2010 Sustainable Transport Award Nominations

Headline

MRVC pitches green technology on global scale through infusion of more trains, which are longer, faster and more comfortable.

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Reasons for Nomination

Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd (MRVC), a Public Sector Undertaking of Govt. of India under Ministry of Railways was incorporated under Companies Act, 1956 on 12.07.1999 between Ministry of Railways and Government of Maharashtra to implement the Rail Component of urban transport project called Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) in Western and Central Railways. The cost of the Rail Component of the project is to be shared equally by Ministry of Railways and Government of Maharashtra. Currently, MRVC is executing Phase I and Phase II of MUTP at a total cost of US$ 2 billion. Following are the major works included: MUTP Phase I: Network Expansion • Laying of additional tracks on Western & Central Railways • DC to AC Conversion Capacity Enhancement • Virar-Dahanu Road Track Center Work • Setting up of Maintenance facilities & Stabling Lines for EMUs • Optimization Central Railway, Western Railway & Harbour Line Rolling Stock • Procurement/manufacture of EMU trains. Resettlement & Rehabilitation • Resettlement and Rehabilitation of project affected households. MUTP Phase II: Network Expansion • Laying of additional tracks on Western & Central Raiwlays • DC to AC Conversion Capacity Enhancement • Maintenance facilities and Stabling Lines for EMUs • Station improvement and trespassing control Rolling Stock • Procurement/manufacture of EMU trains Resettlement & Rehabilitation • Resettlement and Rehabilitation of project affected households. MUTP Phase I is completing in 2010 and Phase II is planned to be completed by 2014-15.

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Impact and significance

Introduction of state-of-the-art technology EMU trains MRVC has procured state-of-the-art IGBT based 3-phase technology EMU rakes. By inducting 60 new technology rakes, 243 additional train services have been introduced and 252 services have been augmented from 9-car to 12-car. This has resulted in reduction of 14% in the crowding levels in the suburban trains. In next 3 to 4 years, around 200 rakes @ 50 rakes per year have been planned. Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, operating cost & cost of EMUs • Due to regenerative braking, there is expected reduction of 20 lakhs tons of CO2 per rake per year. • Due to use of three phase technology alongwith conversion from 1500 V DC to 25000 V AC, there will more than 30% energy saving in the suburban sections of Mumbai. • The cost of MRVC rake is 4 million US$ against the cost of a fully imported nine-car rake of similar features would be 12 million US$. Reduction in noise and air pollution • With the use of compressor of modified design and IGBT step-less control with regenerative braking, the noise level inside the coach has been reduced to 65 db from 85 db. • By providing forced ventilation, CO2 level inside the coach has been reduced from2500 ppm to 1400 ppm. Resettlement and Rehabilitation of project affected households More than 15000 project affected households have been resettled by providing free houses at a cost US$ 8 million. Afforestaton MRVC has planted 13,000 mangroves to upgrade the environment. The survivability rate is 80%. Tree plantation/transplantation is also being done to compensate the trees affected by the projects.

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Transferability

Indian Railways are planning to introduce the new state-of-the-art IGBT based 3-phase technology EMU trains having the passenger friendly features like forced air ventilation, GPS based public announcement system, use of air spring, improved interiors, etc., being introduced by MRVC in Mumbai may adopt for the rakes being procured by other metro railways in other cities of India like Kolkata, Chennai, New Delhi, etc. It will save energy and will provide comfortable journey to the commuters. This will reduce carbon foot print for next generation. MRVC has a success story of resettlement and rehabilitation of more than 15,000 project affected households, which has resulted in freeing up of 3.2 lakhs sq. mtr. of encroached land. Mr Robert B. Zoellick, President, World Bank, during his visit to Mumbai had inspected the resettlement sites and appreciated the efforts put in by Railways and Govt. of Maharashtra in rehabilitating the project affected households. President of World Bank has also mentioned about this important issue during his address in the recently concluded SDN Workshop held in World Bank’s HQ in Washington DC.

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Background

The Suburban Railway system in Mumbai is the most complex, densely loaded and intensively utilized system in the world. Spread over 319 route Kms, it operates on 85 years old 1500 Volt DC power supply from overhead catenary. The suburban services are run by EMUs. 238 nine-car equivalent rakes are utilized to run 2502 train services to carry 6.6 million passengers per day. Two zonal Railways, the Western Railway and the Central Railway (CR), operate the Mumbai Suburban Railway system. The Mumbai Suburban Railway network caters to 6.6 million commuters everyday. It has the highest passenger density in the World and almost half of the total daily passengers using the entire Indian Railway System are from Mumbai Suburban Railway. Overcrowding in the trains has grown to such an extent that 5,000 passengers are traveling per 9-car train during peak hours, as against the rated carrying capacity of 1,750. This has resulted in, what is known as, super dense crush load of upto 16 standing passengers per square metre of floor space During the last 85 years of operation, following major problems have been experienced abnormal increase growth of suburban traffic, lack investment, limited carrying capacity, obsolete technology, encroachments and obsolete design of trains. To enable the Mumbai Suburban Railway system to meet the demands of the ever-growing passenger traffic, Ministry of Railways and the Government of Maharashtra joined hands to face the challenge to upgrade the infrastructure of Mumbai suburban railway system.

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Supplementary web links

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Achievements_in_Environmental_Management

Case_study_of_Mumbai_Suburban_Railway_System

HINDUSTAN_TIMES_-_12.11_.07_

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