Trains being procured for new Metro corridor

Delhi–Badarpur line to start functioning from September

Slated for a September opening, preparations for the initiation of the Delhi Metro's Central Secretariat–Badarpur corridor are on in full swing. To ensure there are no gaps in the smooth functioning of the 20-km-long corridor that will cater to a large section of the city's population, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has already begun procuring trains for the section.

A DMRC spokesperson said trains have begun to arrive for the corridor that is due to be opened to the public before the Commonwealth Games. “Six new standard gauge metro trains have already arrived at the Sarita Vihar Depot located on this line. All the six trains are presently being assembled in the depot and they will be tested for technical fitness before undergoing for testing on the main line for load and braking” the spokesperson said.

A total of 25 trains, which have four coaches each, will be used on the Central Secretariat-Badarpur corridor initially. The number and frequency will be changed depending on the passenger rush.

The line is expected to cater to about 3.6 lakh passengers per day by 2011.

Badarpur's proximity to Faridabad in Haryana is expected to draw a large number of commuters to the system.

“The Delhi Metro had ordered 46 standard gauge trains for Phase II of its project from a consortium of MRMB -- Mitsubishi, ROTEM, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. Of the 46 trains, 11 are already running on the Inderlok –Mundka corridor,” said the spokesperson.

Easy connectivity

The Delhi Metro will provide easy connectivity to three venues of the Commonwealth Games 2010, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium near the JLN Stadium metro station, National Stadium near the Central Secretariat metro station and Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range near the Tughlakabad metro station on this line.

The 16 metro stations that will fall on this corridor include Central Secretariat, Khan Market, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Jangpura, Lajpat Nagar, Moolchand, Kailash Colony, Nehru Place, Kalkaji Mandir, Govindpuri, Okhla, Jasola, Sarita Vihar, Mohan Estate, Tuglakabad and Badarpur.

Metro to bring in 25 trains for Badarpur line

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is on a war footing to open its much-awaited Central Secretariat-Badarpur corridor before the Commonwealth Games.

Even as the construction work for the Metro line is under way, trains for it have begun to arrive. The Central Secretariat-Badarpur line is scheduled to become operational by September this year.

This corridor is significant as it would provide easy connectivity to three of the Commonwealth Games venues: including Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (near the JLN Stadium Metro station), National Stadium (near the Central Secretariat Metro station) and Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range (near Tughlakabad Metro station).

According to the DMRC officials, six new standard-gauge trains have already arrived at the Sarita Vihar Depot located on this line. All six trains are being assembled at the depot and would soon be tested for technical fitness, before they undergo testing on the main line for load and braking.

“A total of 25 trains — each of four coaches — have been planned for use on the Central Secretariat-Badarpur corridor. Initially, these will cater to an expected traffic of about 3.6 lakh passengers per day by 2011,” Anuj Dayal, spokesperson for the DMRC said.

The DMRC had ordered 46 standard gauge trains for Phase II of its project from consortium MRMB — Mitsubishi, ROTEM, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and Bharat Earth Movers Ltd.

Of these, 11 are already running on the Inderlok-Mundka corridor, informed officials.

In all, there would 16 stations falling under the Central Secretariat-Badarpur line: Central Secretariat, Khan Market, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Jangpura, Lajpat Nagar, Moolchand, Kailash Colony, Nehru Place, Kalkaji Mandir, Govindpuri, Okhla, Jasola, Sarita Vihar, Mohan Estate, Tughlakabad and Badarpur.

Metro Line in figures

* The 20-km-long Metro line from Central Secretariat to Badarpur would be operational by September.
* A total of 25 trains to be used on this corridor initially.
* This line is expected to handle about 3.6 lakh passengers per day by 2011.
* Line to connect three venues of the Commonwealth Games.

Action, camera but no lights!

The television cameras have arrived for the ‘live' coverage of the Asian junior tennis championship, but the centre court does not look ready to play host.

Lighting could pose a serious problem, if the matches are to be played late in the evening. Only 32 of the 96 bulbs, eight each on the four sides, which came on Thursday were lit leaving huge blocks of dark areas on the court.

Players had difficulty spotting the ball that was pouncing on them from the dark. The umpire was at his wit's end and the players were at the mercy of his calls.

There were temporary stands being hurriedly erected for the television cameras, which spoke of poor planning. A stadium that is being readied for the Commonwealth Games could have built camera positions in advance, but the requirements of the media, both print and electronic, look to be the last among the priorities of the authorities who had designed the arena.

Two small rows of tables represent the media tribunes.

In fact, the centre court has only seen a cosmetic change. Huge iron platforms put on either side of the court, with seating and ramps, make it look compact, but it is a clear case of a good opportunity lost to renovate the stadium to match world standards.

Too much steel has robbed the original charm of the place, and the high roof may not be able to stop either the sun or the rain unleashing their fury on the spectators.

With hardly anyone watching, mainly discouraged by the foolish security drills that drive even the players and coaches away from the stadium, it will not be a bad idea to use show court No. 2, the newly built second show court at the DLTA Complex, for the climax of the tournament, as was done during the ITF junior tournament last week.

The CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Mike Hooper was at the stadium, watching the action on centre court in the evening, along with A.S.V. Prasad, but left before the floodlights were switched on.

Of course, Prasad stayed on to note the situation of inadequate light. Friday is another day. The technicians may after all work magic with the lights! — Special Correspondent

Punished Singaporean shuttler denied C'Wealth chance

Singapore's top badminton player will miss her chance to compete at this year's Commonwealth Games after being slapped with a suspension for bad behaviour, the sport's chief in the city-state told Reuters on Thursday.

Singaporean officials hit Zhang Beiwen with the stiffest penalty ever meted out by the Republic when they suspended her for three months without pay and stripped her of the right to train with the national team or attend selection trials and tournaments.

The punishment, imposed for ill discipline and disruptive behaviour at training the Singapore Badminton Association said, means the world number 31 will not be eligible to compete in the trials for New Delhi's Oct. 3-14 Commonwealth Games.

"SBA would like to send a clear message on the emphasis we place on the professionalism of our players," SBA chief Edwin Pang told reporters.

"We will not tolerate acts of ill-discipline by our players as they have an adverse effect on the national team, regardless of how highly-ranked they may be or how potentially valuable they may be to Singapore in major tournaments."

"In the past, SBA has levied fines and suspension from competitions on errant national players but this is the first time in recent years that we have suspended a national player employed by the Association from both training and competitions without pay."

The SBA said China-born 19-year-old Zhang, a team bronze medallist at last year's Southeast Asian Games in Laos, had shown "poor attitude at training and tournaments."

"On a number of occasions, she failed to carry out instructions by her coach and comply with the training requirements made of the team. Beiwen had been lacking in discipline and determination, as expected of a professional and a national player."

Men's doubles and mixed doubles player Hendra Wijaya was also suspended for three months but will receive 50 percent salary for the duration of the suspension and will continue training, Pang said. His punishment was for skipping training.

Pang said both players' places in the national team would be reviewed at the end of their suspensions.

Luxury vehicles for CWG to have special numbers

Come October and you will see luxury cars sporting unique numbers to ferry delegates during the Commonwealth Games.

The Delhi government has proposed an exclusive registration number series for the 2,000-odd cars the Commonwealth Games organising committee (OC) is procuring for VIPs and other delegates for the Commonwealth Games.

A senior Delhi government official said that the series is likely to start with the letters CWG, abbreviation for the sporting event used globally, followed by numbers 0-2000.

Though no final decision has been taken yet, chances are that these vehicles will continue to have this special number as legacy of the Games.

Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta said that special numbers will help police and OC members identify vehicles catering to delegates and other VIPs, especially in wake of security curbs during the event.

The cars will include sedans and more luxurious cars for VIPs like visiting heads of states. There will be limited number of super luxury, bulletproof cars for VVIPs. The cars will have distinct colours and the Games logo.

Sources said these cars would be `sponsored' by one of the three Indian car manufaturers. Since these cars would be later sold through dealers, the OC wants brand-value associated with the fleet. A unique registration number would add to the brand value, a Delhi government official said.

During the Melbourne Games, Toyota had sponsored cars and later sold them as special edition cars.

The transport department has already written to the ministry of road transport and highways seeking its permission to start this series of unique numbers.

"It would require amendment in the Motor Vehicle Act to have unique series for which transport officials have been directed to write to the union ministry," a Delhi government official said.

Dish TV to sell 60,000 HD set top boxes this fiscal

Direct-to-home (DTH) operator Dish TV today said it aims to sell 60,000 high-definition (HD) set top boxes this fiscal, riding on anticipated success of FIFA World Cup and Commonwealth Games this year.

The company today launched its High Definition (HD) service, with set top boxes (STBs) priced at Rs 5,990.

"The year has a lot of sporting events lined up like football World Cup, CWG and cricket World Cup next year, all of which will have a HD feed. This presents a great opportunity for us and we are looking at selling 60,000 units this fiscal and a quarter of a million in the next fiscal," Dish TV Managing Director Jawahar Goel told reporters here.

HD transmissions offer better picture and sound quality compared to standard definition (SD) transmission. HD set-top boxes, which offer wide-angle viewing, are considered particularly suitable for watching sporting events and action movies.

For DTH firms, HD set-top boxes promise a lucrative revenue stream as they will be priced higher than traditional devices and carry higher monthly charges.

While a normal box is priced at about Rs 4,000 and the total subscription cost hovers around Rs 150-200, Dish TV will offer HD STB at Rs 5,990 and the HD pack (with four channels) alone at Rs 150 per month.

"We will not subsidise the HD boxes as we believe this will be the value driver for us," Dish TV COO Salil Kapoor said.

Dish TV will ofer Zee TV HD, Zee Cinema HD, Discovery HD, National Geographic HD and FIFA World Cup broadcast by ESPN on HD, he added.

"The HD telecast will immensely enrich the experience of soccer fans as they get ready for the most eagerly anticipated sporting event this year," RC Venkateish, Managing Director, ESPN Software India said.

Currently, Sun Direct and Reliance BIG TV are the only other DTH operators offering HD service. Tata Sky has also announced its plans of offering the service this year.

"There is immense potential for HD in India, which will get biggest impetus this year with the Commonwealth games to be telecast in HD format. With more DTH platforms launching HD services, it will get a dramatic push this year," Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific Senior Vice president & General Manager, India said.

Battery Operated e-rickshaws to hit Delhi Roads Soon

Drivers will be specially trained, e-rickshaws to have GPS for easy monitoring

Rickety rickshaw rides are set to be replaced by a world-class experience the e-rick is on its way to Delhi. Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is introducing new rickshaws a hybrid between an auto rickshaw and cycle rickshaw that will be fitted with GPS systems.

These will be manned by drivers who will not only speak English but will also be trained to take tourists around the city’s popular destinations.

While 10 of these batteries operated, eco-friendly rickshaws will be seen on city roads by next month, MCD hopes to launch 4,000 of these before the Commonwealth Games. Said an MCD official: ‘‘We hope to replace all rickshaws plying in the city with the new e-ricks. There are a total of 99,000 licensed rickshaws in Delhi.’’

The e-ricks will have space for two to three people and will work as feeder services for Metro in areas like Vikas Marg, Vishwavidyalaya, Chandni Chowk, etc, besides plying near popular tourist sites.

The civic agency has formed a tie-up with a private firm, which will own, operate and maintain these rickshaws. The company is also exporting the e-ricks to England. Said an official: ‘‘ The maximum speed for this vehicle is 25km/hr. Provisions will be made at all MCD parking lots to recharge the battery of these rickshaws. We are also in talks with malls to allow their parking space to be used for recharging rickshaw batteries.’’

The current rickshaw pullers will be hired by the private firm and will receive a monthly salary of Rs 4000-5,000 besides a medical insurance by the company.

E-ricks’ trial runs have already been conducted and according to sources, a ride on the e-ricks would cost Rs 10-15 depending on the distance. Significantly, senior citizens will not be charged for taking its services.

The company will also enter into an agreement to park these ricks at MCD parking sites at night. The firm will get advert i s e m e n t rights from the civic agency in lieu of its service.

Added a senior official: ‘‘The company will pay us a monthly fee per vehicle for putting up advertisements on the new rickshaws. E-ricks will ply in the light motor vehicle lane.’’

Other facilities like LCD screens might be added to the existing model at a later stage to make it more attractive. The entire rickshaw model is recyclable.

These modern rickshaws ply in countries such as England, Australia, China, Canada, Denmark, Italy and Germany.

In fact, e-rick fleets were present at a number of international events such as the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the Expo 2005 in Japan and 2006 Football World Championship in Germany.

Delhi Metro trains on Central Sec-Badarpur line arrive

Metro trains have begun to arrive for the 20-km-long Central Secretariat-Badarpur corridor that is scheduled to be opened for public by September this year before the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

A total of 25 trains (four coach each) have been planned to be used on this corridor initially that will cater to an expected traffic of about 3.6 lakh passengers per day by 2011, a DMRC spokesperson said today. The 16 metro stations that will fall on this metro corridor include Central Secretariat, Khan Market, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Jangpura, Lajpat Nagar, Moolchand, Kailash Colony, Nehru Place, Kalkaji Mandir, Govindpuri, Okhla, Jasola, Sarita Vihar, Mohan Estate, Tuglakabad and Badarpur.

Six new Standard Gauge trains have already arrived in the Sarita Vihar depot located on this line and all of them are presently being assembled in the depot. They will be tested for technical fitness before undergoing for testing on the main line for load, braking, among other things, he said.

The Delhi Metro will provide easy metro connectivity to three venues of the Commonwealth Games 2010, that is, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium near the JLN Stadium Metro Station, the National Stadium near the Central Secretariat Metro Station and Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range near Tughlakabad Metro Station on this line.

The Delhi Metro had ordered 46 Standard Gauge trains for Phase II of its project from a consortium of MRMB - Mitsubishi, ROTEM, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. Out of the 46 trains, 11 are already running on the Inderlok - Mundka corridor.