Siemens bags Rs 925 cr Mumbai rail project

Siemens Ltd India Transportation Systems in consortium with its German parent Siemens AG has won a Rs 925 crore for propulsion system and electrical equipment in improving Mumbai suburban trains. The contract from the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is to be executed over 48 months.

Siemens is also augmenting capacities at Kalwa and Nashik factories in Maharashtra for the order.

Schubert, managing director, Siemens Ltd said: "This enhancement will create additional employment opportunities, having a long-term impact. Our strong presence and active participation in the transportation sector in India since decades, gives us the advantage of better understanding of local needs. We are, therefore, able to adapt world-class products and technology for specific regional requirements."

Siemens will provide the propulsion system and electrical equipment for EMU rolling stock to be built at the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai. The EMUs will be in operation on both of Mumbai's suburban arterial networks - the Central Railway and Western Railway.

The scope involves design, development, manufacture, supply, testing and commission of the insulated gate bipolar transistor-based three-phase propulsion system and equipment, with microprocessor-based controls.

These systems will be suitable for operation in dual voltages, that is, both 1500 volt direct current system, which is currently in use, and the 25 kV AC system, which replaces it in the future, according to a press release.