Suggestions for Pune Metro Rail for the meeting proposed on 13th March 10 in MCCIA’s office

V. K. J. RANE – IRSE (Retd.) Ex-M.D./IRCON
F-5, 2nd floor, 48/49 Grafikon Paradise, NIBM Road, Kondhwa Khurd, Pune - 411 048
Tel: (020) 2685 4132, Mobile: 093710 05396 Email: vkjrane1930@hotmail.com
Website: http://vkjrane1930.blogspot.com/

Date – 9th March 2010
To
Mr. Kishori Gadre
Janvani / MCCIA
Pune

Sub – Suggestions for Pune Metro Rail for the meeting proposed on 13th March 10 in MCCIA’s office

I would like to make the following suggestions in connection with the presentation to the Govt. of Maharashtra regarding Pune Metro Rail Planning

1. The hurriedly approved DPR proposal for Pune Metro Rail, by the Standing Committee and the General Body of PMC & forwarded to the Govt. of Maharashtra, recommending the DPR Proposal of DMRC, should be withdrawn on priority, as the same is Defective, Deficient, Technically lacking in wisdom, logic and usefulness and did not have the approval of the citizens of Pune, who have strongly objected to the same, being not in the larger interest of the Pune Citizens, and hence needs a complete review a fresh
2. The planning of the mass transit rail based system for Pune City, should take into consideration, the Master Development Plan for future rail based (surface) connectivity along the areas developed on the out skirts of the Pune city along the proposed Ring Road System, with radial connectivity to the heart of the city, preferably underground, with a common underground centralized metro rail station at Swargate, for easy connectivity to the bus route system, terminating at Swargate on the surface.
3. PMC, in association with, ‘Janvani and MCCIA’ (newly formed platform for integrated Mass Transit System for the city) should identify a new study team (Company) for planning the above Rail based Mass Transit System, with proper integration with the surface BRTS & other surface corridors, planned for the city, by identifying detailed scope of study, with detailed terms of reference, period for preparation of DPR and the fees therefore.
4. This new company should have adequate experience of planning and construction of Rail Base Metro Rail System and should identify the members of the field team with the name of their leader in the field, as well the leader in the corporate office along with their CV exhibiting the individual’s expertise in the field.
5. This field leader should indicate the methodology of its work and the sub systems to be investigated in the preparation of the DPR and co-ordinate with the citizens represented through ‘Janvani / MCCIA’ and PMC and other experts in the relevant Govt. departments affected by the proposed planning, with record of minutes of discussions and conclusions arrived at.
6. This team should investigate the technical feasibility and the techno-economic merits of the various alternatives of Mass Transit Systems including a BG with indigenous wider coaches, with reasons for recommendations and rejections
7. The traffic study to be carried by this new team/company, should be done in consultation with the traffic experts of the city and indicate the traffic densities along various routes and decide the priorities for the various corridors of the metro rail systems proposed.
8. The metro rail system proposed should also take into consideration, the technical feasibility and the techno-economic merits of the BG system with wider indigenous coaches with improvements as necessary and planning for a maximum of 3min service with the minimum of 8 to 10 coaches train length for future expansion for 100 years capacity life requirements
9. The financial analysis of FIRR and EIRR should be based for a longer period of a least 60 years for an underground proposal which will have initial increase capital cost, but will save lot of other costs of inconvenience and demolition and bridge construction etc. for a surface corridor including absence of land acquisition and demolition of trees, diversion of existing underground and overhead utility services etc.
10. The analysis should incorporate the assessment of viability gap funding (VGF) subsidy necessary on a PPP model and should prepare a complete bar chart / CPM chart of the recommended proposal for implementation and management and operations of the system. The cost should be prepared as applicable to Pune City and based on the present cost of various items of work and with provision of standards for stations as now proposed in DMRC report with further improvements if any. The existing defects in the track layout planning of the DMRC report resulting in unsafe reverse curves on the approaches of stations should be eliminated.
11. The team should prepare the layouts of typical UG stations and the layout for circulating areas at various stations, with provisions of facilities for easy movement of commuters as well as vehicles approaching and going away from such stations, with proper integrated planning for the UG bus systems connectivity at such stations.
12. The cost of such passenger facilities in the circulating areas of the stations should be assessed and become a part of the overall project cost of the metro rail system
13. The existing proposal of a duplicate elevated rail corridor between PCMC & PMC should be eliminated and in lieu a separate proposal for a dedicated rail based suburban surface corridor between Lonavala & Pune adjoining the existing main line rail corridor with further extension of the suburban system from Pune to Daund, with future provision for a 3min headway service, should be planned, by approaching the Indian Railways and the planning, designing and the costs thereof, should be done by Indian Railways, through MRVC (Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation) by sharing 50:50 cost with Indian Railways as is being done by Govt. of Maharashtra and Indian Railways for Mumbai Suburban Section.
14. The Monorail System, is costlier than Metro Rail system based on cost per unit carrying capacity and need to be adopted where
a. Metro rail system cannot be provided
b. For short distance non peak travel needs
c. Connectivity with areas like airport to suburban train destinations / bus terminals where luggage more than 1.5kg is required to be carried by passengers (unlike that restricted on the metro rail systems). In fact in the non peak hours for the metro rail system, this restrictions should be removed to facilitate connectivity of Monorail with Metro rail systems.

With warm regards
V K J Rane – IRSE (Retd) Ex-MD/IRCON