have,'' Ms Banerjee told a Bengali news channel.
She said there were some logistical problems to complete the line in the extreme southern part of the Metro as some 120 families had to be rehabilitated. ''Our party is against forcible eviction.
The project will come through but some more waiting is required,'' she added.
People in the southern fringe of the city have high expectations from the railway minister, to complete the Metro network for an improved transport.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 07/19/2009 : 18:57:58
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The southern extension of the Kolkata Metro would be operational from August 23. The service would now be available from Tollygunge to Garia Bazaar and was part of the proposed 8.7 km extension of the existing Dumdum-Tollygunge stretch, she said.
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kolkata Metro- Latest News
