Metro Rail Transport System in India We have 1181 guests and no members online MRT System in India India is well on its way to create a world-class MRT system as an integral part of community infrastructure development in the country, reports Ar. Apurva Bose Dutta. Growing cities, growing population and growing traffic has invariably called for a shift from private modes of conveyance to public transport. A glance at the world's developing nations indicates that well planned Mass Rapid Transit Systems (MRTS) exist successfully. India (like many other developing countries) however has lagged behind though its first metro, the Kolkata Metro, started working almost 25 years ago. The reasons could be attributed to lack of funds planning as is known that such projects require huge capital investments, a long gestation period and complex technology. Other reasons could include the lack of integration between various systems of mass transportation and the absence of comprehensive traffic and transportation planning. While researches show that the ideal modal share of public transport should be around 70%, however it is in tune to only 35%–40% in India's metro cities.

India is looking to create a world class infrastructure with its existent Kolkata and Delhi Metros with the addition of Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Jaipur, and Kochi metros in the next few years while proposals for MRTS for Pune, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Kanpur, Ludhiana, Bhopal, Indore and Faridabad are being chalked out. Key Considerations for MRTS A metro model for a county would have to depend on its logistics, financial resources and should avoid aping a western modern blindly, rather should concentrate on learning from its shortcomings. Ar. Jit Kumar Gupta, renowned urban planner states that the planning, construction, designing and management of metros require extensive data, detailed surveys, study of economic structure, profile of settlement topography, travel preference, major traffic corridors etc. He recommends the use of technology that is available within the country or that can be developed since ultimately the system needs to be made self-reliant and self-contained to minimise O&M (operations & maintenance) cost. He advises that technology with low initial cost but with high O & M cost should be avoided.

M Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, General Manager, Hyderabad Metro Rail adds that during construction time technicalities like proper hoarding, guided traffic signs and safety barriers are also kept in mind. Cost Factors Metro projects are meant to cater to cities with more than four million population and the costs in these cases are related to areas which are proposed to serve underground, elevated or at grade alignment. Larger the underground and elevated proposal, larger shall be the cost involved. Funding process is done through the PPP model (Public-Private Partnership) as in Hyderabad and Mumbaior byDMRC model by the state or the central government as in Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. Mr Reddy is of the opinion that the correct funding process is the PPP model since otherwise if the government has to take up the funding, it would involve additional taxes on people and a lot of subsidies from other organisations which would become a huge burden on the government. He adds, "Generally PPP model is also not financially viable because we can't get all the money from fair box collection. Hence in 1991, the concept of LPG (Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation) was introduced which is an encouragement for private investors like infrastructure developers.

Under this, the viability gap funding scheme caters to 60% cost borne by the private investor and upto 40% borne by the government in terms of grants. The Hyderabad Metro is the first metro to be on PPP mode. Though Mumbai is also on the PPP mode but they haven't taken the viability gap fund." Ar Gupta feels that the high cost justification of metros has its genesis in its very high carrying capacity of passengers at a very high speed with minimum pollution. He states, "Metros are known to serve the old, congested and thickly built up areas where normal traffic poses greatest challenges due to location of major commercial markets, traffic nodes and residential areas. They are known to provide travel at a very affordable cost." He also recommends the need of a SPV to realise the project due to the huge capital costs involved and adds, "Government could participate through equity or meeting one time viability gap financing after detailed evaluation. For funding metros the government should provide infrastructure but the operating cost and cost of rolling stock must be met by users and beneficiaries. Where private players of repute are involved, the project could be sealed with private participation based on detailed conditions and period of concession specified.

Land will be a major issue in realising the project for which the involvement of parastatal agencies will be critical. Sale of air space, advertisement rights, contribution of major commercial whole sale markets which generate huge volume of traffic, levying of external development charges on builders and promoters and a dedicated fund for MRTS can aid in the funding." The Advantages And Disadvantages A cheap mode of transport, the MRTS helps in low energy consumption, is eco-friendly (runs on electricity, thus minimising air and sound pollution), averts the number of accidents, is efficient in terms of space occupancy and provides comfort with ultra modern coaches and modern systems like automatic ticketing, advanced signalling systems, automatic train protection system and integrated security systems. Services like ATMs, food outlets, cafés and convenience stores at these stations make the journey more fruitful. Also such stations lead to nearby economic development. The international standard for MRTS with a maximum speed of 80kmph and average speed of around 34kmph helps in saving of time.

Adds Ar Gupta, "With proper designing, the peak hour capacity could be rated at 3-4 lakhs passengers per hour." Mr Reddy points out that the only disadvantage of metros is the slight congestion on roads at the time of construction which has to be taken care of while Ar Gupta indicates the cost factor as the disadvantage, the solution for which is to integrate metros with others systems considering the volume, structure, availability of space and resources for traffic and transportation. MRTS in the Country Kolkata Metro The only metro service in the country functioning directly under the Indian Railways, the foundation for this was laid as early as 1972. Delays due to non-availability of sufficient funds, shifting of underground utilities, court injunctions and irregular supply of vital materials led to the commencement of services being pushed to 1984, after which progressive construction followed leading to the completion of the services of the entire stretch in 2005. Kolkata faced a transport problem with only 8% of the land being available for road transport (negligible as compared to the 25%–30% available in other cities) thus diminishing scope for increasing the existing road area.

Thus an underground route was envisaged with five rapid transit lines comprising a route length of 97.5 km. While the phase 1 of the North South (NS) axis commenced its services in 1995, Phase 2 and Phase 3 were recently opened in 2009 and 2010 respectively. The metro has been quite a hit with the residents in Kolkata considering the number of passengers which has expansively increased in the past years. Large scale expansion projects (covering 87 kms) have now been planned and in its modernisation programme, the existing metro stations would undergo renovation and introduce State-of-the-Art Automatic Fare Collection, Passenger Control system with Radio Frequency Identification based Flap Gates, Integrated Security System, new air-conditioned rakes and Automatic Signalling system. Delhi Metro The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was established to build a metro in two phases serving Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad. While the first phase covering 65.11km was opened in 2002 the second phase of 125km was recently completed.

The first railway project in the world to be registered for carbon credits by the United Nations, the Delhi Metro achieved this by saving power by using regenerative brakes in the trains, and reduced carbon emissions. The Metro has been designed such that it can be integrated with other public transport. DMRC has also partnered with Google India (through Google Transit) to provide train schedule and route information to mobile devices with Google Maps. The Rapid Metro Rail Gurgaon (to be completed by 2013) is an under–construction rapid transit system in Gurgaon, linked with the Delhi Metro. As part of phase 2, subway facilities in all the underground metro stations and bicycle rentals in some are being provided. The popular Delhi Airport Metro Express rail from the Indira Gandhi International Airport to the city centre takes less than 20 minutes as opposed to one hour by road. Its LCD screens equipped coaches imported from Spain are entirely different from the trains on this line and have in-built noise reduction features, padded fabric seats and provide flight information for convenience of air travellers.

The trains are fitted with an event recorder which can withstand high levels of temperature and impact.The metro has been promoted as an integral part of community infrastructure, and community artwork depicting the local way of life at the stations in the form of decorative murals, panels and a gallery showcasing artwork and handicrafts from across India. The Delhi Metro though plagued by controversies in the form of technical snags, overcrowding and accidents at the construction sites has proved as a model for the other metros in the country to follow. Phases 3 and 4 will expand the total journey to 413.8km and are scheduled to open in 2016 and 2020 respectively. With such a great pace of work, the Delhi metro will soon become one of the fastest expanding metro networks in the world. Mumbai Metro Mumbai's existing Suburban Railway and BEST bus system have not been able to compete with the rapid population growth.

The Mumbai MRTS is going to see a completion of the first phase {a partnership between Mumbai Metro politan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and Reliance Infrastructure and Veolia Transport (France)} in 2012 and will entail a 12 km elevated metro with 12 stations enroute. Mumbai Metro One Private Limited is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to implement this corridor. While the Suburban Railways provide a NS connect, this corridor will provide the relief in the East West (EW) connectivity, covering the journey in 21 minutes. Phase 2 and Phase 3 would be totalling to a length of 146 km. Plans are on for a nine-line network by 2021 in its three phases of development costing Rs.36,000 crore. Skywalks have also been provided to connect the metro and suburban railways stations. The air conditioned coaches that are being imported from China with a 1500 accommodation capacity each, will feature an advanced passenger-driver communication system. Right from the construction stage, initiatives have been on to make the Mumbai Metro Asia's first green metro.

In order to get the best hands on experience, a number of executives were recently sent to China and South Korea to gain some hands-on experience in managing a metro system. Bengaluru Metro Though a MRTS has been in consideration for long in the Garden City, the foundation stone was finally laid in 2006. Being operated by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), a detailed project report of two double line corridors with a total length of 33 km (elevated and underground) with 32 stations has been prepared by DMRC and RITES, the general consultants for the project: EW and NS corridors as part of Phase I of the project which is estimated to complete by 2013. The travel time from end to end on the EW corridor will be 33 minutes, and on the NS corridor will be 28 minutes. The second phase comprising 51km would involve the extension of both the first two lines and the construction of an additional line. While the stations are contemporary keeping in mind Bengaluru's erstwhile architecture and materials, there have been competitions floated for developing communication concepts for the interior space of some stations too.

Though at present 43 stations are being constructed which would get completed by 2015 but the DBR (Design Basis report) issued by BMRCL shows an approval for 162 stations which means that in future, there would be tributaries on the NS and EW corridors. The only complaint that could possibly be related to this metro is the lack of transparency and the shirking of public involvement in the project. Chennai Metro Chennai has already a well established suburban railway network; however with no connectivity to Central and South Chennai, a MRTS was planned. The Chennai MRTS being an elevated line of the urban mass transit system was completed in 2007 and was designed as an elevated extension of the Suburban Network. It was not exactly a Metro System since the trains were normal EMU's (Electric Multiple Units) without automatic doors. Phase 2 and Phase 3 are presently under construction. Due to poor maintenance, lack of security and no connectivity options with other transit systems, the MRTS has been quite unpopular leading to a lower ridership. To overcome this lapse in MRTS, the Metro was conceptualised and hence the Chennai Metro is being constructed simultaneously.

With the physical works in process, the phase 1 is going to be completed by 2014–2015. Two corridors with a total of 45km and 32 stations have been planned in which 19 would be underground and 12 would be elevated. The developers, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) have appointed DMRC as the Prime Consultant for Phase 1 of the project. The Chennai Metro seems the most expensive considering the rising and dropping costs over the years. The MRTS operated by the Southern Railway is proposed to be taken over by CMRL so as to bring all the elevated and underground tracks under one organisation. Hyderabad Metro Spanning over 71km, the phase 1 would include three traffic corridors covering a total of 72 km and 66 stations. A completely elevated system, the detailed project reports and traffic survey reports are being prepared by DMRC. Designed to cater to 50,000 people in one hour in one direction for Corridors I and III and 35,000 for Corridor II, the cost of the project is Rs.12,132 crores.

Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd (HMR) is the SPV set to look after the project which has been allotted to L&T in PPP mode. Sadly, the Hyderabad MRTS which is the country's first two-track elevated city transit system, has been much delayed since 2008 when the contract was awarded to Maytas Metro Ltd after which fresh bids had to be invited. Also, more recently questions on the feasibility of the Secunderabad-Hi-Tec City Corridor from an engineering point of view have risen. Discussions are umpteen about the metro rail set to throw the traffic and city life out of gear by acquiring thousands of private properties. With the pre- project activities in full swing, the physical work is going to start in October 2011 and the HMR is confident that by 2015 the entire project would finish. The travel time for the metro rail is 45 minutes for Corridor I, 22 minutes for Corridor II and 39 minutes for Corridor III. The metro stations are being designed keeping the local architecture in mind.

The Metro that will rest on massive concrete pillars along the central median of the roads will prove a boon for the city's MMTS (Multi-modal Transport System) which is collapsing under the burgeoning population and has slower speed. It is also being hoped that the enormous material requirement of the metro will result in establishment of many ancillary industries and machinery manufacturing and servicing units. The Future MRTS is the best way to decongest traffic. However, a number of considerations should be kept in mind in order to run a successful MRTS. "Viability of metro projects depend upon correct defining of traffic corridors, technology adapted, availability of land, volume of traffic carried, capacity utilisation and acceptance of the mode by the commuters," Ar Gupta maintains. Conclusively, transport needs to be made an integral part of urban design/master plan of the city as it cannot be delineated to a separate entity. A multi-modal transportation system would ensure the use of MRTS to its best potential. The uncertainty about MRTS, which has plagued the importance of such systems in India seems to be resolving. Though the Kolkata metro was designed without a rule book and the Delhi Metro was designed on international norms but now India has a set of rules being adopted for metro constructions.

The National Mass Transit and Training Research Institute (NMTTRI) in Mumbai (established by MMRDA), is one of its kinds in Asia imparting training and research on mass transit systems. The annual training courses cater to key issues like Public Transport Security, Safety and Emergency/Disaster Management, Noise Pollution & Abatement Measures for Urban Transportation, Integrated Ticketing, seamless Travel across Modes and Intelligent Transportation System. The MetroRail Asia – Asia's premier rail event (with a special focus on India) proves to be a high-value networking and knowledge-sharing of key metro authorities and operators with discussions over India's extensive metro growth. In its third year now, this year it is being organised in Delhi from 8-10 November. Delhi Metro - Railway Technology Delhi Airport Express Rail Link, India The Delhi airport express rail link is a 22.7km long high speed metro rail operating between the New Delhi Railway Station and Dwarka Sector 21 in the suburbs of India's capital city New Delhi. It passes through the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport before terminating at Dwarka Sector 21. It was opened to the public in February 2011 after 27 months of construction.

The section has two stations: Kirti Nagar (at grade) and Satguru Ram Singh Marg (elevated).Line 6 (Violet Line) runs between Central Secretariat and Badarpur. It covers 20.16km, serves 15 stations and has a rolling stock of 30 trains. The section between Central Secretariat and Sarita Vihar was opened in October 2010. The Sarita Vihar to Badarpur extension was opened in January 2011. New Delhi Railway Station to Dwarka Sector 21 Airport Express Line was opened in February 2011. This 22.7km line has six stations with a rolling stock of eight trains. Infrastructure Line 2 is underground for its entire 11km length. All-but-one of its 15 stations have been built nearly 13m below ground using by cut-and-cover methods; Chawri Bazar, which lies some 20m down, needed tunnelling to be built. All stations have escalators, elevators and tactile tiles to guide the visually impaired from station entrances to trains.

Many of the stations are equipped for rainwater collection as part of their environmental policy. One of the more challenging construction projects was Mandi House station on Line 3, managed by British company Mott Macdonald. As the station is located under a busy thoroughfare, much of the station had to be built top-down, with the diaphragm wall panels built from ground level to form the permanent walls of the station. DMRC also provides subway facilities in all the underground metro stations as part of Phase II. Bicycle rental is also available at the Vishwa-vidyalaya, Pragati Maidan, Patel Chowk and Indraprastha metro stations. Rolling stock The first wave of rolling stock was manufactured by a consortium comprising Hyundai Rotem, Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. Initial sets were built by ROTEM in South Korea, with later examples completed in India by public sector undertaking Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML). BEML is also responsible for the manufacturing coaches under technology transfer agreement. The manufacturing is under progress. The air-conditioned trains consist of four 3.2m-wide, stainless steel, lightweight, although eight is possible. The trains have automatic doors, secondary air suspension and brakes controlled by microprocessor.

"Delhi Metro has a fleet of 280 coaches, which DMRC runs as 210 trains every day." Delhi Metro has a fleet of 280 coaches, which DMRC runs as 210 trains every day. Each train can accommodate about 2,290 people, 240 seated. Maximum speed is 80km/h (50mph), with a 20-second dwell time at stations. Train depots are located at Khyber Pass, Najafgarh, Shastri Park and Yamuna Bank. In May 2011, BEML received a contract worth Rs9.2bn ($205m) from DMRC to supply 136 intermediate metro cars. The delivery is expected to be completed by the end of 2013. In March 2008 Bombardier Transportation announced an €87m ($137m) contract for 84 MOVIA metro cars, a follow-on to an order for 340 placed in July 2007. The new vehicles were deployed as part of the Phase II expansion.

In September 2011, Bombardier received a $120m order for 76 additional MOVIA metro cars. This was a follow-on contract to an order placed for 114 vehicles in the middle of 2010. Deliveries under the new order were completed in 2012. DMRC received the first MOVIA metro car from Germany in February 2009. The first 36 vehicles were manufactured in Goerlitz, Germany, and the remaining 388 cars were built at Bombardier's Indian manufacturing facility in Savli, South Gujarat. In October 2012, Bombardier delivered the 600th MOVIA metro car to the DMRC. Signalling and communications The trains use centralised automatic train control (CATC) comprising automatic train operation (ATO), automatic train protection (ATP) and automatic train signalling (ATS) systems. Intercoms are provided for emergency communication between the passengers and the driver in each coach, and on-train announcements are in Hindi and English. There are also route maps and LCD display systems in every coach. Fare collection is through contactless, stored-value smartcards.

The metro has its own police force, and a training school at Shastri Park is run in association with Hong Kong MTR for operational and maintenance staff. Security is supported by about 5,200 CCTV cameras at stations. In October 2007 DMRC awarded Bombardier Transportation a $43m contract for the design, manufacture, supply, installation and testing of signalling equipment. The CITYFLO 350 system was installed on 37km of two of new line sections of the Phase II expansion. The electronic interlocking, operation and automation control systems for the third line were supplied by Siemens Transportation Systems. The future Although the system operated at below projected passenger levels in 2007, partly ascribed to train capacity proving lower than anticipated, it has achieved an operating profit. About 2.2 million people daily used the Metro in 2012. It carries 5% of the city's commuters, and the project is not only meeting its aims in terms of attracting former road users and reducing road casualties, but it is stimulating economic development near to stations. Low-cost cycle hire and a secure parking trial was launched to further reduce road use.

Phase III and IV extensions, which will expand the network to413.8km, are scheduled to open in 2016 and 2021 respectively. Phase III was approved in August 2011. It involves construction of 140km line with 92 stations and 17 interchange points. It is scheduled to be completed by 2016, carry about four million passengers and cost about Rs77.01bn ($1.4bn). "Phase III and IV extensions will expand the network to 413.8km." In addition to the expansions planned in these four phases, a new line is being constructed to link Noida Sector 62 and Greater Noida. It will cross the Indraprastha- Noida Sector 32 line. The Ghaziabad Development Authority also has plans for a fifth phase, which could extend the Vaishali line (Blue Line) to Mehrauli via Indirapuram (Ghaziabad). A welcome part of the system for overseas visitors is the 19.5km extension to Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Journey times to the centre are cut to 16 minutes from the present one hour by road. The 135km/h (84mph) link will be extended as the airport adds new terminal facilities. The first construction contracts, covering 7.5km of line, were awarded to Alpine-Samsung-HCC and Afcons in October 2007. Delhi Metro is thought to have inspired greater support for mass transit systems; India has many projects now in the planning stage. Share Metro scanners get a guardian after a year - Times of India Times of India Metro Railway finally seems to have found an agency to undertake repairs of baggage scanners lying defunct at 23 stations for several months now. | TNN | Jul 13, 2016, 12.32 AM IST Kolkata: Metro Railway finally seems to have found an agency to undertake repairs of baggage scanners lying defunct at 23 stations for several months now. Officials, who faced severe criticism for not paying sufficient attention to security, announced on Tuesday that scanners at eight stations have already been repaired. Two more will become operational soon. It will be a while before the remaining 15 are repaired.

As part of its Integrated Security System (ISS), Metro had engaged a company in 2012 for supply and maintenance of equipment, including baggage scanners, CCTV cameras and monitors, door-frame and hand-held metal detectors. In 2015, Metro realised that the company wasn't keeping its commitments. Several meetings were held with agency officials but the situation didn't improve. Finally, the contract was terminated and Metro went for re-tendering. There was only one response. "Though this was an Indian company, it was highly dependent on China for its products. When we sought details about the products and the manufacturers for original equipment manufacturer support, the company stopped communicating with us. We tried our best and called up the company several times. We also sent emails but there was no response. Finally, we were forced to give up," a senior Metro official said. The situation was now desperate and officials started contacting those engaged with repairs and maintenance of baggage scanners elsewhere, such as airports. There were some buy-back offers but this would set the Metro back by several crores. Finally, a proposal to engage an agency on quotation basis was submitted for general manager A K Goel 's approval. Since it was a matter concerning security, the GM cleared the proposal.

On Friday, the quotation was opened and contract awarded to the new agency. "We have had a bitter experience and didn't wish to commit ourselves fully to a single agency. We gave it eight baggage scanners to repair initially. By Tuesday, the scanners at Dum Dum, Esplanade, Maidan, Rabindra Sadan, Jatin Das Park and Kalighat were operational. The two at Park Street and Kavi Subhash will be repaired in the next few days," Metro spokesperson Indrani Banerjee said. She said that Metro would monitor the repaired scanners for a couple of weeks before deciding whether to hand over more of the machines to the agency. Another lot of eight scanners may then be handed over for repairs. Stay updated on the go with Times of India News App. Click here to download it for your device.

RELATED Ticket to ride: World's 10 most popular metro systems - Rediff.com Business Rediff.com » Business » Ticket to ride: World's 10 most popular metro systems Ticket to ride: World's 10 most popular metro systems Last updated on: May 22, 2012 08:28 IST Ticket to ride: World's 10 most popular metro systems Next A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area. They are either located underground or on elevated rails above street level. Across the world, metros are considered as cheapest and fastest mode of transport. In India, Kolkata, New Delhi and Bangalore have a metro rail system in place, and work is underway in many other cities like Mumbai. Meanwhile, here is a list compiled by CNN Go on world's 10 most popular metro systems. Click NEXT to read more...

Photographs: Reuters Kolkata India,Kolkata West Bengal,Vacation In Kolkata,Travel Kolkata Location : West Bengal Popular As : Capital City of West Bengal Attractions : Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge, Birla Planetarium, Indian Museum, Eden Garden, Alipore Zoological Garden, Dalhousie Square, St.Paul's Cathedral and Nakhoda Mosque. Best Time To Visit : October to April Introducing Kolkata Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. One of the four metros of India, Kolkata is set on the east back of the river Hoogly. An old city, Kolkata served as the capital of India untill 1911 during the the British rule, still you can witness the colonial imprints in its streets. Once the major centre of modern education, culture, science and politics in India, Kolkata now serves as a gateway to Eastern India. Kolkata has also been home to Nobel laureates like Rabindranath Tagore, Mother Teresa and Amartya Sen. Often referred to as the 'Cultural Capital of India,' Kolkata is a hub of music, dance, theatre and arts.

City of Kolkata is also known for its colouful festivals and cultural events. So visit the 'city of joy' Kolkata to enjoy a pleasant vacation, to experience its rich culture and also get a glimpse of the British era. How to Reach Kolkata By Air : Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport is situated at Dumdum, 17 kms northeast of the city center. Kolkata airport has flights from all the metros and other major cities of India. Airlines operate flights to Kolkata from most of the countries in the Southeast Asia and some international destinations. From the airport taxis are available for various parts of the city. ¤ ¤ Request Quote For Tour ¤ ¤ By Rail : Kolkata has two railway stations one at Howrah and other at Sealdah. Both these railway stations are served by a number of express and mail trains from all over the country. Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express connect Kolkata to Delhi and nearby cities of Bokaro and Rourkela. By Road : National Highways and other state roads connect Kolkata with rest of the country. Bus services are available to Kolkata from various important towns of West Bengal such as Malda, Raiganj, Burdawan.

Local Transport : Buses, trams, rickshaws, metered taxis, minibuses and metro rail are modes of local transport in the city. Kolkata is the city where India's first underground railway network (metro) was started. Kolkata metro is the fastest and most efficient way to reach different parts of the city. Places Where You Can Stay Kolkata is dotted with a number of good hotels ranging from five star to budget hotels. Equipped with the modern amenities the hotel provides a comfortable stay to guests. Some of the famous hotels of the city include : Five Star Hotels : Hotel Taj Bengal,The Oberoi Grand, Golden Park Hotel, Hotel Hindustan International,Hyatt Regency Hotel, MBD Airport Hotel,Sonar Bangla Sheraton and Towers and The Park. Four Star Hotels : Hotel Peerless Inn, The Kenilworth Hotel Three Star Hotels : Hotel Rutt Deen, The Grand Great Eastern, The Astor Hotel, Lytton Hotel Budget Hotels : A.V.Hotels Pvt Ltd.

Astoria Hotel Kolkata, Hotel Akash Ganga, Hotel Cama Plaza, Green Inn, Golden Retreat Haldia Tourist Attractions in Kolkata Victoria Memorial : An elegant edifice in while-marble, Victoria Memorial was built in the memory of Queen Victoria. Considered among India's most beautiful monuments, Victoria Memorial presents a unique combination of classical European architecture and Mughal architectural style. Constructed in 1921 with an attempt to match the Taj Mahal, Victoria Memorial is a major attraction for tourists. Victoria memorial has a fine collection of rare items belonging to the British. The Royal Gallery of the building houses the massive oil paintings that illustrate the story of Queen Victoria's life and reign. Howrah Bridge : An engineering marvel, Howrah Bridge is the main landmark of the city. Howrah Bridge is a hanging bridge, without any pylon in the river. The bridge is 450 m in length, 71 ft wide and supported by two piers 270 ft. high from the road level. Hawrah Bridge has eight vehicular ways and two footpaths.

Birla Planetarium : Considered one of the biggest Planetarium in Asia, Birla Planetarium is a good place for entertainment and infotainment. Built on the lines of London Planetarium, Birla Planetarium is only the second of its kind in the commonwealth, Birla Planetarium looks like Buddhist stupa at Sanchi from outside and hosts regular astronomical shows in Hindi, Bengali and English. Astronomical shows are held on held on all weekday expect Mondays. ¤ ¤ Request Quote For Tour ¤ ¤ Indian Museum : Constructed in 1875, the Indian Museum is the largest and one of finest museums in India. Built the Italian style of architecture, the museum has six sections namely : Art, Archeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Industry (Economic Botany) sections. Being one of the oldest museums of the country, the Indian Museum has a rare collection of antiques including more than 54000 coins, some are more than 2400 years old. Eden Garden : Situated in the north-west corner of the city, Eden Garden is world's one of the biggest cricketing ground.

Supposed to be the largest in Asia, Eden Gardens has a seating capacity of more than one lakh spectators. Alipore Zoological Garden : Popularly known as Chidiakhana, Alipore Zoological Garden is situated adjacent to the National Library at Belvedre Road. Here you can see a variety of animal species such as Lions, tigers, zirraf and avian species as well. Dalhousie Square : Dalhousie Square is the administrative centre of Kolkata having a lake at its centre. Writer's building is the prime attraction here, which represents rare Gothic-style architecture. Writers' Building : Writer's build is located at the northern end of Dalhousie Square. Till the mid-19 th century, the building was the place of residence for the junior servants of the East India Company. Now the Writers building houses the Secretariat of West Bengal Government. Nakhoda Mosque : Kolkata's biggest mosque, Nakhoda Mosque is located on the Chitpur road. Nakohda Mosque was constructed in 1926 and its design was inspired from Akbar's tomb in Sikandra (Agra).

Built with red sandstone, the mosque has two 46 metres high minaret and an onion shaped dome. Nakhoda Mosque can accommodate around 10,000 people at a time. St.Paul's Cathedral : Situated on Chowringhee Road, St.Paul's Cathedral is the first Episcopal Cathedral Church to be erected in the eastern world. A must visit place in Kolkata, St.Paul's Cathedral is famous for its architecture and beautiful interiors. Fort William : Fort William is one of the most impressive edifice of British Raj in the city. Now the fort serves as main hub of the Indian army in Eastern India. Built of brick-and-mortar in the shape of an irregular octagon, the fort has six gates namely Chowringhee, Plassey, Calcutta, Water gate, St Georges and Treasury Gate. Fort William also has a museum with a fine collection of arms, armours, swords, muskets and machine guns. Marble Palace : Marble Palace is situated on C R Avenue at Muktaram Babu Street. The palace is constructed lavishly with Italian marble and has a superb collection of curios.

Tourist Attractions Around Kolkata Dakshinewar Temple : Dedicated to Goddess Kali, the temple lies at a distance of 12 km from the city centre. Set on the banks of the river Ganga, the magnificent temple is also known as Kalighat. An old temple, Dakshinewar Temple replete with sweeping curved roof, typical of the traditional bamboo and wood construction of West Bengal. Diamond Harbour : Diamond Harbour is situated at a distance of 48 kms from Kolkata. Set at the mouth of the Hoogly river, the Diamond Harbour is an ideal picnic spot. Sunderbans : Sunderbans Tiger Reserve is situated at a distance of 112 kms from Kolkata. World's largest mangrove forests and delta, Sunderbans houses the biggest colony of the Royal Bengal Tigers. You can also spot Chital Deer, Rhesus Monkey, Ridley Sea Turtle, King Cobra, Rock Python, Crocodiles Water Monitor and several other bird species here. Shantiniketan : A must see place for a tourist visiting Kolkata Shantiniketan is located 136 kms north-west of Kolkata.

Shantiniketan is the place where Rabindranath Tagore lived and established a university. Started as an experimental place open place of learning with a class room under the trees, Shantiniketan became the 'Vishva Bharati University' in 1921. Now Shantiniketan is a central university and offers various contemporary courses. Shopping in Kolkata For those who have value for their money, Kolkata can be describe as a paradise. All over the city there are a number of markets and shopping complexes where you can buy everything from A to Z. Visit New Market, one of oldest and most famous markets of the city, it offers shoes, clothes and several other items. Park Street, Jawahar Lal Nehru Road, Shakespeare Sarani, Camac Street, Chowringhee Road, Dakshinapan Shopping Complex and Russel Street area are other famous shopping spots of the city. Here you will find numerous eating joints, multi-cuisine restaurants, bookstores and music stores. Charnock City at satellite township of Salt Lake is an air-conditioned shopping complex and it houses a number of shops dealing in various items.

Rail - India - For Australian exporters - Austrade Trends and opportunities The market Indian Railways (IR) is a state-owned enterprise operated by the Ministry of Railways and is the fourth largest rail network in the world. The Railway Board, under the Ministry of Railways, is the decision making body for all rail projects, governing 17 zones across India, as well as a number of subsidiaries. In recent years IR has launched various schemes to attract private investment and participation, such as: special freight train operator scheme automobile freight train operator scheme wagon investment scheme. Major projects include: development and modernisation of stations dedicated freight corridors (DFC) is one the biggest projects and is funded by two multilateral agencies, the World Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) development of metro rail in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Kolkata manufacture of rolling stock. Rapid Transit projects in India are based around metro, monorail and light rail systems. The first rapid transit system in India was the Kolkata Metro, which commenced operation in 1984. The Delhi Metro was India's first modern metro, which started operation in 2002.

Rapid Metro Rail Gurgaon which commenced operation in April 2013 is India's first privately owned and operated metro. The government, as part of its urban transport policy, will support metro networks across cities that have a population of two million and above. Metro rail has become one of the defining features in urban planning of Indian cities. As per the twelfth five year plan (2012-17) of the Planning Commission, the government has estimated the investment required for metro projects to be around US$27 billion. Major metro projects are under construction in Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Kochi. Projects in second tier cities like Chandigarh, Pune and Indore are at the planning stage (Source: Ministry of Urban Development, India, Metro Projects , 11 Aug 2014). The Mumbai Monorail is India’s first monorail in India, which became operational in December 2013. The Kerala Monorail project is the second major monorail project launched in the country.

Opportunities The key drivers for growth in India for Australian companies in the rail sector are network and capacity expansion for passenger and freight, modernisation and training and skills development to support the new expansion of the railways. Niche areas where Australian expertise is highly regarded, like heavy haul, rail safety, training and signalling. Consultancy and project management services for the civil and systems related contracts. Power supply, signalling and communication, automatic train control systems, track laying and fare collection systems. Supply of safety equipment and services. Supply of energy efficiency products and technologies and cleantech related consultancy services. Rolling stock engineering expertise and components to the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Delivery of onshore and offshore training programs in area of heavy haul operations, maintenance and adoption of new systems e.g. freight scheduling Collaborative research in signalling, safety, freight movement, wayside track monitoring systems, etc. Competitive environment International companies from the United States, Canada, Europe and China are actively involved in rail sector projects in India. International OEM’s like Bombardier, Mitsubishi, Hyundai-Rotem, Hitachi, Alstom and Siemens have relationships with Indian Railways through direct supply and joint venture partnerships.

Alstom has affiliations with Indian public sector undertakings like Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) for manufacturing locomotives and high speed transport projects. Bombardier Transportation is a major supplier of metro coaches for the Delhi Metro Project. Other international companies involved in rail sector projects in India include Atkins Global, STS Rail, Interfleet Technology, AHL-TECH, SGS India, Parsons Brinckerhoff India Pty Ltd and Faively Rail Technologies India Ltd. Tariffs, regulations and customs The current legal framework under the Railways Act 1989 allows private railway systems in all forms. However, the government policy articulated under the Industrial Policy Resolution of 1991, reserves railway transportation for the public sector. Railway operation can only be handled by the public sector. All other activities such as design, construction, financing and maintenance can be undertaken through private participation. The Railway Board constituted under the Railway Board Act, 1905 is a railway regulator. The tariff policy for Railways is fixed by the Railway Board. Indian Railways is managed through 17 Railway Administrations which are legal entities. In addition there are six ports and other railway entities.

These railway systems are members of the Indian Railway Conference Association, a body which deals with issues of inter railway movement of wagons and locomotives such as the levy of hire charges for use of rolling stock belonging to other railways. Marketing your products and services Market Entry Most rail projects are tendered by the relevant project authority and Australian companies can participate in these tenders. These tenders are publicly released on the websites of the project authorities. Some Australian companies have executed pilot projects to demonstrate technology across verticals, such as energy efficiency, fire safety and rail safety. This has led to adoption of the technology and follow on contracts. Sub-contracting opportunities are available with foreign, Indian private and government owned companies. Local representation either as an agent, distributor, manufacturing partner or associate is a business requirement. This is a significant advantage for tenders, achieving cost competitiveness and meeting local requirements. It is advisable to visit the market regularly to meet with Indian companies and key decision makers, attend and participate in targeted events. These are good opportunities to understand the Indian market, increase your company profile and build relationships. Companies seeking to enter the market need to be willing to take a long term view of the market as decisions, especially in Indian Railways projects can take a long time.

Due to the autonomous nature of DFC and metro project authorities, decision making is less bureaucratic. Companies need to be prepared to move quickly once decisions to proceed are taken, as time frames for responding are usually tight. Austrade India has prepared a procurement guide for Indian Railways, DFC project and Metro Projects which can be shared on request and can facilitate partner identification and selection. Trade events International Rail Equipment Exhibition , 14 to 16 October 2015, New Delhi Major international rail events from the Indian rail industry are listed on the Rail Serve website . Links and industry contacts Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR) Please note: This list of websites and resources is not definitive. Inclusion in this list does not imply endorsement by Austrade. The information provided is a guide only. The content is for information and carries no warranty; as such, the addressee must exercise their own discretion in its use. Australia’s anti-bribery laws apply overseas and Austrade will not provide business related services to any party who breaches the law and will report credible evidence of any breach. For further information, please see foreign bribery information and awareness pack.

Contact details The Australian Trade and Investment Commission – Austrade – contributes to Australia's economic prosperity by helping Australian businesses, education institutions, tourism operators, governments and citizens as they: develop international markets strengthen Australia's tourism industry seek consular and passport services. Working in partnership with Australian state and territory governments, Austrade provides information and advice that can help Australian companies reduce the time, cost and risk of exporting. We also administer the Export Market Development Grant Scheme and offer a range of services to Australian exporters in growth and emerging markets. For more information on how Austrade can assist you, contact us on: Australia ph: 13 28 78 | Email: info@austrade.gov.au A list of Austrade offices (in alphabetical order of country) is also available. Additional Information Free Trade Agreements Increased trade creates more Australian jobs and delivers more opportunities for Australian businesses. Find out about how you can take advantage of Australia's North Asia Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).

Chennai becomes sixth Indian city with metro railway - BBC News BBC News Chennai becomes sixth Indian city with metro railway 29 June 2015 Image copyright others Image caption Chennai is the sixth Indian city to have the metro A metro rail service has been launched in the southern Indian city of Chennai, making it the sixth Indian city to get the service. The 10km (6.2-mile) stretch of elevated track has seven stations and connects Alandur to Koyambedu. The journey takes 15 minutes - the metro is expected to ease traffic congestion. The construction is part of a proposed 45km (27-mile) network which is due to be completed by 2015. Chennai is the sixth Indian city to have the metro after Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Mumbai and Jaipur. The Chennai metro was inaugurated on Monday by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha. The first train was driven by a 28-year-old woman, A Preethi, an engineering diploma holder, reports say.

"I am excited, my daughter's dream of becoming a loco pilot (driver) of Metro Rail has come true," Ms Preethi's father R Anbu told Press Trust of India news agency. "She quit her first job, applied for a job in Chennai metro rail, and she was the first woman to get selected. Three other women joined as pilots after her and I am happy that she was successful," he said. The 45km (27 miles)-long, 32-station service will eventually run on two corridors in the city: Washermenpet to Chennai Airport and Chennai Central to St Thomas Mount. A journalist tweeted about her first experience on the service: Image copyright Twitter

Question: Kolkata Metro is what nation's famous first metro/underground railway network?
Answer: India