Alstom has successfully delivered the first trainset for the Bhopal–Indore metro project in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh to Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL), announced the French rolling stock manufacturer in a statement. The trainset will be deployed to Indore’s metro, which is set to be operational from April 2024. The second trainset is expected to be delivered to Bhopal by the end of September 2023. The first train was built in a record time of 14.5 months, according to the statement.
Valued at 387 million euros (over INR 3200 crores), the order includes a total of 52 standard gauge Movia metro passenger trainsets, each with a three-car configuration. The trains have a 50-passenger seating and 300 standing capacity, and will benefit around six million citizens, according to Alstom. The goal of the metro link is to promote economic activity and modernize the infrastructure in Bhopal and Indore, which were recognized as Indian smart cities in 2015.
Bhopal will receive 27 of the trainsets, while 25 are destined for Indore. The light-weight trains will operate at a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour across the 31-kilometer line in Bhopal and the 31.5-kilometer line in Indore. Under the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ campaign, the trainsets are being fully manufactured at Alstom's facility at Savli, Gujarat. This is the second combined order in India for Alstom, after the Agra-Kanpur metro projects.
Commenting on the delivery update, Oliver Loison, Managing Director, Alstom India said in the statement: “Alstom is India's long-standing partner in the journey towards sustainable mobility and we are looking forward to further strengthen this partnership by redefining the mass transportation needs of Madhya Pradesh.” ce/em
