The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has introduced standardised specifications for rolling stock to be used in Indian metro rail systems. The move primarily aims to prevent the heavy costs incurred on manufacturing different kinds of metro trains for different cities. However, the ministry has accorded flexibility with regard to the interior design and basic aesthetics of rolling stock, which do not have any significant impact on the overall manufacturing cost. Standardisation of rolling stock not only curtails the design cycle and cost, but also reduces testing and certification requirements, thus facilitating cost-cutting and faster project execution.
However, despite the standardisation practices adopted for rolling stock, the overall reduction in the per km cost of metro rail projects has been found to be quite insignificant. In a bid to address this challenge, the government introduced the “metrolite” system that uses smaller rolling stock and much simpler infrastructure as compared to metro systems. If successful, the system will be the preferred choice, particularly for Tier II and Tier III cities with a low projected ridership. The metrolite/tramway system has proved to be a cost-efficient substitute to metro trains in Europe, owing to its ability to share space with road transport. However, the feasibility of such a system is yet to be assessed in the Indian context. Since a metrolite system with an at-grade alignment may not be a feasible option for most cities, the government is planning to maintain the cost advantage of this system by curtailing expenditure on axle load and station infrastructure. The country’s first metrolite project has been proposed for Delhi from Kirti Nagar to Dwarka Sector 21. However, the project is facing certain challenges since its rolling stock will account for about 50 per cent of the overall project cost, as compared to about 20 per cent in most light rail transit projects, as a result of which cost saving on civil infrastructure may not have a significant impact on the overall project cost.
As part of the central government’s Make in India initiative, 75 per cent of the rolling stock used in metro rail systems is required to be manufactured within the country. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has played a key role in supporting the initiative and introducing the latest technologies for metro rail systems in the country. At present, DMRC owns about 2,200 metro coaches, of which over 2,000 have been manufactured in India. The corporation is also planning to incorporate technologies such as internet of things in its future rolling stock to improve predictive maintenance, so as to enhance the availability of rolling stock and minimise unnecessary expenditure incurred on the repair of well-functioning coaches. DMRC has proposed the deployment of the technology for other assets too, including lifts, escalators, signalling systems and civil structures. A supervisory control and data acquisition system is also being implemented that will capture information regarding the performance and functioning of different assets and make it available to the top management in a transparent manner to facilitate optimal allocation of time and resources for asset management. The corporation is also gearing up to reduce its spare coach requirement from 10 per cent to 5-7 per cent. It has also proposed driver-less operations on the Delhi metro, but the proposal is yet to receive regulatory approval.
With the growth of the country’s metro rail network, there are huge opportunities for players in the rolling stock segment. Currently, over 700 km of metro lines are operational, while metro lines spanning another 1,100 km are at various stages of implementation. This has the potential to generate demand for about 4,000 units of rolling stock in the near future. Further, there is considerable requirement for refurbishment of old rolling stock. DMRC itself requires immediate refurbishment of about 200 coaches that were procured in 2002. Besides, the corporation has expressed the need to refurbish about 100 coaches every year, over the next 15 years. This upcoming opportunity will act as a lucrative revenue stream for rolling stock providers and other players in this segment. Enormous opportunities are also expected to come up in the operations and maintenance (O&M) segment, since smaller cities might prefer to outsource the O&M of rolling stock used in their metro rail projects.
As far as indigenous production and innovation is concerned, it has been observed that a number of indigenous rolling stock manufacturing facilities have already been set up in the country by companies such as BEML Limited, CRRC, Bombardier and Alstom, with over 25 types of equipment readily being sourced from within the country. Further, there is a long list of other component manufacturing firms that are contributing to indigenous sourcing. Till now, the government’s thrust has been in terms of introduction of technology. Going forward, emphasis will also be placed on enhancing the availability and reliability of rolling stock.
Based on remarks by Sudhanshu S. Joshi, Director, Rolling Stock, DMRC, at a recent India Infrastructure conference