Export of Chinese HSR

Export of Chinese HSR

Seven years ago, high speed rail were words unknown in China; but now the country is pioneering in constructing some of the world’s largest as well as longest rail projects. The Shanghai-Beijing Rail Network is the best example of this. But, now, the Chinese are focusing on improving transport & infrastructure of other countries . This is important as China is making inroads into every Third World country. It will also promote diplomacy and goodwill between China and other counties.

A key advantage of Chinese high-speed train technology is that it is inexpensive, and exporting it could help growth in developing countries. A report said that unit costs in building the high-speed rail network were lower than for similar projects in other countries.

China initially bought trains and related equipment from foreign manufacturers, but its engineers later re-designed the machinery and succeeded in building their own trains capable of reaching top speeds between 350 and 400 kilometers per hour. Furthermore, the scale of domestic high-speed rail network construction has led to a decline in production costs for Chinese manufacturers, which has made them more competitive than their counterparts in places like Germany and France.

In an bid to increase its impact on European markets, China has been investing in countries which has been hit the most by the Financial Crisis of 2008 and/or 2012-13. The contract that CSR signed with Macedonia last month was its first in Europe. It marks the first attempt by China to sell high-speed locomotives abroad and establish itself as a credible rival to sector leaders such as Germany's Siemens, Canada's Bombardier and Japan's Kawasaki.

In terms of technology, China is currently using a strategy that has served the country well in various industries - technology transfer and reverse-engineering. Early competitors in the Chinese railway market like of Alstom, Bombardier etc. were required to form joint ventures or partnerships with Chinese manufacturers. Most were happy to oblige in return for access to a huge emerging HSR market. Still these foreign contractors would have been unable to predict just how quickly China would be able to adapt towards it, improvise upon it, re-innovate it and enter the international market for big contracts.

A recently inaugurated high-speed rail line in Turkey, which connect the country's largest city Istanbul and its capital Ankara, represents China's first major completed HSR project in a foreign market. This line might be the first international Chinese-assisted high-speed rail project to be completed, but it certainly won't be the last. The Chinese Government is having negotiations all over the world to bring Chinese technology and construction to planned HSR projects. And they are effectively using their main trump card- low cost.

The Chinese state can negotiate attractive export terms for its fully-owned HSR tech, a luxury not afforded to its European and Japanese rivals. "In other countries it is difficult to export all the technologies since they are controlled by different companies," said Ji Jialun, a professor at Beijing Jiaotong University's School of Traffic and Transportation, as quoted by China Economic Review. Right now, countries in which China has signed or is negotiating HSR contracts include Saudi Arabia, Hungary and Serbia.

India, led by her new PM Narendra Modi (who was elected on the promises of better governance and especially improving infrastructure) , is proving to be a tight contest between China and arch-rival Japan. India has to look deeply with the options she has at her hand: while Japan is emphasising on flawless technology and safety record while China positions itself as the cost-effective option.

The British were the first to build railways in China, but now UK is seeking help from China for developing further its own network of high-speed rail. It has been 150 years since the British started building - without permission - the first railways in China, the earliest of which were dismantled by a suspicious Qing dynasty government. Today, history has come full circle and it is the UK that is seeking Chinese help for its next wave of high-speed rail.

There are plenty of developing economies which want to take “fruit of China's HSR” labour at a lower cost than its rivals can achieve. HSR is another industry where the Chinese have taken the world by storm.

Smart Cities in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has made the plans for his ambitious program aimed at setting up 100 urban settlements nationwide. Also, called Smart Cities, Modi's vision for advanced cities that benefits from the latest technology has finally begun to take shape with the Ministry of Urban Development asking 22 states where the program will be implemented to send detailed project reports so a final blueprint can be outlined. Sources say the government plans to set up seven smart cities each in Gujarat, Kerala, Rajasthan and Karnataka. Modi's constituency Varanasi, they added, is among the six cities identified in Uttar Pradesh.

A senior ministry official said the government has set 2019 as the deadline to deliver the first three smart cities, all of which will be built as part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). These smart cities are Dholera, Shendra-Bidkin and Global City. Overall, seven smart cities will be set up between Delhi and Mumbai under the DMIC project, which is being built in partnership with the government of Japan.

There are at least three more industrial corridors along which new cities are being built: Amritsar-Kolkata, Bangalore-Chennai and Chennai-Visakhapatnam. Besides, states have been asked to identify cities along the Amritsar-Kolkata corridor. A master plan is ready for three cities - Punderi, Krishnapatnam and Tumkur - along the Bangalore-Chennai corridor, was announced by Finance Minister Jaitley in his budget. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) had just concluded a feasibility study for cities along Chennai-Vizag corridor. The Centre will also invite bids for another project, Shendra-Bidkin industrial zone in Maharashtra, by mid-2015.

Much like in the DMIC, the official said foreign assistance would be crucial to the implementation of the project. Several countries, including Singapore, Germany, the UK, US and South Korea have expressed interest in these projects.

What are smart cities? Just consider these scenarios: an office that is at a walking distance from home; a completely Wi-Fi enabled city; a smart card for cashless transactions that is also capable of facial recognition and acts as a key to enter your building with advanced security systems. All this with a promise of 30% savings on electricity and water costs. These features may appear to be somewhat unrealistic at least at present time, but are likely to become a reality in India in less than 2-3 decades, as the smart city concept takes hold.

A 'smart city' is an urban region that is highly advanced in terms of overall infrastructure, real estate, communications and market viability. It is a city where information technology is the principal infrastructure and the basis for providing essential services to residents.

Why is it required? Across the world, the stride of migration from rural to urban areas is increasing. By 2050, about 70 per cent of the population will be living in cities, and India is no exception. It will need about 500 new cities to accommodate the influx.

Interestingly, urbanization in India has for the longest time been viewed as a by-product of failed regional planning. Though it is inevitable, and will only change when the benefits of urbanization overtake the costs involved, it is an opportunity for achieving faster growth. The potential for smart cities in India is enormous—something that makes Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 100 smart cities goal an achievable one. “India’s urban population will reach 590 million by 2030, living in at least 60 cities with a population of more than one million, requiring an investment of $1.2 trillion by the government for their development,” Dharia says.

The concept of smart cities originated at the time when the entire world was facing one of the worst economic crises. In 2008, IBM began work on a 'smarter cities' concept as part of its Smarter Planet initiative. By the beginning of 2009, the concept had captivated the imagination of various nations across the globe.

Countries like South Korea, UAE and China began to invest heavily into their research and formation. Today, a number of excellent precedents exist that India can emulate, such as those in Vienna, , Amsterdam, Cairo, Lyon, Seoul, Verona etc. Smart cities can be horizontal or vertical, depending on the available space. Singapore is an example of a vertical smart city, while Masdar in  Abu Dhabi is a horizontal smart city.

The cities with ongoing or proposed smart cities include Kochi in Kerala, Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Aurangabad in Maharashtra, Manesar in Delhi NCR, Khushkera in Rajasthan, Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Ponneri in Tamil Nadu and Tumkur in Karnataka. Many of these cities will include special economic zones with regulations and tax structures to make it attractive for foreign investment.

The concept is not without challenges, especially in India. For instance, the success of such a city depends on residents, entrepreneurs and visitors becoming actively involved in energy saving and implementation of new technologies. Also, there is the time factor — such cities can potentially take anything between 20 and 30 years to build.

A quick Google search for India’s “first smart city” produces more than 70,000 results, and many of them lead to different places. Let us look at a case analysis of a smart city project near Mumbai. The first-of-its-kind partially completed smart city project in Mumbai, which is expected to be completed in 2025, is Palava city by the Lodha Group. It will span 4,000 acres, and cost Rs.14, 000 crore. For Palava, the Lodha Group has an agreement with Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd for 24-hour electricity supply; also solar panels will power street lights. It has a tie-up with General Electric Co. (GE) for 100% water recycling, and billing to ensure transparency. It will run a huge force of CNG powered buses within Palava city and connect people to nearby areas. The Lodha World School will offer all established Indian and international syllabi. And the Lodha Group is in talks with hospitals as well as several commercial establishments and multi-brand retail giants to set up shop in Palava. It has the potential to create 350,000 jobs by 2025.

The Lodha Group has also set up Palava City Management Association with citizens as members to deal with day-to-day issues, as well as a 311 grievance helpline number and 911 emergency helpline number for citizens, and a mobile app. Palava’s smart technology also extends to 500 surveillance cameras that capture real-time data and in future will support facial recognition for entry and have panic alarms every 200 meters. A smart card given to all Palava citizens will allow cashless transactions at retail centers, access to bus service, public Wi-Fi within Palava’s premises, building and commercial point’s entry, and information access from the Palava experience center.”

These are yet to be completed. All of them are just projections. But, these are just expectations for the future smart cities in India. Hope that these models are extended not only in that country, but throughout the world.

Riyadh Metro

                                                                         Riyadh Metro

A metro rail system, which is a preferred mode of rapid transit across the globe, is said to be a “harbinger of prosperity”, once it is completed. And, it is true as in the cases of, New York Subway, London Underground, Paris RER and Shanghai Metro. All of them have become significant financial centres, after rapid transit systems were introduced in these cities. Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, is expected to swell to 12 million by 2020, double of its present population. And it is in desperate need of a metro system.

There are various modes of transportation within cities. The most common ones are by bus and rail. Light rail/tram systems are not possible in Riyadh, where the topography requires heavy infrastructure. There is the intracity bus service, SAPTCO, which is not really a successful venture. But, there are high hopes for the Riyadh metro to be an effective transit system.

I live in Riyadh and my school takes about 30 minutes to reach even without traffic. But, I always get stuck in peak hours of traffic. So another 30 minutes of my time is lost. I have to start from my home 1-and-a-half hours before the school begins. My classmates, teachers, dad’s office colleagues, company employers etc. all experience this very same problem. As the proverb goes, “Time and tide waits for none”.  In these times, a metro comes in “very handy”. It surely saves valuable time of everyone living here.

Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries in the world, where women are not allowed to drive. It is very understandable and everyone, whether he/she is/isn’t a Saudi citizen, has to respect the laws here. Due to this constraint, women are allowed to venture out, only in the company of male. The completion of the metro, might bring more “social freedom” to them. There have been reports that some compartments might be “exclusive” only for women/children.

The stations for the purpose of changing trains have been selected conveniently. Olaya is a posh, financial area while King Abdullah Financial District is an upcoming “smart” city. A third one is also being planned. The six lines too have been effectively chosen as they connect prime areas of Riyadh.

An important feature of this metro system, which might not be included in other global cities, is the introduction of a minibus service which would serve residents who don’t have access to metro stations nearby. The minibus would take him/her to the closest station.

It is not necessary for me to elaborate on the environmental advantages of not only this metro system, but any other around the world. Renewable energy will be used for all metro stations. All of them will have sufficient parking space, WiFi facilities etc. But, I think another crucial feature is that this will reduce the no. of growing accidents in the city. Reckless driving and the problem of crossing the speed limit can be solved by using this metro.

To sum it up, the Arriyadh Development Agency says, “For every SR1 spent on Riyadh Metro, SR3 will be generated in terms of savings from direct and indirect costs due to pollution, energy consumption, road accidents, lack of efficiency, and lack of performance.”

Come 2019, Riyadh will usher in a “new age of unprecedented fortune, economic affluence and state-of-the welfare for its citizens”.

Revival of the HAL

 Revival of the HAL

Bangalore is a symbol of the new, modern India. With its flourishing IT & electronic industries as well as its great hospitality, it is a great location for starting any kind of entrepreneurial activity. Bangalore is served by the Kempegowda International Airport and though it started operations only from 2008, it is already the fourth busiest in India in terms of passenger traffic. The number of passengers arriving in the “Silicon City” has increased by 30% in both domestic & foreign areas. 

There have been reports of the KIA reaching “saturation” (such as one published by the AAI in 2011); but have been strongly denied by the KIA management, who feel that the expansion of the airport would solve all issues.  

On the lines of the AAI, I strongly feel that the old HAL Airport must be revived to deal the increasing air traffic. The KIA should be used for both domestic & international purposes, but mainly for tourism, business as well as diplomatic visits. The HAL airport should serve the domestic air routes for the residents of Bangalore. Ask any citizen of cities having more than 2 airports, ex: in Chicago. The O’Hare airport is one of the world’s busiest airports. It handles 66 million passengers in a year, not to mention also in cargo traffic and traffic movements. Not surprisingly, many people natives call it a “huge mess” and “always hassle to get through”. In these times, they use the second airport which is easier to manage, and not so busy. We surely do not want Bangalore to get as “messy and crazy” as the O’Hare, so the revival and development of the HAL must take place so, if not immediately.  

It takes minimum one and a half hours from the city center to reach Bangalore new airport. But, now, since HAL has become obsolete, it takes 15-20 minutes by road to reach. True, “Namma Metro”(metro system in Bangalore) will help in reducing traveling time, yet the time taken from Bangalore City Junction or Kempegowda Bus Terminal to reach both the airports is approximately same, so people would not lose valuable time if they use the old airport. Taxis to the KIA charge more than Rs.500 (approx. $8). I really don’t know whether fleecing is involved here, but the toll charges there does cost some huge amount of money.  

These second airports would also help in serving as smaller airline’s primary hubs. The KIA was used by the defunct Kingfisher; now it is operated by Air Asia India. With the number of new as well as planned airlines in India coming up, the HAL should attract them into making it as their prime focus.   

And the best thing is that you do not have to waste billions of rupees by building a second airport. However, there has to a total revamp in the structure of the HAL Airport. It has to look more modern, trendy as well as eco-friendly. The environmentally-friendly aspect is very important, as the KIA is a significant contributor to air pollution levels in Bangalore.  

Interestingly, a study has found that metros with more than a single airport has better success rates of city governance. 

If we have to look Bangalore as one of India’s most developed cities, it is important to have another airport, not only for economic causes, but also for tourism, infrastructural and environmental reasons. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the HAL must be reestablished and allowed to function.   

Chennai Metro- An Overview

Chennai Metro-An Overview

The city of Chennai has been asking the government and its Mayor as well as Corporation for a long time to solve its traffic & infrastructure problems by installing a mass transit system in place. The population has risen rapidly, there have been unacceptable and unpredictable journey times by road etc.; necessitating the need of a metro rail system. Almost all cities in Western countries have metro rail, (some of them for decades) so why can’t Chennai?

The city has already many modes of transportation including an extensive bus system run by the State Bus Corporation. And then, the Southern Railway division of Indian Railways runs the Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System. Yet, these steps hardly improved residents’ time, energy, and resources. It only increased the blood pressure of these citizens. 

Thus, the implementation of a metro system was just a matter of time. The “Metro Man of India”. E. Sreedharan, wanted to construct the metro in Chennai, after his huge success following in Delhi. But, then, petty politics broke out between the top two parties of the state. One wanted to do the metro project, while the other (when it was in power) desired a “monorail” project. But, the former party had its way and the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) was started in 2007 at an expense of Rs 50 crores in the State Budget.

Obviously, in these kind of projects, a lot of time would go in planning & research. So, construction finally started in June, 2009 and the completion of all phases might be done in February, 2015.

A total of 41 stations have been planned along the two lines. The Chennai Central and Alandur stations would serve as interchange stations. The locations of these two station serves the purpose of changing trains as both are in opposite corners of the town.

Look at the features of the stations. There will be an automatic fare collection system, automatic announcement system, electronic information display boards. These terms were only used/heard in European/American towns. Facilities are being made so that the stations will be easily accessible to physically handicapped persons. Wi-Fi facility, an important feature for the growing population of smartphone-users is also being planned at some of the stations. Well, all good things come at a cost. And in this case, parking facilities will be available only in some of the stations, including Chennai Central, Chennai Airport, etc. while others may not have parking provision due to lack of space.

The price of the journey is very suitably placed. A ride to the next area from my house by auto costs me Rs100-150. Ten years back, it used to be less than half its price. But, by the fares the CMRL has issued, it would be around Rs15-20. It would save money not only for me, but for thousands of citizens. It would be an end to the awful fleecing done by the rickshaw drivers.

Metro Rail Systems around the world all have been proven to be eco-friendly and cause low energy consumption. The latter is very important as the state faces frequently short-power crisis. State-of-the-art electric systems have been put into place to avoid energy crunches. A very important stat is that energy consumption of the Chennai Metro will be one-fifth as that of the city's road traffic. This adds to the importance of it. Also, it saves fuel; thus playing a major part in reducing the city’s pollution levels, caused by automobile exhaust. CMRL is also planning to use solar power for five of its stations on the elevated corridor. Thus, they are doing their incentives for “Green Energy”.

As the proverb goes, “A Stitch in Time saves nine”. The most important advantage of the Chennai Metro (the prime reason it is being built) is that it reduces journey time by 50% to 75%. For those who get stuck in the long lines to their offices/schools, it is “music to their eyes”.  It is said that it carries as much traffic as 7 lanes of bus traffic or 24 lanes of car traffic.

Also, it gives the much-needed up gradation of the city of Chennai from a modest, conservative, cultural town to a modernized, stylish metropolis, catering to the IT-youth population. This rail system can reimage “Chennai Brand”.

 Once operational, Chennai Metro will operate trains from 5:00 am to 12:00 am. The train will have an average speed of 34 km per hour and will halt at every station for about 30 seconds. Compare this with New York Subway, with the trains there running at almost 140 km per hour. Well, it is still early days for the Chennai Metro, I am sure, it will slowly, but surely, increase its frequency & speed.

The CMRL is likely to take over Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS).  It is an extremely good move because of poor connectivity of the MRTS to bus routes and infrequency of bus services. It will lead to great maintenance and more facilities for the passengers of both train services.

Hope the Chennai Metro expands all over the district, as the CMRL must realize that a majority of Chennai’s workforce are in automobile, electronic and IT industries are in the suburbs. If the rail system could connect these parts with the Chennai Central, then people who are living in the city could easily travel for work.

The Chennai Metro has its share of controversies such as labor deaths and cutting of trees. But, then, more strict measures have been implemented to protect the workers. Also, the CMRL has planted more than 60,000 trees in compensation for the felling.

The Chennai Metro promises to be a new dawn of optimist and hope for the citizens as it prepares to kick start its operations in October-November this year, and full operations by March, 2015.