L&T Hyderabad Metro Ltd has awarded signalling and train control contracts to Thales Canada & Thales India and a communications system deal to Thales Portugal. The €13-billion defence, aerospace and transport major Thales has outbid Siemens and Bombardier, which were also in the fray.
V.B. Gadgil, Chief Executive and Managing Director, LTMRHL, said, “The Hyderabad metro project will be first in the country to run on a communication-based train control system. Our endeavour is to bring the best of international players in metro rail technology to make the project world-class.”
Addressing a press conference along with N.V.S. Reddy, Managing Director, Hyderabad Metro Rail, he said: “L&T is committed to completing the project ahead of July 2017. The 72-km elevated metro rail project will be executed in six phases and we will commence operations once some of these phases are completed.”
Reliable system
“The advanced communication system deployed in several projects across the world will provide a secure and reliable communication system. It will have the capability to run one train every 90 seconds, each side. Each train, with three coaches initially, can take about 1,000 people and with six coaches 2,000 people,” Reddy explained.
Gadgil said L&T has thus far invested Rs 850 crore on the project. Recently, bankers have re-appraised the debt component of the project, which achieved financial closure last year.
Of the Rs 16,500-crore project, about Rs 2,000 crore is being deployed by the Government for facilitation work.
The L&T team indicated that the complex viaduct erection work will commence shortly.
OTHER CONTRACTS
Gadgil said three other contracts will be finalised by December-end. These include an automatic fare collection facility, contract for supply and erection of elevators at entry and exit points of stations and workshop equipment.
Designs for about 18.5 million sq. ft of transit-oriented development are being assessed. This was taken up after a detailed study, Gadgil said.
Reddy said most of the land acquisition has been concluded and was confident that the remaining part would be completed as work progresses. He said efforts have been made to ensure no heritage or religious structure is impacted by the project.