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Showing posts with label Kerala Metro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kerala Metro. Show all posts

Thursday, 11 May 2017

08:47

Kochi Metro:Trial Run begins from Aluva to palarivattom

Kochi Metro:Trial Run begins from Aluva to palarivattom

Kochi Metro begins service trial today, PM Modi’s dates being worked out for inauguration
The metro train project in Kochi is the first in Kerala and will span 13 kilometres in the first phase from Aluva to Palarivattom.
The final service trial run of the Kochi Metro began earlier Wednesday paving way for commercial operations to begin soon. The trials have begun after the Commissioner for Metro Rail Safety gave clearance certificate to Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), that helms the project, and considered to be the fastest to get safety clearance compared to other metro projects in the country. The metro’s inauguration has not been announced keeping in mind prime minister Narendra Modi’s dates, said a KMRL official.
The metro train project in Kochi is the first in Kerala and will span 13 kilometres in the first phase from Aluva to Palarivattom. Fourteen more stations will come up in the second phase in which the train will further travel to Thripunithura coursing through some of the busiest intersections in the city. Extensions to the international airport in Nedumbassery, that falls outside city limits, and to Kakkanad, home to several IT firms, are also planned in subsequent phases. The project, which has seen five years to see the light of day, will significantly cut travel time for a commuter within the city and will solve larger traffic and pollution problems in Kochi. The metro will also be an integration platform with the ferry and bus systems to provide seamless travel options for residents.
The metro trial run began at 6 am from Aluva and will conclude at 9:30 pm today. Four rakes of trains will make a total of 142 trips through the day and will stop at every station to test signal and safety limits.
The metro project was expected to be thrown open to the public on November 1 last year, the day of formation of Kerala. But the deadline could not be met. The project, built on a PPP model between the state and the Centre, had DMRC as the implementation agency and E Sreedharan as the principal advisor to the DMRC. The coaches for the train were ‘made in India’ by Alstom, a French company at the Sri City facility in Andhra Pradesh.

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Friday, 5 June 2015

07:21

Kerala CS Jiji Thomson points out flaws in Thiruvananthapuram Light Metro DPR

Kerala CS Jiji Thomson points out flaws in Thiruvananthapuram Light Metro DPR

Thiruvananthapuram (TVC): Weeks after state government overriding finance department’s objection over awarding light metro project on nomination basis to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC), chief secretary Jiji Thomson has made it clear that he had raised objections against the discrepancies in the detailed project report (DPR) submitted by DMRC.

The opposition of finance department and chief secretary are crucial as the government has recently taken an in-principle decision to award the project to DMRC.

Succumbing to DMRC’s pressure tactics, the state government had announced that it would not implement the project in Hybrid-PPP mode as proposed by finance department, instead go for JICA loan. The CM had also said that the project will be implemented by DMRC itself. Though DMRC’s immediate demand was to approve the DPR, the state government is yet to take decision on it.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meet the press at Press Club, Jiji Thomson admitted that he had pointed out flaws in DPR. Ironically, Thomson is facing corruption charges in Palmolein case even after making specific remarks against the deal. On the light metro project, most officials, including chief secretary and finance secretary, have submitted reports against awarding project on nomination basis to DMRC.

Not just officials here, Union government has also issued specific warning against use of JICA loans for metro projects. “Availing JICA loans under STEP conditionality will not be in the interest of metro rail projects as the competition will be restricted and it will also affect indigenous manufacturing as step conditionality require import of goods from Japan to the extent of 30% of the project cost,” a circular issued by department of economic affairs (DEA) to central and state government departments said.

The circular also made it clear that the interest may not be as low as claimed by DMRC. “Due to exchange rate fluctuations, it has been found that rupee has depreciated against Yen on an average rate of 9.5% in the last 40 years, at the rate of 5.7% in the last 10 years and at the rate of 11.2% in the last five years. In the event that the exchange rate fluctuations are passed on to SPVs executing the metro rail projects, the project may not be viable with JICA loans as the SPVs have no earning and also have no control over exchange rate fluctuations,” the DEA has warned.

Earlier, Union minister for urban development Venkaiah Naidu had also asked chief minister to utilize PPP mode for metro projects. Meanwhile, the cabinet is unlikely to consider light metro project on Wenesday.
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Tuesday, 19 May 2015

07:52

No Private Sector Participation in the proposed light metro projects in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.

Kerala nod to DMRC on twin ‘Light Metro’ projects; rejects PPP mode

No PPP mode for light metros; PPP model has failed in several metro projects including the phase 2 of Delhi Metro: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

Thiruvananthapuram (TVC): A high level meeting held today at Thiruvananthapuram has rejected the proposal of the finance department to have private sector participation in the proposed light metro projects in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.

The state cabinet will soon take a final decision on this according to the recommendations of the meeting, chaired by the chief minister. Chief minister Oommen Chandy said that Delhi Metro Rail Corporation [DMRC] will implement the projects. Private sector participation will not be there. Funding will be provided through financial support by the centre and the state governments and through loan from agencies like Japan Internationla Co-operation Agency [JICA].

Sticking to his earlier stand on the light metros, DMRC principal adviser E.Sreedharan today said that the public-private partnership (PPP) model is not suitable for the project. PPP model has failed in several metro projects including the phase 2 of Delhi Metro.

“Everyone knows my stand on the project. There is no need to repeat it,” he told reporters.

He also informed the chief minister that 20 per cent of the cost would be met by the central government and JICA will extend the remaining part as loan at 0.5 per cent interest.

The debate over PPP mode intensified as the state finance department had recommended that only hybrid PPP model would be effective for implementing light metro. The finance minister K.M. Mani had endorsed this and this made a rift between Sreedharan and Kerala government.

Both finance minister and the department have the view that cost on signaling, operations etc should be incurred by the private sector company and the state government will provide the basic facilities for the projects. According to the finance department the private partner should invest roughly Rs 2600 crore for the project.

A section of the media even alleged that the move is to include an Italian company in the light metro projects. Earlier, in two rounds of meeting with the chief minister, Sreedharan had stuck to his stand. This made the government on an embarrassing mode as allegations were raised against some ministers.

The chief minister rejected the proposal by the finance department as the government is on a tight spot as various allegations were leveled against some minister, including the finance minister.

Long Controversy

This put the long-drawn controversy and heated public discussions over the choice of implementation model for which the state bureaucracy had insisted upon the PPP mode, to and end. In doing so, it had cited the apparent inability of the state to take up implementation of such a large project at a time when its finances are in poor shape. Speaking to newspersons after a meeting with Sreedharan a short while ago, Chief Minister Shri Oommen Chandy said that the state and central governments would equally contribute 40 per cent of the project costs.

JICA Loan

The rest of the funds (less land costs and taxation) will be raised through a JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) loan bearing 0.5 per cent interest. In this manner, the burden on the state will be comparatively less, the Chief Minister said citing Sreedharan’s assurance in this connection.

The decision will now be referred to the state cabinet for approval. It comes on a day when the Chandy government has completed four years in office and is stepping into the fifth and last.  In Kochi, work on a full-fledged metro is currently on and is expected to be completed by June next. Monorail was the preferred first choice for Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.

Light Metro

But the state government did not get a favourable response to the monorail tender. It is then that it opted for ‘light metro.’ There is no significant difference between the metro and light metro except possibly in the size and extent of the command area served. A metro serves a large metropolitan city while the light metro is used for smaller cities and deploys lightweight rail cars or even trams in the local networks.
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