BEML to develop low-cost metro cars

Mumbai: Defence public sector undertaking Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML) will design and develop low-cost metro cars for the first time in the country. These metro cars, costing around Rs5 crore each, will be much cheaper than the current ones based on imported technology and more suitable for the Indian market, the company said in a release.

BEML expects to achieve cost reduction through in-house R&D efforts and by using indigenous make stainless steel material and other aggregates. This will help the tier II cities to implement the mass rapid transportation system at an affordable cost.

Mass rapid transportation system has become a necessity in all cities in the country to overcome the traffic congestion and to reduce environmental pollution, the release said, pointing to the success of Delhi Metro.

Tier II cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad are following the suit as these are also feeling the need for implementing similar system.

BEML has supplied broad gauge metro cars for Delhi Metro and has also bagged the order for standard gauge cars for their RS-3 project.

BEML has also received an order from DMRC worth Rs52 crore for indigenous design and development of eight cars to upgrade the existing four car train formation to six car train formation, which will increase the passenger capacity from 1,506 to 2,290.

On completion of the project of eight cars successfully, BEML hopes to bag further orders from DMRC.