DNA EXCLUSIVE: Alstom outbids Chinese firm to bag Mumbai Metro 3 contract for 248 coaches by 2022

French multinational Alstom has outbid the Chinese publicly traded rolling stock (metro coaches) manufacturer CRRC Corporation to bag a contract worth 315 million euros from the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) for the 33.5-km Metro 3 between Cuffe Parade & SEEPZ.

The company will supply 248 Metro cars. There are 31 lightweight, fully-furnished modern passenger trains of eight cars each. The formal contract was signed on Monday in the presence of MMRC Managing Director, Ashwini Bhide.

Alstom MD (India and South Asia), Alain Spohr told DNA, "The first train sets will arrive in Mumbai in 2020, and deliveries for all train sets will be completed mid-2022. The designing and development of the Metro cars will be undertaken out of Alstom's Bangalore engineering centre while state of the art rolling stock will be manufactured at Sri City unit near Chennai. The company will also train MMRC personnel."

Spohr said trains will have a special feature of 40 per cent regenerative energy generated during brakes for captive use. "Reduction in emissions on implementation of the project are expected to be one lakh tonne CO2 emissions per annum at the beginning. Metro 3 will be a 100 per cent electricity-driven system, leading to zero carbon emission. Moreover, 25kV AC traction with regenerative braking system will be used to save energy costs and generate electricity that can be used at other metro stations," he said.

Alstom has emerged the lowest bidder, too, for the signaling system for Metro and hoped to get the contract for the same.

Further, Alstom will bid for the upcoming opportunities in Maharashtra, which includes supply of rolling stock for Metro 2 connecting Dahisar to DN Nagar to Mankhurd and Metro 7 connecting Andheri and Dahisar, and Pune Metro.

According to Spohr, the company will also bid for Metro opportunities in Bengaluru, and also for signaling. "In metro and signaling, there is an investment potential of 1 billion euros in India. Alstom will expand its manufacturing capacity of Sri City and Coimbatore if required to supply rolling stocks and traction components. It will be truly Make In India," he noted.

Spohr said Alstom wants to continue its winning streak in India in the fields of metro, locomotives, signalling, power supply and traction.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

• The company will supply 248 metro cars. There are 31 lightweight, fully furnished modern passenger trains of 8 cars each