India's lightest metro train set for Pune Metro flagged off from Italy

Titagarh Wagons Ltd said its plant in Italy has rolled out the first train for Pune Metro coach, out of the 34 trains. Each train will comprise three coaches.

The first prototype of it was rolled out at a virtual ceremony in presence of Ambassador of India to Italy, Neena Malhotra, Ambassador of Italy to India, Vincenzo de Luca, Maharashtra Metro Cooperation Managing Director Brijesh Dixit and others, the company said.

Credit: Times Now

"Happy to learn that first train sets manufactured for Pune Project of MahaMetro by Titagarh Firema SpA Plant in Italy were flagged off for shipment today. They are scheduled to arrive Pune in September,2021," tweeted Durga Shankar Mishra, secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Order for supply of 102 nos metro coaches for Pune metro was placed on M/s The Metro coaches for Pune metro are to be manufactured with Aluminium for the first time in India.

These metro coaches are lighter (15.5T axle load) than the lightest coaches at present, which are at Nagpur-Metro (16T axle load), according to an official presentation.

The double-walled structure with extruded sections of the car body made of Aluminium in the Metro coaches provides the required strength while reducing the weight

"These ultra-modern metro coaches combine the highest safety standards with modern Italian styling and are not only lightweight with the Aluminium body, resulting in low carbon emission and better fuel efficiency but offer the most high safety and convenience features in the trains," said Durga Shankar Mishra, secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Titagarh Kolkata has started production of the first Made-in-India metro train in its newly upgraded plant and its first train will be delivered by Dec, 2021. Delivery of all 34 trains is scheduled by March, 2024.

Titagarh Firema SpA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of city-based Titagarh Wagons, had in August 2019 won a ₹1,100 crore international bid to supply Pune Metro as many as 102 ultra-modern aluminum-bodied coaches.

Three of the 34 trains will be manufactured in Italy and the rest in India. Titagarh Wagons has modernised its plant in Kolkata to produce those 31 trains. The first wave Covid-19 pandemic had delayed the rollout of the train.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MahaMetro) on Friday conducted the first trial run of the Pune Metro on the Vanaz-Ramwadi route. The trial run was held between Vanaz (Kothrud) and Ideal Colony at the Hill View Park car depot in the area in the presence of Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

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Credit: Mint