By IANS,
Hyderabad : The first lot of rails for Hyderabad metro rail project has arrived from France, announced L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited (LTMRHL).
These 5,000 metric tons of rails will be laid down as tracks in the Uppal depot soon.
The company in a statement here Wednesday said the rails were shipped to Mumbai and were transported by road on 60 feet special trailers to Hyderabad.
Rails for the project are being procured from TATA Steel, France, which has a proven record of supplying rails to major railway projects in the world and also to the Indian market.
“With the arrival of rails from France, track laying work will commence in the Uppal depot soon. This development marks the beginning of the utilization of international expertise on ground for the prestigious Hyderabad Metro Rail project,” said V.B. Gadgil, chief executive & managing director, LTMRHL.
A total of about 22,500 metric tons of rails are required for the project to be procured in six lots as per the project schedule. The rails being procured are 18 metres long and weigh about 1,100 kg each.
“To cater for the sharp curves and steep gradients in the project, it is decided to provide wear resistant head hardened rails for the complete main line and normal rails for the depots,” the statement said.
The Rs.14,132 crore public private partnership project on 72-km three high density corridors with 66 elevated metro stations is expected to be fully operational by July 2017.