Exclusive Interview | 59
Metro Projects
What are your future plans for extending Metro rail in Lucknow?
In the near future, LMRC will be taking up the 11 km East – West Corridor from Charbagh to Vasant Kunj as part of the Phase 1B of the future Metro Rail Project expansion in Lucknow.
How Lucknow Metro proves itself to be different than the other Metro Systems in the country?
Lucknow Metro is the fastest ever Metro project implemented in the Country. The 8.5 kms of the‘ Priority Stretch’ has been completed and made operational for public in less than three year which is a record in itself. No other Metro Project has even been able to achieve this feat in the past. Even contemporary Metro projects in the country have also not been able to match up with the speed of deliverance in the country as compared with LMRC’ s strength in project execution within such a stiff target date and the sanctioned budget.
At Awadh Rotary, Lucknow Metro has launched a 60 meter special steel span bridge crossing the rotary over a statue in the middle of the rotary. This bridge which has been built at a height of approximately 13 meters above the ground connects both the ends of the Metro viaduct to provide a special seamless connectivity for Metro train operation.
LMRC has been ensuring from day one of its construction activity that its every endeavour is eco-friendly so as to keep the city green and lively. Lucknow Metro has been ensuring an environment friendly mass rapid transport for the public from the first day of its inception.
Lucknow Metro is taking several energy conservation measures, such as, the use of regenerative braking in the trains which will result in saving of 30 to 35 per cent traction energy, thereby resulting in reduction in emission of Green House Gases( GHG), use of 1 % criteria for underground stations in the AC system for the stations, using Variable Voltage Variable Frequency( VVVF) drive for all lifts and escalators, provision of LED lights at stations, use of energy efficient equipment for Environmental Control System( ECS) and Tunnel Ventilation System( TVS) system for the underground station etc.
Currently, 1.5 MW – 2MW of electricity has been planned by Lucknow Metro to be used from the roof mounted photo voltaic cells on train stabling and inspection line sheds under the RESCO model. Because of all these novel measures, society will be able to recover the entire investment cost of the project in 5 years, its Economic Rate of Return( ERR) of the Project being 19.46 %.
Once fully operational across Lucknow, do you think Lucknow Metro will provide a boost to the IT development in Uttar Pradesh?
The Metro project will link the major localities of the city thus reducing commuting time from hours to minutes. It will also ease congestion and encroachment, a problem which has assumed a massive proportion in the recent years. The Metro Project is also expected to reduce the cost of travel. Boosting the transport and infrastructure is expected to attract more companies and services to the city bolstering the employment prospects and thus it is expected to get a boost in IT sector also.
At Mawaiya Railway Crossing, LMRC has constructed a special balanced cantilever span of 255 meters( central span 105 meters; end spans of 75 meters each). This is one of the most challenging and a critical job which has been executed at a height of 21.5 meters above the ground level while passing over 12 railway tracks at a height of 15.2 meters under extremely difficult situations. It is one of the rarest feats achieved for any Metro project in the country. www. railanalysis. com