Experts share experiences, learnings from already operational Metro projects The workshop will help finalize draft report on O&M for Metro-3.
Mumbai, April 29, 2015 – The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation – conducted a one-day workshop which aimed at examining various options available for Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro-3 corridor which is expected to be rolled out in 2020.
The workshop was aimed at exploring suitable and appropriate O&M strategies. In this regard, various administrative, statutory, technical, legal and financial challenges were deliberated upon.
“While the traffic scenario on roads in a city like Mumbai necessitates mass transit modes, we have to look at alternatives available to operate and maintain them. We also have to look at what type of mode is safe, financially viable and efficient. Worldwide metros are operated and maintained privately and by government. However, we have to analyze what suits our conditions and take the crucial decision. I think today’s workshop will help us take such an informed decision”, said Mr.UPS Madan, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA.
The Consultants, JIC-Padeco-Tokyo Development, examined merits and demerits of metro operations controlled in-house vis-a-vis outsourced. “There are various options which are adopted to run metro operations world over. A few metros are operated and maintained entirely by government and a few others are by private parties. The intent of the workshop was to consider and examine which options could be suitable to operate Metro-3 and other upcoming metro projects in the country. The workshop in that sense was very useful and will prove to be a guiding factor for us”, opined Ms.Ashwini Bhide, MD, MMRC.
The presentation made by Mr.Vikas Kumar, Executive Director, DMRC, elaborated the very point. The Delhi Metro is completely operated and maintained in-house and is third in world (behind Hong Konk and Rio The Janeiro Metro Rails) as far as the revenue making is concerned after deducting the operation and maintenance costs. Interestingly, the Delhi Metro is supplemented by Gurgaon’s Rapid Metro Rail of which operations and maintenance are completely outsourced and is very successful in its support system.
The one-day workshop also presented case studies of Metro Rail Corporations from Bangalore, Chennai, Navi Mumbai Metro. While the Bangalore Metro Rail already follows the DMRC model as far as operations and maintenance are concerned and haven’t outsourced crucial activities, the Chennai Metro Rail Corporation has recently deviated from outsourcing and is operating in-house. In-house operations and maintenance are cost saving and remain under control was the general consensus. The Hyderabad Metro Rail Corporation too echoed the same view.
The rake manufacturers Hitachi and Bombardier also participated in the day long workshop and showcased their practices, processes and systems. They expressed the importance of life cycle costs of rolling stock and how a long term maintenance contract can help obsolescence management.
The workshop, as expected, threw up enough options for the decision makers to study, evaluate and decide the way forward.
The workshop was attended by organizations such as Japan External Trade Organization, Metro Rail Corporations of Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Nagpur, CIDCO, BEST, MEGA Company Ltd., Ahmadabad etc.