Metro Rail Systems Sprout in Cities Across IndiaTransportation Sector to claim a Significant Share of <strong>Stainless</strong> <strong>Steel</strong> Usage in IndiaRapid urbanization is taking place in Indiadue to migration of populations in searchof a living and other requirements. This isnaturally leading to congestion in urbancentres, both large and small. In anattempt to decongest the roads which arechoking, many cities across India areopting for Mass Rapid Transit Systems(MRTS) similar to the one in Delhi – Thefamous Delhi Metro. These includeBengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad andMumbai which are on the fast track tocomplete their projects.The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation hascompleted Phase I & II with 189.63 KMsof rail tracks with 142 stations. Another103.50 KMs are planned in phase III tobe completed by 2016. By 2021, DelhiMetro will have covered more than400 KMs.Delhi Metro using stainless steel for thecoaches and in stations etc. is very muchappreciated by the people of this city. Dueto increasing passenger traffic, DMRChas made most of the lines 6-coach trains,instead of the 4-coach trains in thebeginning. These will be made 8-coachtrains within two years.Metro coaches are in 301L grade ofstainless steel because of its strengthresulting in light weight coaches,aesthetics, durability, minimummaintenance, and above all the safety ofpassengers in case of crash or fire. Inmetro stations stainless steel isextensively used in escalators, handrails,benches, advertising panels, ticketingcounters, turn styles etc..<strong>Stainless</strong> steel requirement is slated forfurther boost as the following cities havemade their plans to have metro railsystems:• Bangalore Mass Rapid TransitLimited – 42.3 KMs• Mumbai Metro One Private Limited– 145.67 KMs• Jaipur Metro Rail CorporationLimited – 35.15 KMs• Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited –71.16 KMs• Chennai Metro Rail Project – 43KMs• Ludhiana Metro Rail Corporation –28.82 KMs• Lucknow Metro – DPR prepared byDMRC• Ahmedabad Metro – DPR preparedby DMRCThere are other cities such as Kochi inKerala, Patna in Bihar, Meerut & Kanpurin Uttar Pradesh which have set theirsights on Metro Rail Systems. To ourknowledge, most of the cities listedherein have decided to follow Delhi Metroas their role model.Expecting a rush of cities going in forstainless steel rolling stock andpassenger facilities in stainless steel,apart from Bharat Earth Movers Ltd.(BEML in Bangalore), two overseasstainless steel metro coach makers suchas Alsthom and Bombardier have movedin to the country. While Bombardier hasa plant running near Baroda in Gujarat,Alsthom is expected to set up shop inthe south, along the border areas ofAndhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu.The Metro Rail System boost along withthe <strong>Indian</strong> Railways’ own plan (see anarticle on page 3) for expandingproduction capacity of stainless steelwagons and coaches, and the burgeoningrequirement of automotive exhaustsystem, the transportation sector in Indiawill become a significant share of the useof stainless steel in India within a fewyears.Rail Wagons Presentation Available on ISSDA WebsiteA presentation made by Mr. Ramesh Gopal, Executive Director,ISSDA at Jadavpur University, Kolkata, is now available atwww.stainlessindia.org. The title of the presentation is‘Sustainable <strong>Stainless</strong> <strong>Steel</strong> for Wagons’. Click on the icon“What’s New” on the home page.Attention Readers!It has been observed that some of the <strong>Stainless</strong> India magazinesare not getting delivered and being redirected back to us.Readers are requested to provide their changed mailing addressand contact particulars so that they are assured to get‘<strong>Stainless</strong> India’ magazine regularly.DisclaimerDrawings/photographs of equipment, machinery,products and services in STAINLESS INDIA are forillustrative purposes only and their inclusion does notconstitute or imply any endorsement of the items orthe companies that manufacture or distribute them byISSDA and its staff.Utmost effort is put into ensuring that there is noinfringement of copyright or IPR. In spite of our bestefforts, sometimes incorrect in<strong>format</strong>ion creeps in,mainly because we have faith in those who contributearticles / images for us. Any such error, if at all, isdeeply regretted.STAINLESS INDIA / VOL. 16, NO.3 PAGE 5
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