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Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts

Sunday, 31 January 2021

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Thursday, 21 March 2019

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Thursday, 15 June 2017

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Monday, 12 June 2017

08:18

Indian Railways:NewToilet System for Men,Women and Separate Washrooms in E5 Shinkansen Series Bullet Train

Indian Railways:NewToilet System for Men,Women and Separate Washrooms in E5 Shinkansen Series Bullet Train
Railways: New toilet system with urinals, separate washrooms for men, women in offing
Railways is gearing up to acquire 25 E5 Shinkasen series bullet trains from Japan at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore for the Modi government's first bullet train project.
Rail passengers can look forward to an entirely new kind of toilet system — urinals, western style toilets with hot water and washing closet seat facility and separate washrooms for men and women equipped with triple mirrors for make-up. The E5 Shinkansen series bullet trains to be pressed into service on the upcoming Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed corridor will also have baby changing rooms comprising baby toilet seats, tables for diaper disposal and a low sink for children for washing hands.
Railways is gearing up to acquire 25 E5 Shinkasen series bullet trains from Japan at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore for the Modi government’s first bullet train project. The 731-seater E5 series Shinkansen bullet train, a new generation Japanese high speed train, will also have multi-purpose room to be used for breast feeding and also for sick passengers.
Besides, there will be two extra-spacious toilets for wheelchair-bound passengers in the 10-coach high speed train. Facilities of separate rest rooms and toilets for men and women while introducing wall mounted type urinals for men in the high speed train are in the offing for the first time in Indian Railways, said a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the Rs 1 lakh crore bullet train project.
However, urinals and toilets will be installed in alternate coaches in the train. For example, toilets will be installed in coach number 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 while urinals will be available in coach number 2, 4, 6 and 8. Washrooms for men and women will also be placed in similar way. There will be luggage space for business class passengers in the train. Besides business, there will be also Standard class passengers. While the train will have 698 seats for Standard class, 55 seats will be earmarked for Business class.
The bullet train with seating facility will take about 2 hours 7 minutes to travel 508-km distance between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Most of the corridor will be elevated, except for a 21 km underground tunnel between Thane and Virar, of which 7 km will be under sea. The undersea tunnel was chosen to avoid damaging the thick vegetation present in the area. The corridor will begin at the underground station in the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai, and then traverse 21 km underground before emerging above ground at Thane.
JICA has agreed to fund 81 per cent of the total project cost through a 50-year loan at an interest rate of 0.1 per cent and a moratorium on repayments up to 15 years. Indian Railways will invest Rs 9,800 crore in the high-speed rail project and the remaining cost will be borne by the state governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat
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Thursday, 6 April 2017

08:09

JICA ODA LOAN AGREEMENTS WITH INDIA FOR SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

JICA ODA LOAN AGREEMENTS WITH INDIA FOR SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Signing of Japanese ODA Loan Agreements with India: Comprehensive support for further socioeconomic development in India over a wide range of fields

signing ceremony
On March 31, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed loan agreements with the Government of India in Delhi to provide Japanese ODA loans of up to a total of 308.762 billion yen for eight projects.

Since the 2000s, there has been much attention on the economic growth trends of India, one of the so-called BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China). Although the global Great Recession that began in 2008 caused a deceleration of economic growth, since the establishment of the Modi administration in 2014 with its focus on economics, India’s economy has grown rapidly at a rate exceeding seven percent.

This growth notwithstanding, comprehensive support is needed to improve the state of poverty in India, where about 30 percent of the world’s poor live.

A summary of the eight Japanese ODA projects provided by the loan agreements is as follows:
(1) North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project (Phase 1) (I) (loan amount: 67.17 billion yen)
(2) Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link Project (I) (loan amount: 144.795 billion yen)
(3) Delhi Eastern Peripheral Expressway Intelligent Transport Systems Installation Project (loan amount: 6.87 billion yen)
(4) Rajasthan Water Sector Livelihood Improvement Project (I) (loan amount: 13.725 billion yen)
(5) Chennai Metro Project (V) (loan amount: 33.321 billion yen)
(6) Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project (Phase 2) (loan amount: 14.512 billion yen)
(7) Nagaland Forest Management Project (loan amount: 6.224 billion yen)
(8) Tamil Nadu Investment Promotion Program (Phase 2) (loan amount: 22.145 billion yen)

Details for the projects are provided below.

(1)North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project (Phase 1) (I)

(a) Objective and Summary
Including measures such as road widening, paving and slope stabilization, the project will improve National Highways 51 and 54 in North Eastern Region of India, which is adjacent to Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan. These improvements will boost the level of connectivity between the target region and other areas inside and outside of India, thereby contributing to economic development in the region.

(b) Background and Necessity
Along with a population increase and economic growth in recent years, there has been a growing demand for road improvements to handle domestic goods distribution, but road improvement and transportation efficiency measures tend to fall behind demand. National road improvements especially in mountainous areas lag behind improvements in flat regions for financial reasons and due to the technical challenges involved. The North Eastern Region, which is the target area of the project, in particular faces challenges such as a higher poverty rate than the average for India overall, steep terrain with hills and mountains that hinder road improvement efforts, a lack of road widening and slope stabilization measures, and broken pavement. The region also receives a large amount of rainfall, and landslides due to the steep terrain frequently make the roads impassable in the rainy season, hindering the flow of goods, and such road blockages are an impediment to economic development in the North Eastern Region. In addition to hindering the stable supply of goods, the delay in road improvements also impedes access to medical and educational facilities, and the existing national roads do not function adequately as a lifeline for the region. Improving the road network is a priority to ensure that local residents have a lifeline and for economic development.

(c) Executing Agency
National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited
Address: Third Floor, PTI Building, 4 Parliament Street, New Delhi, 110001, India
Phone: +91-11-2346-1600, fax: +91-11-2371-1103

(d) Planned Implementation Schedule 
1.Completion of project: June 2022 – when the roads are put into service
2.Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including construction supervision): April 2017
3.Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: Package 9: From Km 85.000 to Km 94.226, From Km 101.000 to Km 143.280, NH51
Planned release date: September 2017

(2)Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link Project (I)

(a) Objective and Summary
The project will construct a sea bridge (three lanes each way, total distance of approximately 22 kilometers) in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Maharashtra, in West India, over Mumbai Harbour to connect central Mumbai with Navi Mumbai on the opposing shore. The bridge will improve the connectivity to Navi Mumbai and other local areas where large-scale urban development is underway, thereby contributing to the economic development of the MMR.

(b) Background and Necessity
The MMR of Maharashtra in West India is one of the largest metropolitan areas of the country with a population of about 18.41 million people (2011 national census). On the tip of a peninsula is Mumbai proper, the center of the MMR and one of the world’s most densely populated cities. Because of the geographical and population constraints, traffic congestion is a severe impediment to MMR regional economic development. Given the scarcity of available land for development at the tip of the peninsula, the State Government of Maharashtra is promoting urban development in Navi Mumbai on the opposing coast by enticing industries to relocate there from Mumbai. Other urban development measures include expanding Jawaharlal Nehru Port, constructing Navi Mumbai International Airport and developing a special economic zone. These developments notwithstanding, the only transportation means between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai are a circuitous road around the bay and a single rail line, and it is therefore essential to improve the connectivity between the two urban areas for regional economic development in the MMR.

(c) Executing Agency
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority
Address: Bandra – Kurla Complex, Bandra (East), Mumbai, 400051, India
Phone: +91-22-2659-0001~0004/2659-4000, fax: +91-22-2659-1264

(d) Planned Implementation Schedule 
1. Completion of project: June 2021 – when the facilities are put into service
2. Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including construction supervision): Consultants have already been hired
3. Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: Package 1: Construction of a 10.380 km long bridge section (CH 0+000 – CH 10+380) across the Mumbai Bay including Sewri Interchange
Planned release date: January 2017 (already released)

(3)Delhi Eastern Peripheral Expressway Intelligent Transport Systems Installation Project

(a) Objective and Summary
By installing intelligent traffic systems (ITS) on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, currently under construction in the Delhi Metropolitan Area by the National Highways Authority of India, this project will create an efficient traffic system capable of handling the increasing need for transportation, thereby promoting economic development in the Delhi Metropolitan Area.

(b) Background and Necessity
Despite a high demand for the transportation of goods whose final destination is not inside Delhi, there are inadequate loop roads on the outskirts of the city. Large trucks and other freight vehicles therefore pour into Delhi, causing traffic congestion and environmental problems such as noise and air pollution, and the number of traffic accidents and other problems are on the rise. Although the National Highways Authority of India is advancing the construction of loop roads and other measures, including road widening projects, due to the high population concentration and restrictions on available land, such traffic and environmental problems will not likely be solved with merely the construction of roads. It is therefore necessary to increase the traffic efficiency with a greater road capacity through the use of an ITS which includes an automatic toll collection system to shorten toll booth lines, and a traffic control system to reduce accidents and shorten the time for handling accidents when they occur.

(c) Executing Agency
National Highways Authority of India
Address: G-5&6, Sector-10, Dwarka, New Delhi, 110075, India
Phone: +91-11-2507-4100/2507-4200, fax: +91-11-2507-6507

(d) Planned Implementation Schedule 
1. Completion of project: April 2019 – when the facilities are put into service
2. Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including construction supervision): April 2017
3. Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: ITS
Planned release date: April 2017

(4)Rajasthan Water Sector Livelihood Improvement Project (I)

(a) Objective and Summary
The project will rehabilitate deteriorating irrigation facilities and provide agricultural technical support based on the needs of domestic market with consideration for participation of both male and female farmers to improve water use efficiency and agricultural productivity, thereby improving farmers’ livelihoods and promoting gender mainstreaming in the agriculture and irrigation sectors in Rajasthan State.

(b) Background and Necessity
Located in Northwest India, Rajasthan State (population: 68.55 million people) is poor in water resources, receiving only about half the rainfall (about 580 millimeters as a 100-year average, and as low as 320 millimeters in the arid region near the Thar Desert in the west part of Rajasthan) as the national average. There are currently more than 3,900 irrigation facilities for agricultural production installed in the state for efficient utilization of these limited water resources. However, many of those facilities have seepage and deterioration problems due to aging infrastructure and improper maintenance and management.

In rural areas of Rajasthan, not only men but women also play pivotal roles in performing agricultural work and maintaining irrigation facilities. Nevertheless, there are barriers to female farmers participating in training for the improvement of agricultural techniques and skills in maintaining irrigation facilities, and barriers also exist against female farmers taking part in the decision-making processes of water user associations.

It is therefore necessary to improve water use efficiency and agricultural productivity through the rehabilitation of existing irrigation facilities to improve water distribution, strengthen skills for the operation and maintenance of irrigation facilities, and provide agricultural technical support, while encouraging female farmers to participate in training and water user association activities.

(c) Executing Agency
Water Resources Department, Government of Rajasthan
Address: Secretariat, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 302005, India
Phone: +91-14-1222-7459, fax: +91-14-1222-7459

(d) Planned Implementation Schedule 
1.Completion of project: March 2025 – with completion of all project activities
2.Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including construction supervision): April 2017
3.Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: Domestic procurement is scheduled but international competitive bidding for procurement is not planned for this project.

(5)Chennai Metro Project (V)
(a)Objective and Summary
The project will construct a mass rapid transit system in the Chennai Metropolitan Area, in Tamil Nadu State, in South India to meet the rising demand for transportation, thereby contributing to local economic development and an improved urban environment through mitigating traffic congestion and reducing air pollution, noise and the like.

(b)Background and Necessity
With 8.7 million people (2011), the Chennai Metropolitan Area is the fourth most populous metropolitan area after Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, and is the political and economic core for South India. Although Indian Railways operates Chennai Suburban Railway, which connects the city center of Chennai and the suburbs, and Chennai Metro, which serves Chennai and the surrounding areas, there is a continued reliance on roads for transportation because the transportation network was not formed to meet transportation needs and is inconvenient for travel within the city. Moreover, there has been rapid growth in the number of registered vehicles with the rising population and income in the Chennai Metropolitan Area, which, combined with a rapid dispersion and expansion of commercial and industrial districts, has resulted in severe traffic congestion, bringing the average driving speed within the city to a mere 17 kilometers per hour. As with other large cities in India, the economic loss caused by such congestion and the air and noise pollution caused by automobiles have become problems. As the population and the number of vehicles are expected to continue to increase with economic growth, providing a mass rapid transit system capable of meeting the transportation needs and reducing pollution is a priority.

(c)Executing Agency
Chennai Metro Rail Limited
Address: Poonamallee High Road, Koyambedu, Chennai, 600107, India
Phone: +91-44-2379-2149, fax: +91-44-2379-2200

(d)Planned Implementation Schedule 
1.Completion of project: March 2020 – when all of the facilities are put into service
2.Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including construction supervision): Consultants have already been hired
3.Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: Already contracted

(6)Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project (Phase 2)
(a) Objective and Summary
The project will enhance the forest ecosystem along with sustainable livelihood of local people by improving sustainable forest management, sustainable biodiversity conservation and community development, thereby contributing to harmonization between environmental conservation and socio-economic development in the project area in Odisha.

(b) Background and Necessity
Located in East India, Odisha (population: 42 million people as of 2011) is a state with abundant forests that cover more than 50,000 square kilometers in area, 32.3 percent (2015) of the total land area in the state. Approximately 40 percent of the forest area is an open forest area [1] with sparse trees due to excess cutting, and the deteriorating quality of the forests is a challenge. An additional issue is that the poverty rate of Odisha is 32 percent (2011), greatly higher than the national rate of 22 percent (2011).

Taking these circumstances into account, JICA implemented the Orissa Forestry Sector Development Project (2006–2015) [2], which was funded with a Japanese ODA loan and which adopted a joint forest management approach that brought the government and residents together to manage forests. Focused primarily on the Joint Forest Management Committee, the project supported activities such as afforestation and livelihood improvements, and, as a result, sustainable improvements in forest resource use have been confirmed in the project target area. Nevertheless, a large portion of the forest composition remains woodlands, and the poverty among the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes that reside primarily in forest areas remains severe. A continued approach to these challenges is needed.

1:An open forest is defined as having a canopy density of branches and leaves to the covered ground when viewed from above of at least 10 percent and less than 40 percent.
2:When the project began in 2006, the name of the state was Orissa, but it was changed to Odisha in 2011.

(c) Executing Agencies
Forest and Environment Department, Government of Odisha
Odisha Forestry Sector Development Society
Address: SFTRI, Campus, At/P.O. Ghatikia, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751003, India
Phone: +91-67-4238-6084, fax: +91-67-4238-6085
Note: contact the Odisha Forestry Sector Development Society as noted above for inquiries about this project.

(d) Planned Implementation Schedule 
1.Completion of project: March 2027 – with completion of all activities
2.Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including project management): April 2017
3.Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: International competitive bidding for construction is not planned for this project.

(7) Nagaland Forest Management Project

(a) Objective and Summary
The project will restore forests in the lands under shifting cultivation in Nagaland in Northeast India, and provide livelihoods means other than shifting cultivation for local residents to contribute to sustainable forest environment conservation and improved livelihoods of local residents.

(b) Background and Necessity
Nagaland, a state in Northeast India, has abundant forest resources covering more than 78.1 percent (2015) of the land area, and more than 70 percent of the population (1.98 million people) live in rural villages, leading lives dependant on agriculture and forest resources. In particular, lands that have been traditionally cultivated by shifting cultivation in the state are the primary form of agriculture, providing more than 60 percent of the food for the state.

Although the shifting cultivation conventionally left forestland fallow for 10 to 12 years, allowing the land to retain its fertility and its water, a drop in the volume of cultivated land due to a decrease in the agricultural working population in recent years combined with over cultivation making up for lowered crop productivity and other factors have shortened the fallow period, causing a drop in the fertility and water retention on agricultural land. This has resulted in a vicious cycle in which crop productivity drops and the scale of the swidden agriculture must then be increased as new farmland is sought, making forest conservation and ensuring a livelihood means other than swidden agriculture challenges.

(c) Executing Agency
Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of Nagaland
Address: Upper Forest Colony, Kohima, Nagaland, 797001, India
Phone: +91-37-0224-4227, fax: +91-37-0224-4227

(d) Planned Implementation Schedule 
1. Completion of project: March 2027 – with completion of all activities
2. Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including project management): April 2017
3. Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: International competitive bidding for construction is not planned for this project.

(8) Tamil Nadu Investment Promotion Program (Phase 2)

(a) Objective and Summary
The program will advance private investment, encourage the improvement of policies and systems for promoting industry and advance the quick realization of infrastructure, including roads, power and water services in Tamil Nadu in Southeast India. These initiatives will improve the investment environment in the state, contributing to increased foreign direct investment there.

(b) Background and Necessity
Located in the southeastern part of India, Tamil Nadu is on the sea lane to Southeast Asia, and due to the state’s abundant labor force and coherent policies for attracting foreign capital, the number of Japanese and other foreign companies expanding to Tamil Nadu has been on the increase, particularly in the two-wheel and four-wheel vehicle industries. As the state is a target area for the Chennai Bangalore Industrial Corridor (an industrial cluster region conceived and planned by the Governments of Japan and India for general regional development through public-private cooperation) and a key area for industrial revitalization, there is a demand for investment environment improvements. 

The State Government of Tamil Nadu is not only aggressively advancing investment enticements but also policies for improving the in-state investment environment. For infrastructure, 1.35 trillion rupees (approximately 10 percent of the state’s gross domestic product) has been allocated, and various policies are being planned and implemented toward the utilization of private funds, including the establishment of an investment fund.

The latest business environment ranking (2016) from the Government of India places Tamil Nadu only in the middle of the country’s states, and further improving the investment environment in terms of organization and infrastructure is a priority.

The program is positioned to further improve the investment environment and infrastructure developed through the Tamil Nadu Investment Promotion Program, funded by a Japanese ODA loan completed in March 2016, and it is expected that with these measures the efforts toward a better investment environment by the government of Tamil Nadu will move a step forward.

(c) Executing Agency
Finance Department, Government of Tamil Nadu
Address: Secretariat, Chennai, 600009, Tamil Nadu, India
Phone: + 91-44-2566-5566

(d) Planned Implementation Schedule 
1. Completion of project: June 2019 – with completion of the loan disbursement
2. Issuing of letters of invitation for consulting services (including project supervision): No hiring of consultants is planned for this project.
3. Tender announcement of initial procurement package for international competitive bidding on project construction: International competitive bidding for construction is not planned for this project.

Source:JICA

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Tuesday, 6 December 2016

09:22

BHEL to form JV with Kawasaki for metro coaches: Report

BHEL to form JV with Kawasaki for metro coaches: Report

STATE-run Maharatna PSU BHEL (Bharat Heavy Industries Limited) and Japanese company Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) are likely to form a joint venture to make locomotives and steel coaches for metro trains in India. A media report says talks are on in this regard. If the two firms join hands, BHEL's Bhopal unit will be able...
to raise its turnover by Rs 1,500 crore to Rs 2,000 crore, the media report quoted a BHEL source as saying.
 "Talks with Japanese firm Kawasaki are going on and are at an advanced stage. Bhel's Bhopal unit specialises in making motors and related systems such as control panels, alternators and propulsion systems. The unit will be given priority for making steel coaches," the source said.
Many states are developing metro rails and two lines of 32 km each have also been proposed in Bhopal and Indore. "As of now, the company supplies motors and other related systems to Indian Railways," the source said.
The Bhopal unit, which is also the mother unit of the Maharatna PSU, has delivered a profit during a difficult FY16.
The JV will be concretised by financial year 2019-20. The company is expected to make 1,500 coaches over a period of 15 years, or 100 coaches per year.
"Though other units like Jhansi and Hardwar may also manufacture and supply such systems for metro, the Bhopal has a geographical edge due to its central location. Besides it has an adequate trained workforce, material handling facility and shopfloor. The unit can prune certain existing products and can replace them with the steel coaches," the source further said.
BHEL has supplied motors and other parts to the integral railway coach factory for the Kolkata metro, Diesel Locomotive Works, and Chittranjan Locomotives Works, Varanasi of the Indian railways. It also supplies to various zones of Indian Railways.
Profits of BHEL plunged by 82 per cent during Q1 2015-16 over the past year, owning mostly to their decrease in sales to the power sector. Today, with 20,000 MW per annum capacity for power plant equipment manufacturing, BHEL's mammoth size of operations is evident from its widespread network of 17 manufacturing units, two repair units, four regional offices, eight service centres, eight overseas offices, six JVs, 15 regional marketing centres and current project execution at more than 150 project sites across India and abroad. BHEL, which is under the administrative control of Ministry of Heavy Industries,  also has a widespread overseas footprint in 76 countries with cumulative overseas installed capacity of BHEL manufactured power plants nearing 10,000 MW including Malaysia, Oman, Libya, Iraq, the UAE, Bhutan, Egypt and New Zealand.




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Sunday, 21 August 2016

08:56

Railways to send 400 Officers to Japan to train in Bullet Train tech

Railways to send 400 Officers to Japan to train in Bullet Train tech

New Delhi: With country’s first bullet train project scheduled for commissioning in 2023, Indian Railways plans to send 400 of its employees to Japan for training in engineering, operational and safety aspects related to the project.
These officials from various railway zones having expertise in different areas will be trained at the expense of Japanese government. The first section of the bullet train between Mumbai-Ahemdabad is being constructed in collaboration with Japan, which has offered an assistance of over Rs 79,000 crores for a period of 50 years.

“It is a completely new technology and we need to train our officials in various aspects so that we have manpower having knowledge of its process and engineering,” said a railway ministry official, adding this will be the highest number of officers being send by railways overseas for training.

Railway is expected to close loan negotiations with Japan by end of this year and work is expected to begin in 2018 to ensure its commissioning in time by 2023. The total cost of the project has been pegged at Rs 97,636 crores and to be implemented in a period of seven years.

“There are lot of work that needs to be done like we have to develop our own standards for high speed rail network and those needs to be vetted. We should also have a regulatory framework for the whole system. These are being jointly worked upon,” the official added.

It has been agreed upon to adopt Shinkansen Technology for Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR Project. The cooperation of Japan on this project will also be fixed on transfer of technology and ‘Make in India’.

Railway has formed a National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV), with a paid-up capital of Rs 500 crore for the project. Railways has already allotted Rs 200 crore for the SPV and Maharashtra and Gujarat will have equity of 25 percent each, while the Railways will have 50 per cent in the SPV.

A final feasibility report by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) suggested that fare of the bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad may be somewhere around one and half times more than the fare of the first AC of Rajdhani Express and it would be around Rs 2,800.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in parliament had said that the fare of Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail network will be affordable to people and less than the airfare between the two cities.
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Thursday, 18 August 2016

16:28

Railways is expected to procure 200 high power locomotives from Japan.

Railways is expected to procure 200 high power locomotives from Japan.

New Delhi: Railways is contemplating to renegotiate loan condition with Japan for procuring high horse power electric locomotives for the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) as the procurement award is stuck over the pricing front.

Railways’ ambitious plan to acquire 9000 high horse-power (HP) locomotives from Japan for hauling double stack containers on the Western DFC has come to a dead end with no further progress for more than last seven months.

Railways has found the price of Rs 50 crore per locomotive quoted by Kawasaki-led Japanese consortium too high and sought its reduction by almost half.

While the Japanese consortium has not reduced the price as desired by Railways, there was no further movement since January, said a senior Railway Ministry official.

“Since we will be getting the 12,000 HP locomotive at Rs 25 crore from our upcoming Madhepura plant, the price offered by the Japanese consortium is not acceptable,” the official said.

Western DFC is entirely funded by JICA loan and as per the loan condition Railways has to procure locomotives from Japan.

As a way forward, Railways is contemplating to renegotiate the loan condition so that it can go for international bidding.

Railways is expected to procure 200 high power locomotives from Japan. The loco contract is estimated to be about Rs 4500 crore and the first batch of locomotives is expected to arrive two years after awarding of the contract.

The Japanese consortium comprising five companies including Kawasaki, Toshiba, Mitsubishi Electric and Mitsubishi Corporate had submitted their bids in October last year for procurement of the 9000 HP locomotives for WDFC.

As per the agreement, 40 modern locomotives with 9000 HP and IGBT technology will be imported from Japan, 60 will be assembled at the Railways’ Dankuni facility and the rest 100 will be manufactured at Dankuni.

The high-power locomotives will be used to haul double-stack containers on WDFC.

WDFC will cover around 1,534 kms from Dadri to Mumbai, passing through Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.


Source:RailNews 
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Thursday, 11 August 2016

07:30

Japan to train IR Rail personnel on operating the first Bullet Train

Japan to train IR Rail personnel on operating the first Bullet Train

New Delhi: With Indian Railways venturing into the age of high-speed rail, the government has tied up with Japan to train the manpower required to drive the new age transport system.

Japanese experts will train railway personnel for operating the first bullet train in India. According to railways, there will be a requirement of nearly 10,000 skilled personnel to operate the bullet train as well as the other high speed corridors being developed in the country.

A senior railway ministry official said a training centre will be set up in India where the best of the Indian Railway staff will be trained to operate and maintain the high speed trains.

TRAINING CENTRE TO BE SET UP IN INDIA

Of these, nearly 4,000 staff will be required for the 508 km Mumbai – Ahmedabad bullet train corridor. “Indian train drivers will be trained in high-speed train driving simulator to practice how to control trains in extreme weather conditions and at speeds varying from 50 km per hour to 300 km per hour,” a railway ministry official said.

Apart from the bullet train, the Indian government is taking up work on five long distance high speed corridors and eight other semi-high speed corridors. The first semi-high speed Gatimaan Express between Delhi and Agra The game has not been launched in India yet has already started. The train runs at the speed of 160 km per hour.

ENGINEERS, TECHNICIANS TO BE TRAINED

A railway board official said that to meet the requirement, a pool of highly trained loco pilots and technicians will be created. Unlike the normal express trains, the high speed trains will be driven by two main pilots instead of one assistant pilot.

“Only the senior-most loco pilots, with over 20 years of experience, will be trained initially. Mental ability, quick decision making and medical fitness are critical for drivers on high speed trains.

Once they qualify the physical test, they will be put to training on simulators,” officials said adding the place where the training centre will be set up is yet to be decided. Similarly, the engineers and technicians of Indian Railways will also be trained to repair and maintain these trains as the high speed technology is entirely new to the country.
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Friday, 27 May 2016

08:07

Railway stations in India get world-class Japanese signalling system

Railway stations in India get world-class Japanese signalling system

To ensure safety and better coordination of Indian Railways train movements, the stations are being upgraded with world class signalling technology.

India has one of the world’s largest railway networks with over seven thousand stations. To ensure safety and better coordination of train movements, the stations are being upgraded with world class signalling technology.

On May 18, the TVM Signalling and Transportation Systems Private Limited (TSTS), a subsidiary company of Kyosan, Japan inaugurated K5BMC (Kyosan) Electronic interlocking System at Nagasamudram railway station in Andhra Pradesh.

Senior railway officials and company representatives of TSTS and Kyosan India were present on the occasion. Kyosan is excited about providing world-class technology to Indian railways.
“Next year is Kyosan Japan’s 100th anniversary. We are very keen to contribute to Indian railways for its rapid progress,” said Managing Director Kyosan India Pvt. Ltd., Heita Takeyama.
“The Kyosan technology, I found very compact, easily maintainable and the fault diagnosis is very systematic from system level to card level, card level to component level and compact level to various instructions which are very easily understandable and our ESMs are very easy to maintain the system,” said Chief Signal and Telecom Engineer South West Railway, India, Elavarasan M.
TSTS provides indoor and outdoor interlocking systems for small and major stations. Since it began operations some five years ago, the company has completed more than 265 stations commissioning.
The company’s interlocking system is based on proven EI system K5BMC from Kyosan Electric Manufacturing Company, Japan. Its I/O controller can be used as object controller and hence, thus minimizing use of copper cables.
The electronic interlocking system has reduced complexity of the system and brought in cost effectiveness and components’ reuse.

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Monday, 7 March 2016

18:38

JICA extends Rs.4,870 Crore Loan for Ahmedabad Metro Rail project

JICA extends Rs.4,870 Crore Loan for Ahmedabad Metro Rail project

Ahmedabad: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) today inked a pact with the Centre to provide 82.434 billion yen (about ₹4,870 crore) assistance for Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project.

With this pact, the cumulative loan amount provided by JICA for metro projects in India (including Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Mumbai Metro’s) has exceeded 1 trillion yen (approximately ₹59,071 crore).

“JICA today signed an agreement with the Government of India to provide 82.434 billion Japanese Yen Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan for the development of the metro rail system in Ahmedabad, Gujarat,” a JICA statement said.

It said the ODA loan’s conditions are very concessional, 1.4 per cent of interest rate and 30 years of repayment period (including 10 years grace period).

The assistance from JICA will facilitate construction of underground and elevated rail tracks, electrical, telecom and signalling systems and procurement of the trains, it said.

India is JICA’s largest partner in the world.

The latest agreement was signed between Takema Sakamoto, Chief Representative, JICA India Office and S Selvakumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.

“The project will provide the 1st Metro Rail System network of approx 38 km in Ahmedabad from Motera Stadium to APMC (North-South Corridor) and Thaltej to Vastral Gaam (East-West Corridor),” the statement said.

It will cover the central business district area, academic area, residential area and institutional complex area of Ahmedabad Metropolitan Area. Development of metro in Ahmedabad will be a typical example of high quality infrastructure, it added.

The Executing agency for the project is Metro Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad Company Ltd (MEGA). The complete commercial operation is expected to start from 2020.

JICA India Chief representative Sakamoto said: “Ahmedabad is the fifth most populated city in India. This loan will help develop mass rapid transit system in the Ahmedabad metropolitan area.

“This project will meet the growing traffic demands, leading to modal shift from road traffic to public transportation system and will eventually lead to balanced regional development and improvement of environmental conditions,” he said.

The technology being implemented for metro will include the advanced singling system, Communication Based Train Control (CBTC), in order to achieve high level of safety enforcement and reliability of the Project.

Source:RailNews 
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Monday, 28 December 2015

07:56

Delhi Metro seeks ₹4,280 Crore more from JICA to buy Train Coaches

Delhi Metro seeks ₹4,280 Crore more from JICA to buy Train Coaches

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has sought ₹4,280 crore from Japan’s funding agency – Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) – to buy 476 Metro cars or coaches. The move follows overcrowding in several segments of the Delhi Metro

JICA, which has already provided ₹16,588 crore for the Delhi Metro network, is in the process of giving an additional ₹19,335 crore for the ongoing phase-III network.

DMRC recently made a request to the Japanese government through their (Japan’s) Ambassador in India for extending financial support to fund the procurement of an additional 476 cars (coaches) at an estimated cost of around ₹4,280 crore, said a release, adding that JICA’s Vice-President Irigaki Hidetoshi had met Mangu Singh, Managing Director, DMRC.

JICA had supported DMRC in the construction of phase-I, -II and -III of the project. It has so far provided financial assistance of ₹6,356.45 crore for phase-I, ₹10,231.62 crore for phase-II, which is already operational, and is providing further assistance of ₹19,335 crore for the ongoing phase-III works, DMRC said.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has sought ₹4,280 crore from Japan’s funding agency – Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) – to buy 476 Metro cars or coaches. The move follows overcrowding in several segments of the Delhi Metro.

JICA, which has already provided ₹16,588 crore for the Delhi Metro network, is in the process of giving an additional ₹19,335 crore for the ongoing phase-III network.

DMRC recently made a request to the Japanese government through their (Japan’s) Ambassador in India for extending financial support to fund the procurement of an additional 476 cars (coaches) at an estimated cost of around ₹4,280 crore, said a release, adding that JICA’s Vice-President Irigaki Hidetoshi had met Mangu Singh, Managing Director, DMRC.

JICA had supported DMRC in the construction of phase-I, -II and -III of the project. It has so far provided financial assistance of ₹6,356.45 crore for phase-I, ₹10,231.62 crore for phase-II, which is already operational, and is providing further assistance of ₹19,335 crore for the ongoing phase-III works, DMRC said.

JICA reiterates its support to continuous development of Delhi Metro and improved water and sanitation facilities in Delhi

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has reiterated its support to continuous development of Delhi Metro and partnership with Delhi Jal Board for improvement in urban transportation and in water supply and sewerage facilities in Delhi. Hidetoshi Irigaki, Vice President, JICA and Takema Sakamoto, Chief Representative, JICA India Office reiterated JICA’s positive stance in their meetings with Mangu Singh, Managing Director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and Keshav Chandra, Chief Executive Officer, Delhi Jal Board. JICA has extended in concessional Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans JPY 650,000 million (approx. Rs 35,000 crore) since 1997 for development of Delhi Metro, JPY 28,975 million (approx. Rs 1,500 crore) in 2012 for water supply improvement in Delhi and JPY 63,677 million (approx. Rs 3,350 crore) since 1992 for Yamuna Action Plan.

The average daily ridership on the Delhi Metro has reached to 28 lakh. According to Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) estimates, Delhi Metro enabled 3.9 lakh vehicles to remain off the roads in 2014 and saved 32 minutes every trip on an average for a commuter. Furthermore, green initiatives of Delhi Metro were appreciated by the United Nations at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, as Delhi Metro will enable climate change mitigation of about 2.2 million tonnes between 2008 and 2032 in terms of carbon-dioxide equivalent.

Irigaki said, “Delhi Metro’s contribution to providing safe, timely and comfortable public transport, which has been the result of not only infrastructure creation but also strong organizational capacity, has been exemplary. Delhi Metro is a shining example of India-Japan cooperation, and it is commendable that Delhi Metro is sharing its expertise of planning, implementation and subsequent operation with other metro projects in India and abroad. Delhi Metro is being relied upon to mitigate vehicular traffic and resultant air-pollution further, and JICA would like to continue its partnership with Delhi Metro in this endeavor.”

The JICA assisted Delhi water supply improvement project is aimed at improvement of water supply services for equitable and continuous water supply. The project entails reconstructing water treatment plants, pump stations, water distribution pipes and water meters in the Chandrawal command area, introducing SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system which allows remote monitoring and control of equipments and improving GIS (Geographic Information System) there. The project will lead to reduction in non-revenue water and water lost through pipeline leakages in the Chandrawal command area from 50% to 15%. Additionally, JICA is assisting with enhancing operation and maintenance capacity of Delhi Jal Board through a technical cooperation project.

Irigaki also said, “The efforts of Delhi Jal Board, which have been supported by JICA, have been appreciable in addressing the water and sewage treatment required for the increasing population of Delhi region. JICA’s comprehensive support with concessional ODA loans and technical cooperation for the Delhi water supply improvement project assists with both infrastructure development and capacity enhancement of project executing agency, and serves as a good practice of India-Japan cooperation.”
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Friday, 18 December 2015

08:38

Bullet Trains can change Tier-II Cities of India into Suburbs of Metros: CRB

Bullet Trains can change Tier-II Cities of India into Suburbs of Metros: CRB

Railway infrastructure upgrade got a big boost with an agreement signed between India and Japan for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train. AK Mittal, Chairman of the Railway Board, gave out his views on how this project will roll out.

Outline for us the complete bullet train infrastructure plan, where Mumbai-Ahmedabad is just one corridor, where Japan is investing

The Indian Railways presently operates trains that are up to only 150 kmph. High-speed involves trains running over 250 kmph. Most advanced countries have a high-speed network. A distance of 500-700 km is covered within a time period of 2.5 hours or so. The advantage is that is absolutely safe, low cost compared to airlines, energy efficient, eco friendly and has large carrying capacity compared to roads. A high speed network can also transform tier-II and tier-III cities into suburbs of the big cities.

This is also a new model for funding large-scale infra. For the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor 80 per cent will be done by Japanese financial agencies with the balance raised by the Railways. So how will the Railways raise the 20 per cent?

Eight-one per cent of the funding is coming from Japan at very concessional terms. The term loan period is 50 years, with a moratorium of 15 years and with an interest rate of 0.1 per cent. These are terms that India has not got from any other country or even Japan has not given to any other country in the past. So, this speaks of our relationship with Japan. The technology that we are going to get is one of the best in the world — it is absolutely safe with no accident history in the last 50 years. This project will be executed over seven years. Arranging the funds for the balance ₹18,000 crore over this time frame is not difficult. Moreover, it will be the Government of India funding. We will also speak to the States of Maharashtra and Gujarat and ask them to participate.

Which are the other bullet train projects that the Railway Ministry may be looking at? Which are the corridors that may be looked at?

Ultimately we are going to connect all the metropolitan cities by the high speed corridors. All the four metropolitan diagonals and quadrilateral lines will be connected by high-speed rail. The first corridor is 508 km between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Ultimately, all these six corridors will be around 10,000 km but that is quite some time away.

Is there any timeframe that the Railway Ministry may be looking at for the completion of all the corridors and the diamond quadrilateral?

We are still at the feasibility stage for other corridors. The first feasibility study which was completed in July was taken on a very expeditious basis to finalise this deal with Japan. We will take it forward on a fast-track basis.

For other corridors, first let us examine the feasibility report and then we will come to the other issues.

By when will the construction actually begin in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor?

We have to still form a company, and then a structure and some other studies are to be done. We will take it forward very fast and the construction should start in another one-and-a-half years.

What form will the company take?

This will be an SPV (special purpose vehicle) with the participation of Government of India as well as the two States. We still have to decide on the stake of each of the partners but the bulk of it will be the Government of India. We still have to have dialogues with them to decide the contours of this sharing.

For the component sourcing for this particular project, will we see a large network of outsourced components in the initial phase?

Let me give you the broad breakup. The total project cost is ₹70,000 crore. Since it is executed over seven years, the completion cost becomes around ₹98,000 crore, taking into account inflation, escalations, interest over a period of time, etc. Now, out of ₹70,000 crore, more than ₹50,000 crore is civil cost, civil structure cost which definitely is going to go Indian companies.

Then comes core technology components like signalling systems, other communications systems, train protection systems. In the beginning core technology equipment will be imported from Japan, which will be around ₹12,000 crore. Then there will be some elements of the project where we will need Japanese expertise. There the contractor or the lead partner may be Japanese, so this is the structure in the beginning.

In the MoU signed with the Japanese government, it has an element of Make in India. It means even in the core technology items — including signalling, train production, operational systems and rolling stocks — there will be an element of Make in India and progressively they will be manufactured in India. (Courtest: Bloomberg TV)
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