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Delhi Metro: Setting an example in India [free access]
May 1, 2010India’s first modern metro rail project, Delhi metro has set the stage for developing rail based metro systems across 11 cities in the country. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which operates a network spanning over 100 km linking Delhi with Noida and Gurgaon in the National Capital Region, has received international benchmarks in service and technology. Another 85 km is presently under construction. DMRC has plans to develop a network four times this size by 2021.
The concept of a metro rail for Delhi first emerged in 1969-70 but DMRC was set up only in 1995 and the first line of Delhi metro operationalised in 2002. The detailed project report (DPR) and feasibility study for the first phase of the project was prepared by Delhi-based Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES).
Project details and progress
The implementation of the Delhi metro project is planned in four phases covering a total of 413.83 km. About 73 per cent of the line length is elevated under Phases I and II. The entire project is expected to be completed by 2021.
Details of the Delhi Metro Network (as on March 31, 2010)
|
Phase |
No. of lines |
Length (km) |
Elevated length (km) |
Underground section (km) |
At grade length (km) |
No. of stations |
|
Phase I |
3 |
65.10 |
47.43 |
13.17 |
4.50 |
59 |
|
Phase II |
15 |
128.06 |
94.13 |
29.83 |
4.10 |
81 |
|
Phase III |
11 |
112.17 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
Phase IV |
8 |
108.50 |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
|
Total |
|
413.83 |
|
|
|
|
NA: Not available
Source: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
Physical construction work on the Delhi metro started on October 1, 1998. The first line (Shahdara-Tis Hazari) opened on December 24, 2002. The entire Phase I of the project was completed in November 2006, on budget and almost three years ahead of schedule, making Delhi metro one of the fastest metro constructions achieved worldwide.
Works under Phase II, which started in January 2007, are in an advanced stage of completion. So far, five sections of Phase II covering 42.15 km have been opened for commercial operations. Amongst the lines opened, DMRC operationalised India’s first standard gauge metro line in April 2010.
About 86 km is under construction in Phase II. A key project currently under implementation is the 23 km airport express link, which will connect the city with the airport and pass through six stops. This project is being jointly developed by India-based Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) and Spain-based Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), on a public-private partnership basis. DMRC has modified the development model for this project. DMRC is responsible for the civil works of the project, which are almost 90 per cent complete as of April 2010. The private joint venture is responsible for financing, designing, developing and operating the high-speed metro system. Delhi Airport Metro Express (DAME), a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), was set up to develop the project. The airport line will be developed and run by DAME for 30 years. The consortium has also invested in the procurement of rolling stock, signalling and telecommunication equipment and other operational components. People will have the choice of checking in their baggage at metro stations, which will double up as city airport terminals for this line.
A key project currently under implementation is the 23 km airport express link, which will connect the city with the airport and pass through six stops.
Phase II is expected to be completed by September 2010, before the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. On completion, the metro would be spread across 190 km virtually connecting all corners of the National Capital Region.
After the completion of Phase II, work on Phase III will be taken up. The corridor-wise plan is ready and a financial strategy for the phase has been proposed. Upon approval of the corridors by the state government, the detailed project reports will be prepared.
Some of the key players that have carried out civil works for the metro project include Hindustan Construction Company, Larsen and Toubro, Ircon International, Alstom Transport, ABB Limited, Skanska International Civil Engineering, Samsung Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation, and Sumitomo Corporation.
Rolling stock and technology
Delhi metro trains run on ballast-less tracks on the elevated viaduct and the underground corridor. This has resulted in minimum need for maintenance and has reduced the running dimensions on structures. This feature also offers minimal vibration and greater riding comfort for passengers. World-class tunnel boring machines imported from Japan, Germany and the US are being used in Phase II.
Around 70 trains operate on the three lines of Phase I. The coaches for the first phase were provided by Korea-based Hyundai Rotem, Japan-based Mitsubishi and India-based Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML). The first 60 coaches were made in Korea and then the technology was transferred to India. Thereafter, 180 coaches were made in BEML’s plant in Bangalore.
For the Phase II network, Delhi Metro has ordered 131 new train-sets with several new features for passenger convenience and better level of comfort. Of these, 83 are broad gauge and 48 are standard gauge.
− Canada-based Bombardier Transportation is delivering new MOVIA metro cars for lines 1, 2 and 3 of Phase II of Delhi Metro. An initial order for 340 cars in 2007 was complemented by an option for a further 84 cars, placed in March 2008. A large proportion of the fleet is being produced at Bombardier’s plant in Savli, Vadodara.
− In Phase II, Line 6 and Line 10 will have standard gauge coaches, which is India’s first step to integrate with international metro track technology. DMRC will procure 48 standard gauge trains from a consortium of Mitsubishi, Hyundai Rotem, Mitsubishi Electronic Corporation, and BEML. Of the 48 trains, only the one that has already arrived was to be manufactured in Korea, while the rest are being manufactured in BEML’s factory at Bangalore.
− For the latest line to be operationalised in April 2010, the Inderlok-Mundka Line, DMRC has procured 17 standard gauge trains from a consortium of Mitsubishi and BEML and will initially put 13 on the service. During peak hours, the frequency would be 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, Bombardier Transportation was awarded the EUR30 million contract to supply its signalling and train control systems for both lines 5 and 6 of Delhi metro in October 2007. BOMBARDIER CITYFLO 350 includes automatic train operation that automatically drives the trains from station to station as well as controlling the opening and closing the doors, leaving the driver free to simply supervise and press the departure button when leaving a station. The system also has an automatic turn-back feature that enables trains to reverse automatically at end stations.
For the airport express link, trains have been procured from Spain-based City Airport Terminals, which has also supplied trains to Hong Kong Airport metro and London's Heathrow Express. The coaches have seating for all passengers and the seating is transverse. The line will operate on automated train operations technology and will be driverless. Eight six-coach trains will run on this route initially at a frequency of 10 minutes, which will later be brought down to two minutes. To secure the baggage, half a coach of every six-coach train will be reserved for baggage. Every coach will be equipped with close-circuit television cameras for added security and will also have an event recorder. The trains will travel at a speed of 120 km per hour and cover the entire distance in about 21 minutes, stopping at six stations. The fares for this line will be fixed at INR150 and INR180.
The trains are engineered to reach near-zero noise levels and all the components — flooring, insulated walls, windows — have in-built noise reduction features. The wheels too have added lubrication for less noise and better riding comfort. The train doors are plug-and-shut type, which shut after sliding out a bit and then move back into its original position.
To augment security, the recent measures on Delhi metro include procurement of communication equipment (TETRA radio sets), additional baggage scanners, and additional door frame detectors (DFMDs). Also DMRC has plans to install 3,000 closed circuit televisions at the stations apart from cameras inside trains under Phase II.
Funding and investment
The SPV, DMRC, was set up with equal equity participation from the union and the Delhi governments. Phase I of the project was developed at a total investment of INR105.71 billion. Of this, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) extended the maximum amount in six tranches, with the first one in 1997. The loan carried rate of interest for this project is 1.2 per cent per annum. The loan has a repayment period of 30 years with a moratorium period of 10 years.
The union and the state governments jointly financed 28 per cent of the project cost through equity contributions in addition to providing a subordinate loan to cover the cost of land acquisition, which has a share of 5 per cent. The balance 7 per cent funds were internally generated through property development.
Funding Plan of Phase I
Source: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
Phase II is estimated to cost INR190 billion. Of this, 36 per cent is being financed through equity participation. The initial plan was to finance 48 per cent of the project cost by way of a loan from JICA. However, JICA reduced its earlier commitment in January 2010 to only 30 per cent. The 18 per cent will not fall under the union and state government’s share.
The remaining amount is being funded from property development, internal resources, and subordinate debt. The economic internal rate of return for this phase is estimated at 23.63 per cent and the financial internal rate of return at 8.18 per cent.
The INR28.85 billion airport express line under this phase has been funded on a debt-equity ratio of 70:30. While RInfra holds 95 per cent equity, the Spanish partner holds the remaining. However, the SPV had raised a debt of INR25 billion in March 2009 at an interest rate of 13 per cent, against the requirement of INR20 billion.
DMRC Financials
DMRC recorded a total income of INR7.24 billion in the financial year 2008-09, inclusive of income from operations, real estate, consultancy, and other income. It registered an increase of 43.51 per cent over the total income of INR5.04 billion recorded in 2007-08. The company recorded a net profit of INR413.2 million, as against a net loss of INR482.59 million in 2007-08.
The company’s total expenditure stood at INR2.62 billion, an increase of 24.47 per cent over the year 2007-08 when it recorded a total expenditure of INR2.11 billion.
Ridership and benefits
In the seven years since its inauguration, the metro has carried over one billion passengers. On opening, about 35,000 passengers were using the line daily. With addition of lines, there has been a constant upswing in ridership. Presently, about 0.85 million passengers use the metro per day.
Citizens of Delhi are deriving various indirect benefits from the Delhi metro. A recent study conducted to assess these indirect benefits has revealed that Delhi metro has prevented 28,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere every year. For Phase II, DMRC has estimated that about 610 buses will be removed, resulting in a saving of INR890 million towards capital and operating costs. Further, savings of about INR3.24 billion will take place due to a reduction of private vehicles, INR3.66 billion due to a reduction in fuel consumption, and INR1.65 billion due to a reduction in investment in road infrastructure.
The Delhi metro is also the first railway project in the world to be registered for carbon credits by the United Nations. It has been certified to prevent release of over 90,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide by use of regenerative braking systems in trains. It is estimated that in 2008, release of 39,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide were prevented and this figure is expected to increase to over 100,000 tonnes per year when Phase II of the metro project is fully operational.
To improve connectivity, DMRC has introduced 120 feeder buses. It has also placed an order to purchase 300 air-conditioned compressed natural gas buses to act as feeder buses. In addition to feeder buses, it has also started a radio taxi service for Delhi metro commuters in association with a taxi service agency.
DMRC has gained recognition with time. Today, it has not only triggered metro projects in other cities but is also acting as a consultant for majority of the projects coming up in India. Whether these projects will replicate Delhi metro’s success will only be seen with time.