Our Bureau

In talks with Reliance Energy for Mumbai Metro project

Ramesh Sharma
DR E. SREEDHARAN, Managing Director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, flanked by Dr Marc Kaddoura (left), President & CEO, VAE GmbH, and Mr J.P. Chowdhary, former President, CII, at a national seminar on Mass Rapid Transit System in the Capital on Friday. — Ramesh Sharma

New Delhi , July 21

Swiss firm Stadler Rail Group, Austrian company Molinary Rail and Indian manufacturing firm Titagarh Wagons have entered into an agreement to supply rolling stock for the mass rapid transport system (MRTS) projects in the country.

At present, they are in talks with Reliance Energy for providing 16 rakes of four coaches each for the Mumbai Metro project, Mr Michele Molinary, Managing Shareholder, Molinary Rail told Business Line on the sidelines of the seminar on mass rapid transit system organised by CII.

Indigenous production

The plan is to develop a prototype in Europe and try indigenised production with Titagarh Wagons in a phased manner.

A consortium led by Reliance Energy Ltd (REL) of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group has recently won the Rs 2,356-crore contract for the first phase of the Mumbai Metro Rail project.

A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), consisting of REL and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), would execute the project on build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) basis for 35 years.

In final stages

"We are in talks with Reliance for providing rolling stock for the Mumbai Metro project.

"The alliance is being led by Stadler Rail Group," said Mr Molinary.

However, the exact contours of the agreement are yet to be finalised, he said.

Stadler Rail Group expects a turnover of 740 million Swiss Francs in 2006.

Meanwhile, Molinary is in the area of rail coach designing.

Mr Molinary also said that Molinary Group is in talks with Indian Railways' coaching units for providing coach designs.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu Business Line