While metro rail systems continue to be a the fastest mode of transit in Tier I cities, new modes of urban mass transit such as rapid rail, light rail and trams are gaining traction in Tier II cities, thereby increasing the demand for rolling stock in the country. Besides, the need for replacement/redevelopment of ageing coaches has further increased this demand. The government’s flagship Make in India initiative encourages companies to invest and manufacture in the country, creating huge opportunities for manufacturers, both domestic and global. In this context, the Modern Coach Factory floated a Rs 1.5 billion tender in 2019 to buy technology and expertise to produce the railways’ first international standard coach for metro trains by 2021. The robust pipeline of projects in the metro sector provides significant opportunities for key stakeholders including rolling stock manufacturers.
Standardisation and indigenisation of urban rail systems is a key focus area of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) so as to enable quick delivery of projects. In April 2017, the MoHUA issued guidelines on rolling stock standardisation norms as well as new mandatory conditions for indigenisation of rolling stock. These conditions are to be incorporated in tender documents for indigenous procurement of metro cars and related critical equipment and subsystems. These norms are applicable to all upcoming metro projects. According to the guidelines, at least 75 per cent of the tendered quantity of metro cars is to be manufactured indigenously (contractor may either establish an independent manufacturing facility in India or partner with Indian manufacturers, if the procurement is more than 100 cars) with progressively increased indigenous content. Further, to ensure easy availability of spare parts (beyond the warranty period), an identified list of critical equipment and subsystems will be included in the tender document for indigenous manufacturing (a minimum of 25 per cent of such equipment).
In a noteworthy development, Alstom India rolled out the 100th indigenous metro train set from its rolling stock manufacturing facility in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, in August 2019. Alstom has successfully delivered indigenous train sets to the Chennai, Lucknow and Kochi metro authorities. Besides, it is planning to double the manufacturing capacity of its Sri City unit from 240 train sets per annum at present to 480 train sets per annum. Meanwhile, other manufacturers have also ramped up production to meet the domestic demand for coaches. TitagarhFirema will supply 102 coaches for the Pune metro, of which 25 per cent will be manufactured in Italy and the remaining 75 per cent will be produced at Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited’s (MMRCL) coach manufacturing facility in Nagpur. Bombardier Transportation has also won a contract to supply 40 BOMBARDIER MOVIA metro cars to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).
Upcoming manufacturing facilities
The government is starting its own metro coach factory at Nagpur which is expected to be operational by 2022 and will meet the requirement for various metro projects in the country. MMRCL has provided the land and basic infrastructure to TitagarhFirema for manufacturing coaches for the Pune metro. Meanwhile, China-based CRRC Corporation is setting up a rolling stock manufacturing unit at Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, to meet its commitment of supplying 216 coaches (36 six-car trains sets) for the Bengaluru Metro, Phase II. Of these, 34 train sets will be manufactured in India.
Recent innovations and advancements
Metro rail corporations have been increasingly focusing on switching to advanced technologies that support driverless operations. Particularly for new metro systems, corporations have been ensuring that the rolling stock deployed supports driverless operations. In 2017, Lines 7 and 8 on the Delhi metro network were operationalised with driverless automatic train operations – GOA3. The semi-automated trains use communications-based train control signalling technology that enables precise, continuous and automatic communication between the trains, track infrastructure and a central control centre. Besides, different configurations allow the train operators to enable automatic train protection, operation and supervision functions. Metro rail systems in the country currently use at least one driver, despite the fact that these trains have the capability of being fully automated. The intro-duction of smart and safe driverless trains in the Delhi metro has not only increased energy efficiency, but also enhanced operational efficiency. The Delhi Metro Grey Line (Dwarka-Najafgarh corridor), which recently commenced operations, became the third line with driverless operations in the DMRC’s network. In February 2019, a driverless train was trial tested on a 1 km stretch of the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar metro. Jaipur metro introduced driverless trains on the metro line between Chandpole and Mansarovar in January 2019. These automated trains help reduce running time (by 1 minute) and fuel consumption (by approximately 10 per cent).
Other innovative methods and technologies being adopted for new rolling stock in metro transit are obstruction-deflection devices and real-time monitoring systems. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has awarded a contract to BEML Limited for supplying 378 coaches for Lines 2A, 2B and 7 under which coaches will be equipped with obstruction-deflection devices. The device allows the train to push small obstructions on the track out of the way to prevent derailment. Besides, Chennai Metro Rail Limited has planned the introduction of real-time monitoring solutions in metro coaches for which it had signed an agreement with US-based technology firm Trimble in July 2018. The technology provider will deploy Nexala rail asset management solutions to allow access to up-to-date fleet status and improve real-time status monitoring and analytics capability, thereby enhancing overall fleet availability and reliability.
Infrastructure sectors such as aviation have aircraft leasing facilities but the concept of operating rolling stock on a lease basis is new in the urban rail sector. The DMRC had rolled out a tender in December 2017 for operating 25 trains, with six coaches each, on a lease basis. Its lease proposal was part of an innovative public-private partnership model, which was being tested for the first time in the country’s urban rail sector. Subsequently, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation has also been testing waters with train leasing for select corridors of Phase II and the proposed Phase III corridors.
The way forward
The rolling stock market is set to receive a boost in the next four-five years given the healthy line-up of urban rail projects. As per industry estimates, there is a requirement of 4,000 coaches across upcoming metro systems in the country. In the next 15 years, 100 refurbished coaches will be required per year for existing metro networks. The experience with metro rail projects in Tier I cities has set the stage for other cities as well. Some cities are also exploring light rail as an alternative to capex-intensive metro rail systems. A new concept called Metro Neo, which is still at a nascent stage, also presents opportunities for domestic as well as foreign rolling stock manufacturers. The government’s focus on Make in India coaches has prompted foreign players to set up manufacturing units in the country. In fact, players such as Alstom have already started exporting coaches for metro projects worldwide. Another key enabler has been the expansion from four-car or six-car to eight-car train sets, for which new coaches will be required. Also, the coaches inducted under the Delhi metro, Phase I, have already completed 15 years of service and need replacement.
There is huge emphasis on increasing the reliability and availability of coaches to meet the increasing domestic requirements. Going forward, the segment will continue to witness the deployment of state-of-the-art rolling stock with an increased focus on indigenous content.