Challenge 1

Q1) For any developing economy it becomes imperative to provide it's citizens a more convinient, cheaper and efficient mode of intra-city transport so that people living in the city can commute effectively. This gives rise to creation of various job opportunities, various economic hot spot flourish. With metro rail, travel time of the citizen reduces, comfort increases which adds in productivity of that particular individual.

The basic differences between a convcentional and metro rail system is that conventional rail system is meant for the communication and transportation of people and goods all across the country while metro is meant for intra-city services. Moreover metro rail system is a type of rapid transit system with which aims to facilitates its serevices inside the city at relatively sdhorter distances while at the same time conventional rail system facilitates its services on longer routes.

	Metro rail	Conventional rail
Definition	A metro is a train that is specifically designed to run in metropolitan cities and has independent rail tracks	An effective mode of transportation for traveling distances within the city and connecting its suburbs and runs on laid tracks of rails that can be shared by freight trains or other long distance trains
Frequency	Comparatively more	Comparatively Less
Seats	Comparatively less	Comparatively more
Length	Shorter	greater
Rails	Generally independent	Generally, shares rails with other rail borne transport systems
Tracks	Can be underground or elevated too	Generally, in the ground level

2. The course depicts the data regarding the operational and upcoming metro rail projects of India with reference to the statistics of latest by August 2019. Research and provide the current statistics of metro rail operations in India. At the end you can identify the necessary of metro rail transit system followed by you will be able to resonate/analyze the feasibility of metro rail to one’s own city.

List of Operational & Under Construction Metro Projects in India

CITY & STATE	OPERATIONAL NETWORK	UNDER CONSTRUCTION NEW ROUTES	APPROVED NEW ROUTES	PROPOSED NEW ROUTES	START DATE
Agra Metro, Uttar Pradesh	0 km	11.90 km	17.50	0 km	N/A
Ahmedabad Metro, Gujarat	37.9 km	21.4 km	7.41 km	0 km	6 March, 2019
Bangalore Metro, Karnataka	55.6 km	115.86 km	0 km	105.55 km	20 October, 2011
Bhopal Metro, Madhya Pradesh	0 km	6.22 km	21.65 km	77.13 km	N/A
Chennai Metro, Tamil Nadu	54.1 km	83.90 km	35 km	15.30 km	29 June, 2015
Delhi Metro, Delhi-NCR	349 km	66.98 km	0 km	57.3 km	24 December, 2002
Gurgaon Rapid Metro, Haryana	12.1 km	0 km	0 km	200 km	14 November, 2013
Hyderabad Metro, Telangana	67 km	0 km	0 km	63 km	29 November, 2017
Indore Metro, Madhya Pradesh	0	16.23 km	15.31 km	57.18	N/A
Jaipur Metro, Rajasthan	11.98 km	0 km	0 km	26.36 km	3 June, 2015
Kanpur Metro, Uttar Pradesh	8.73 km	22.58 km	0 km	8.6 km	29 December, 2021
Kochi Metro, Kerala	26.8 km	1.1 km	12.36 km	0 km	19 June, 2017
Kolkata Metro, West Bengal	47.85 km	47.72 km	28.2 km	15.7 km	24 October, 1984
Lucknow Metro, Uttar Pradesh	22.90 km	0 km	0 km	85 km	6 September, 2016
Meerut Metro, Uttar Pradesh	0 km	20 km	0 km	15 km	N/A
Mumbai Metro, Maharashtra	46.50 km	133.9 km	21.29 km	136.40 km	8 June, 2014
Nagpur Metro, Maharashtra	38.22 km	0 km	48.30 km	0 km	8 March, 2019
Navi Mumbai Metro, Maharashtra	0 km	11.10 km	0 km	95.30 km	N/A
Noida Metro, Uttar Pradesh	29.70 km	0 km	14.95 km	70 km	25 January, 2019
Patna Metro, Bihar	0 km	22.1 km	8.8 km	0 km	N/A
Pune Metro, Maharashtra	10.35 km	58.23 km	4.41 km	26.46 km	6 March, 2022
Surat Metro, Gujarat	0 km	41.93 km	0 km	0 km	N/A

List of Approved Metro, Metrolite & Metro Neo Projects in India

CITY & STATE	NETWORK LENGTH	APPROVAL DATE	TOTAL COST
Gorakhpur Metrolite Uttar Pradesh	27.41 km	October 2020	Rs. 4,672 crore
Kozhikode Metrolite, Kerala	13.13 km	February 2021	Rs. 4,673 crore
Nashik Metro Neo, Maharashtra	32 km	August 2019	Rs. 2100
Trivandrum Metro, Kerala	21.82 km	February 2021	Rs. 2,773 crore

List of Proposed Metro / Metrolite / Metro Neo Projects in India

Each Indian city and town has a large number of proposed new lines, most of which will never see the light of the day. The following table lists out cities / towns with with serious proposals that could possibly materialize as light rail (Metrolite) and be built in the next 10 years.

CITY & STATE	PROPOSED NETWORK LENGTH
Aurangabad Metrolite, Maharashtra	TBD
Bangalore Metrolite, Karnataka	60 km
Bhavnagar Metrolite / Metro Neo, Gujarat	TBD
Chennai Metrolite, Tamil Nadu	15.50 km
Coimbatore Metro, Tamil Nadu	136 km
Delhi Metrolite, Delhi	40.88 km
Guwahati Metro, Assam	61.40 km
Jamnagar Metrolite / MetroNeo, Gujarat	TBD
Jammu Metro, J&K UT	43.50 km
Mathura Metrolite, Uttar Pradesh	12 km
Prayagraj Metro, Uttar Pradesh	42 km
Raipur Metro, Chhattisgarh	TBD
Rajkot Metrolite / Metro Neo, Gujarat	TBD
Srinagar Metro, J&K UT	25 km
Uttarakhand Metro, Uttarakhand	58 km
Vadodara Metrolite / Metro Neo, Gujarat	TBD
Varanasi Metro, Uttar Pradesh	29.235 km
Vijayawada Metro, Andhra Pradesh	66.2 km
Visakhapatnam Metro, Andhra Pradesh	79.91 km
Warangal Metro Neo, Telangana	17 km

Besides the above cities, metro projects are proposed in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Jabalpur, Ranchi, Hubli, Mathura, Dholera, Thane, Gwalior, Bareilly, Dehradun, Bhubaneswar, Mysore, and Mangalore.

3.Why DMRC is the busiest metro in India. Apart from the points mentioned in the course video. You can find several interesting facts on the internet. Please research and provide your learnings.

Delhi Metro is the largest and busiest rapid transit system in India connecting the country’s capital region with satellite cities. The Delhi Metro project became the first railway project in the world to be certified for carbon credits for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by the United Nations in 2011. DMRC saved 112.5GW of power by using regenerative brakes in the trains and reduced carbon emissions by 630,000t a year.

Delhi Metro was conceived to alleviate traffic congestion in the city providing the commuters with a faster and eco-friendly transportation alternative. Delhi Metro currently comprises a network of 389km with 285 stations and stretches to Noida and Ghaziabad in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and Gurgaon, Faridabad, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh in the state of Haryana. Construction works to build the rail mass transit system began in October 1998, following more than 40 years of studies. Phases one and two of the Delhi metro were fully-operational by January 2013.

Funding principally came from a Japanese loan and equity infusion by Indian public funds.

Delhi Metro was designed to be integrated with other public transport. DMRC signed an agreement with bus operator Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to integrate management and through-ticketing.In March 2010, DMRC partnered with Google India (through Google Transit) to provide train schedule and route information to mobile devices with Google Maps. The free service allows commuters to get the latest service information and plan their journeys.

Overall, Delhi Metro system features a combination of underground, at-grade, and elevated stations. 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.

DMRC has also deployed roof-top solar power plants at many stations. In phase one, a total of 58 stations across three lines were built. Another 85 stations were constructed under phase two.

4.What are the components of a Metro rail? Explain briefly about the concepts of the components?

From Civil Engineering point of view the components of a Metro rail are just like other Railway tracks like rail for running the metro train and to place those rail , proper base and subbase required . Again for the viaduct its placed upon bridge structure which consists of Deck, Girder, Pier , Pier Cap , Bearing, Abutment , Pile , Pile Cap etc.

5.Elevated metro or Underground metro which metro rail system shall be preferred? Justify your choice of the system.

Ans : Underground metro is quite costly. Excavating the land and building underground terminals is not advised unless it is very much needed due to location constraints like any historical place getting damages or large scale displacement of petty business people. The cost forebodes this as an option. Ground level Metro is cheaper but such a space may not be available in a city. All Metro projects come in highly developed cities. Where will you find such space in a developed city to build Metro? Therefore space constraint negates this option. Therefore, the only practical option left is to build Elevated Corridor using existing road network and space for laying pillars. Practically, Metro Project will be a combination of these three options with roughly 70% on elevated corridor, 20% ground level and 10% underground level.

6.What is a Design Basis Report (DBR)? In which phase of a project a DBR is prepared?

Design Basis report (DBR) is the preliminary document which is to be prepared initially in every project. -DBR is the Set of conditions, needs, and requirements taken into account in designing a project.It contains all the specifications like design,materials with relevant clause IRC, IRS, IS code etc.

7.What is significance of a DBR of an elevated metro?

The Basis of Design (BOD) is a very important document for every project. The basis of design or project design basis provides all the principles, business expectations, criteria, considerations, rationale, special requirements, and assumptions used for decisions and calculations required during the design stage. So, a basis of design is a project baseline and overview to kickstart the project activities.

The basis of design for any project serves several important purposes like

1. It documents the major process and assumptions behind specific decisions.
2. A BOD concisely captures the owner’s requirements and vision into technical terms and design parameters.
3. For the commissioning team, BOD is a very important document to evaluate the ability of a design.
4. The BOD provides a listing of all major design decisions.
5. This is the document that provides a technical document providing the thought process of design professionals for developing the plant.
6. A project basis of design helps in calculating the life cycle cost analysis.

8.In the planning of metro project, what are the chronology of activities before the construction?

Ans: i) Site Survey and Geotechnical Surveying ,ii) Feasibility Study ,iii) Preparation of preliminary and Structural Drawing, iv) Budgeting, v) Tendering, vi) Bidding, vii) Scrutiny, viii) LOI, ix) Mobilization of materials.

9.What is topographical survey? Why it is necessary for the metro rail project?

Topographical surveys provide detailed, accurate information and comprehensive data that helps eliminate risks and the likelihood of failure once the construction or excavation project begins. Just like underground utility mapping, it prevents unnecessary expenses and delays. It also ensures there is no major setback during the construction phase.

For the metro rail project, it is very important to carry out the feasibility study like width of river, discharge and HFL , depth of river bed for foundation. Again as per the challenges , foundation or layout is to be shifted or changed.

10.What are the hindrances that could be there whilst planning to connect any to two stations in a city during metro construction?

Presence of any utility services which can not be shifted or interrupted for the new construction is the main hindrance. Moreover, adequate width of road (in case of station being in the middle of road), Availability of land for locating entry exit structures Parking and Dispersal facilities, DG set, Fire water tank, ventilation shafts and minimal property acquisition are some of the other challenges which are faced while fixing the location of the station. Inter station distance to be about 1-km. Stations are not located on gradients, and are always to be on horizontal alignment. Alignment should be straight to the extent possible, in case the station must be located on curves due to other pressing demands, the curve should not be sharper than 1000-m radius. Although stations are preferred to be close to road intersection, the effort is to locate them not directly over the intersection so that the station structure does not hamper the flow of traffic.

11.What are underground utilities which would be there existing under the ground level. Also mention some other utilities apart from the ones mentioned in the course.

1. Telephone Lines
2. Water and Gas Supply lines
3. Power Cables
4. Internet Cables
5. Underground drain etc.

12.Mention in detail about the solutions a designer would be suggesting as the challenges of underground utilities.

Underground utility detection and protection is a crucial aspect of site planning and construction. It involves identifying and locating the existing pipes, cables, and other infrastructure that run beneath the ground, and ensuring that they are not damaged or disrupted by the construction activities. In this article, we will explore some of the main challenges and risks of underground utility protection during construction, and how to overcome them with best practices and technologies.

In common practices, sometime pile arrangement is changed. Again change of alignment can also be adopted. Once the underground utilities are detected and verified, they need to be protected from damage during construction. To ensure this, it is important to mark the utility locations on the ground and on the site plans, using standard colors and symbols, and communicating them to all workers and stakeholders involved. Additionally, safe zones or buffer areas should be established around the utilities, and any digging or drilling should only be done with proper authorization and supervision. To further protect the utilities, appropriate tools and techniques for excavation should be used, such as hand digging, soft digging, or trenchless methods, while following relevant regulations and standards. Moreover, monitoring and inspecting the utilities regularly during construction is essential, as well as reporting any changes or damages immediately. Finally, restoring and repairing the utilities and the surface after construction should be done and records and maps should be updated accordingly.

13.What is known as feeding of U-girders and how it is launched during construction?

The Transporter carries the U-girder from one designated point and moves forward on rails laid on the already erected U-girders to further add more U-girders from the feeding point which is called as feeding of U-girders.

In the earlier phases of construction, erection of U-girders was done with the help of two cranes which were placed at each pier location, and the U-girders were transported at each pier location with the help of a long trailer .

14.What are advantages of precast girders in an elevated metro? Explain in detail about the how it is efficient over the cast in-situ girders?

Precast concrete has distinct advantages over cast in situ construction. As the elements are already cast and cured requiring only installation, site activities are reduced to minimal, saving significant site activity time. Being a casting yard made product using same moulds in same environment, the elements are nearly uniform adding to aesthetics. Further, quality control and curing of elements is much better and easier in casting yard in comparison to cast-in-situ construction resulting in more durable end product. With proper planning, precast construction is more economical in overall scenario. In addition, as casting is done in yard where environment pollution control can be done more effectively and due to minimum site activities resulting in less noise and pollution at actual site of work, precast construction is more environmentally friendly option. Further, this also results in more convenience to public during the construction phase.