By Sanjeev K Ahuja www.hindustantimes.com
The civil work for India’s first privately-funded and promoted Rapid MetroRail Gurgaon (RMG), project that is slated to start in January 2013, has finally kicked off. According to company officials, while soil testing for the project has been completed, the work of pile testing is currentlyunderway.
The promoters — Rapid MetroRail Gurgaon Limited (RMGL), a joint venture between ITNL Enso Rail Systems (IERS) and DLF Metro — had achieved financial closure for the Rs. 1,088 crore project on June 5.
The project is expected to be ready by January 2013.
According to RMGL officials, the transfer of land from the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and private developer DLF has almost been completed, paving the way for civil work, to be done by Maytas Infrastructure.
The 6.1-km-long elevated track, on the standard gauge track, would begin near DMRC’s Sikanderpur Metro station.
From this point, the RMG would pass through DLF City-II and touch Belvedere Park and Towers, DLF Cybercity, National Media Centre and Ambience Lagoon apartments, before turning towards DLF SEZ in DLF City III.
Other locations en route are Hotel Leela Kempinski, Ambience Mall, Hotel Trident Hilton and the border toll plaza on the Gurgaon expressway.
Besides features such as the Automatic Train Operation (ATO) system (that does not necessarily require manual control of the train) and third-rail system (allowing train to draw power from below tracks), the aesthetics of the service include stations, which would be on the lines of the Dubai Metro.
