Kolkata (Metro Rail News): Joka-Esplanade Metro will be India’s first Metro to run on the indigenously manufactured rail. The first lot of the rails reached Joka depot on Monday. Hitherto, all the Metros in India have been running on imported rails as Indian steel companies did not produce these head hardened (HH) rails, which are used for high-speed trains (>250 kmph), heavy traffic of varying axle loads for freights and Metro rail.
The 1080 grade HH rails are manufactured using an additional heat treatment. So far, these rails were used to be imported from Japan and Europe. Besides, supply issues from the foreign shores under the current situation, the manufacturing of HH rails is a move towards self-reliance. Now 20% of total procurement needs to be sourced indigenously.
According to a senior Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) official, the executing agency of Joka-Esplanade Metro, following the Railway Board’s policy of indigenization and economy in purchase and procurement, RVNL became the first company to place order with Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL), which was selected through a rigorous bidding process.
