Rapid Metro Gurgaon is a
light metro
A medium-capacity system (MCS), also known as light rapid transit or light metro, is a rail transport system with a capacity greater than light rail, but less than typical heavy-rail rapid transit. MCS’s trains are usually 1-4 cars, or 1 ligh ...
system serving the city of
Gurgaon
Gurgaon (pronunciation: ʊɽɡãːw, officially named Gurugram (pronunciation: ʊɾʊɡɾaːm, is a city located in the northern Indian state of Haryana. It is situated near the Delhi–Haryana border, about southwest of the nationa ...
,
Haryana
Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land ar ...
, India. Rapid Metro connects the commercial areas of Gurgaon, and acts as a feeder link to the
Delhi Metro
The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of 10 colour-cod ...
with an interchange with its
Yellow Line at
Sikanderpur metro station
Sikanderpur is a metro station on the Yellow Line of the Delhi Metro and since November 2013, acts as an interchange station for Rapid Metro. This interchange station sees a large crowd (300,000-500,000 daily) going to office and important pla ...
.
Built by Rapid Metro Gurgaon Limited (RMGL), the system was the world's first fully privately financed modern light metro system. The venture did not have any investment from the
Union Government
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
,
Government of Haryana
The Government of Haryana, also known as the State Government of Haryana, or locally as the State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Haryana and its 22 districts. It consists of an executive, ceremonially led ...
or any
public sector undertaking
A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the governmen ...
. However, it was not the first fully privately financed rapid transit system, as the
Metropolitan Railway
The Metropolitan Railway (also known as the Met) was a passenger and goods railway that served London from 1863 to 1933, its main line heading north-west from the capital's financial heart in the City to what were to become the Middlesex su ...
was privately financed. Originally planned to open in 2012, the first phase of the system opened on 14 November 2013. The second phase of the project began commercial operation on 31 March 2017.
In September 2019, IL&FS announced that it does not have the resources to continue running the Rapid Metro due to financial issues with the company and is looking for another entity to fund and takeover operations. After a short dispute with the Haryana government and a court ruling from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) is a centre-state joint venture that operates the Delhi Metro. The DMRC is also involved in the planning and implementation of metro rail, monorail, and high-speed rail projects in India and abroad. T ...
took over the operation of the line from IL&FS.
Rapid Metro has a total length of 12.85 kilometres serving 11 stations. The system is fully elevated using
standard-gauge
A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in Ea ...
tracks. The trains are composed of three cars. The power is supplied by 750
volt
The volt (symbol: V) is the unit of electric potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force in the International System of Units (SI). It is named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827).
Defi ...
direct current
Direct current (DC) is one-directional flow of electric charge. An electrochemical cell is a prime example of DC power. Direct current may flow through a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through semiconductors, insulators, or even ...
through
third rail
A third rail, also known as a live rail, electric rail or conductor rail, is a method of providing electric power to a railway locomotive or train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway t ...
. Services operate daily between 06:05 and 22:00 running with a headway of four minutes. The metro system was the first in India to auction naming rights for its stations.
History
A metro line between
Sikanderpur and
National Highway 8
The following highways are numbered 8. For roads numbered A8, see list of A8 roads. For roads numbered N8, see list of N8 roads.
Route 8, or Highway 8, may refer to:
International
* Asian Highway 8
* European route E08
* European route E008
...
was originally proposed in September 2007. The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) invited expressions of interest to construct the metro line on built-operate-transfer basis with a 99-year lease in 2008. However, real estate developer
DLF wanted to provide metro connectivity to its
Cyber City.
A new tender was issued in July 2008, with the DLF-IL&FS consortium emerging as the only bidder.
[DLF-led consortium sole bidder for Gurgaon metro project](_blank)
Business Standard
''Business Standard'' is an Indian English-language daily edition newspaper published by Business Standard Private Limited, also available in Hindi. Founded in 1975, the newspaper covers the Indian economy, infrastructure, international busine ...
, 11 December 2008. The project was initially conceived as a collaborative venture between
Enso Group
Enso Group is a multinational diversified conglomerate that has global operations across a wide range of industries, and is valued at over $6 Billion. The group was founded in 2005 by Chairman Vinay Maloo. It was started with a cluster of o ...
,
DLF and
Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services
Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) is an Indian state-funded infrastructure development and finance company. It was created by public sector banks and insurance companies.
It operates through more than 250 subsidiaries i ...
(IL&FS). Rapid Metro is the first fully privately financed modern metro system in the world.
Rapid Metro did not even get the 20 acres of land, which it required to construct the first phase of the project, at any concessional rate from the state.
The Rapid Metro project was implemented as a
public-private partnership. The entire cost of the project was borne by the private party. The private party was also tasked with maintenance and operation of the metro at its own cost. While HUDA initially objected to a private company making profit from public transport, an agreement was eventually reached for the consortium to pay HUDA over 35 years in "connectivity charges" as well as 5–10% of advertising and property development revenue.
The contract for the project was awarded in July 2009, with completion scheduled in 30 months' time.
The foundation stone was laid on 11 August 2009. The line was built and is operated by Rapid Metro Gurgaon Limited (RMGL). The project was estimated to cost as of October 2012.
Originally planned to open in 2012, the first phase of the system opened on 14 November 2013.
Phase II
On 11 June 2013, IL&FS Engineering and Construction Company Limited informed the
Bombay Stock Exchange
BSE Limited, also known as the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), is an Indian stock exchange. It is located on Dalal Street in Mumbai. Established in 1875 by cotton merchant Premchand Roychand, a Jain businessman, it is the oldest stock exchange in ...
that it had been awarded a contract worth 266.5 crores to construct the elevated viaducts for Phase 2 of the project. The company also stated that the project would be completed within 24 months. The company was later awarded a contract worth 84.3 crore to construct all 5 elevated stations in Phase II. The project completion period was specified as 24 months. The southward extension is long double track and will extend from Sikanderpur to Sector 55 and 56 in Gurgaon. It is estimated to cost . There are six stations on the extension and it will take around 20 minutes to travel the entire route. Land for the project and right of way will be provided by HUDA. Trial runs were held on the first phase of the metro, between Phase 2 and Phase 3 stations, in October 2012. On the same day, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh laid the foundation stone for Phase 2 of the project.
Construction work on Phase 2 began in April 2013, and was given an initial deadline of July 2015. However, the deadline was later revised to mid-2016, September 2016 and then the last quarter of 2016.
By June 2016, 75% of work on the Phase 2 was complete.
Trial runs were conducted along the 6.3-km Phase-2 route between in December 2016.
Rapid Metro authorities applied for inspection of phase II by the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety in March 2017. The second phase of the system was opened to the public on 31 March 2017.
Route
Line 1
Line 1 was built in two phases. The first phase of the project covers a distance of north of Sikanderpur. The section between Sikanderpur and
Phase 2 station is double-tracked, while the remaining stations are served by a single-track loop. The second phase is a long southward extension from Sikanderpur to Sector 55 and 56 of Gurgaon and mostly runs through the affluent Golf Course Road.
[ This section of a line opened on 31 March 2017 partially till Sector 53–54. The two remaining stations till Sector 55-56 opened on 25 April 2017.] Platforms are 75m in length.
Sikanderpur station offers an interchange with Delhi Metro
The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of 10 colour-cod ...
via a 90m x 9m walkway.
Infrastructure
The system is fully elevated and operated automatically. Because of the features, several articles in railway magazines define the system as Light Metro
A medium-capacity system (MCS), also known as light rapid transit or light metro, is a rail transport system with a capacity greater than light rail, but less than typical heavy-rail rapid transit. MCS’s trains are usually 1-4 cars, or 1 ligh ...
.
Rolling stock
On 21 April 2010, Siemens
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad.
The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...
announced that it had been awarded a turnkey contract to build the metro line, including five three-car metro trains. Siemens sub-contracted CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive
CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co., Ltd. is one of the electric locomotive manufacturers in China. It is one of the subsidiaries of CRRC.
History Predecessor
Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Works was founded in 1936.
CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co., Ltd.
O ...
to build the 5 aluminium-bodied air-conditioned trains. The first three-coach train set built in China, arrived in Gurgaon on 11 September 2012. RMGL ordered an additional seven three-car metro train sets for the second phase expansion of the metro. The final 4 of these 7 rakes arrived in Gurgaon on 5 February 2016.
Each train with three coaches costs and is silver and blue in colour. The total length of a 3 coach train is . The coaches are wide, have roof-mounted air conditioning and have 4 doors on each side of each coach. Each train has a capacity of approximately 800 passengers. The metro is designed to carry 30,000 passengers per hour.
Operations
Operator
The line was built and is operated by Rapid Metro Gurgaon Limited (RMGL), founded as a joint venture between Enso group, real estate developer DLF and IL&FS. DLF owns many properties near the stations, while IL&FS was the majority stake holder in the JV. DLF later sold its stake to IL&FS, and exited the joint venture. Following the transaction, IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd (ITNL) held 82.8% stake in RMGL, and ITNL's subsidiary IL&FS Rail Ltd (IRL) held 17.2%. On 11 February 2016, ITNL announced that it had sold a 49% stake in RMGL for to its parent company, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS), in an effort to reduce debt.
The Rapid Metro charges are flat rate only in travelling at any stations of Phase-1 line & Phase-2 line stations separately, but travelling form Phase-1 line to Phase-2 line or vice versa the charges are . Delhi Metro
The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of 10 colour-cod ...
tokens and smart cards are accepted on Rapid Metro. The automatic fare collection system is supplied by Thales Group
Thales Group () is a French multinational company that designs, develops and manufactures electrical systems as well as devices and equipment for the aerospace, defence, transportation and security sectors. The company is headquartered in Paris' ...
.
Ridership
Ridership
In public transportation, patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and ...
of the Rapid Metro has been below expectations.[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/phase-2-adds-only-15k-daily-riders-to-rapid-metro/articleshow/64021973.cms" ] Phase 1 was expected to bring 100,000 riders per day, but only achieved 30,000, and even after the addition of Phase 2, daily ridership in 2018 hovered around the 50,000 mark. Urban Transport News has described the Rapid Metro as a "failure" due to its high cost, low ridership and poor location.
Frequency
Trains run from 06:05 to 22:00 Three-coach trains operate at four-minute intervals. Trains have a maximum speed of , and operate at an average speed of .
Safety
For the passengers' safety, there are ''Emergency Stop Plungers'' at every platform, while the '' Blue Light Station'' feature enables passengers to contact the Control Room. A ''Press to Talk'' Button inside the coaches enables commuters to talk directly to the driver, in the event of any problem.
Security
Security in the Rapid Metro is being handled by a private security agency. The system has a dedicated Metro Police Station at Sikanderpur station, while a Toll Free Helpline for all passengers is operational for 24 hours. CCTV cameras are used to monitor trains and stations.
Future plans
Phase III
Following the opening of Phase II, IL&FS Rail Ltd managing director and CEO Rajiv Banga stated that plans for the third phase of the metro were at the "drawing board-level". Banga stated that authorities were considering a 17-km-long line from Cyber City to Gurgaon Railway Station via Bus stand and Sadar Bazar in Old City passing through Udyog Vihar along Old Delhi Road And Railway Road. This extension will be a big relief for Old Gurgaon people because this line will have a numerous and future interchange station like Dwarka-Iffco Chowk Metro interchange at Old Delhi Road near Maruti Suzuki and another at Gurgaon Railway Station with yellow line extension of Huda City Centre to Sector 23 Palam Vihar (having interchange with Dwarka-Iffco Chowk Metro) via Hero Honda Chowk, Sector 10 and Gurgaon Railway Station And one more interchange at Sector 4-7 Chowk with pod taxi running between Rajiv Chowk (Gurgaon) Badshahpur pod taxi (Dhaula Kuan to Manesar pod taxi master plan) up to Sector 4-7 Chowk
See also
* Urban rail transit in India
Urban rail transit in India plays an important role in intracity transportation in the major cities which are highly populated. It consists of rapid transit, suburban rail, monorail and tram systems. According to a report published in 2021, a ...
** Delhi Metro
The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of 10 colour-cod ...
** Noida Metro
The Noida Metro is a rapid transit system connecting the twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. The metro network consists of one line (called Aqua Line), with a total length of serving 21 statio ...
References
External links
Official website of Rapid Metro Gurgaon Limited (RMGL)
See Metro Map data of Indian Metro
{{coord missing, Haryana
Standard gauge railways in India
2013 establishments in Haryana