First consignment of rails despatched from France for L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Limited (LTMRHL) have been received in Hyderabad.
The first lot of 5,000 tonnes of rails procured from France will be laid down as tracks in the Uppal depot soon.
These rails were shipped to India (Mumbai) and were transported by road on 60 feet special trailers to the Hyderabad Metro Rail Uppal depot at Hyderabad.
Rails for the Hyderabad Metro Rail project are being procured from Tata Steel, France. They have a proven record of supplying rails to major railway projects in the world and also to the Indian market.
V B Gadgil, Chief Executive and Managing Director, LTMRHL, in a statement said, “This is another important milestone for the Hyderabad Metro Rail Project and indicates that project is progressing in a desirable manner.”
“With the arrival of rails from France, track laying work shall commence in the Uppal depot soon. This development marks the beginning of the utilisation of international expertise on ground for the prestigious Hyderabad Metro Rail project,” he said.
About 22,500 tonnes of rails required for the Hyderabad metro project will be procured in six lots as per the project schedule.
The rails are 18 meters long and weigh about 1,100 kg each. To cater for the sharp curves and steep gradients in the project, it is decided to provide ‘wear resistant head hardened’ rails for the complete main line and normal rails for the depots.
These head hardened rails are more durable and have a life more than twice that of normal rails, the statement said.
Due to very sharp curves in this project, check rails are being provided on all curves of less than 190 metre radius, which prevent the trains from derailing while negotiating such sharp curves. These rails are also 18 metre long and weigh about 600 kg each.
L&T Logistics handled the logistics of rails from the European port to Hyderabad.