Alstom has been awarded a contract worth approximately €315 million (US$365.2m) to supply 248 metro cars for Mumbai Metro Line 3, a 33.5-kilometre-long underground stretch connecting the busiest and congested regions in Mumbai. The metro line will connect the Cuffe Parade business district in the extreme south of the city to SEEPZ (Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone) in the north-central, with 26 underground stations and one at street level. Line 3 will be the first underground metro line in Mumbai and will be one of the biggest underground continuous stretches in India.

 

This contract is the biggest rolling stock contract for Alstom in India in the urban sector, and comprises the design, delivery and commissioning of 31 lightweight, fully-furnished modern passenger train sets of eight cars each. Alstom will also be responsible for training operating and maintenance staff for the Mumbai Metro Line 3 system. 

 

It is also the first time that the metro cars will have 75 per cent motorisation, as stipulated in the Ministry of Urban Development’s guidelines, enabling quick acceleration and deceleration thereby bringing about greater efficiency in operations. The trains will be also equipped with a regenerative braking system that will lead to a significant reduction in carbon emissions. In addition to the above features, it will be the first UTO (Unattended Train Operation) project in Mumbai and second in India after Delhi Line L7/8.

 

Easing Mumbai’s transport challenges

 

While the complete designing and development of the metro cars will be undertaken out of Alstom’s Bangalore engineering centre, the 248 metro cars will be manufactured at its state-of-the-art rolling stock manufacturing unit at Sri City in Chennai.

 

Alain Spohr, Managing Director, Alstom India and South Asia, said: “We are delighted to be the partner of choice for the prestigious Mumbai Metro Line 3 project. By providing reliable, advanced and competitive transportation solutions, we are committed to support our customer in easing Mumbai’s transport challenges. With the project stipulating 75 per cent manufacturing in India, this contract has further reinforced our commitment to invest, grow and Make in India.”

 

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region is one of the fastest growing regions in India and Line 3 will be a game changer. Connecting Mumbai’s key financial hubs such as Nariman Point, Bandra-Kurla-Complex and CS International Airport, the sub-terrestrial line will bring much-needed relief to the strained surface transport network and increase mobility across the region. 

 

Alstom is currently executing metro projects in several Indian cities, including Chennai, Kochi and Lucknow where it is supplying rolling stock manufactured at its Sri City facility.