DB International plans to open an office in Bengaluru following its appointment as quality and safety consultant for the Kochi metro project.
“This initiative has strategic significance in light of the continuing process of globalisation and the rising prominence of the Indian market”, said Niko Warbanoff, Chairman, DB International, adding “we are confident that we can lend our support to India with our expertise in all areas of rail transport”.
Kochi Metro is executing a 25-km elevated metro line with 22 stations, which will be electrified using a 750 V DC third-rail power supply. The Rs.51·7 billion project will partly be met through a €180 million long-term loan agreement signed with Agence Française de Développement in February this year.
According to DB International, India is expected to invest up to €200 billion over the next decade to expand and upgrade its rail infrastructure, including conventional, high speed and urban rail projects.
Taking this step will bring Deutsche Bahn’s experts into close proximity with the important Indian market, clients and projects, giving them the opportunity to build local expertise in railway construction. There are plans to build new routes and to improve existing routes for high-speed transport, rail freight transport, S-Bahn rapid transit trains and U-Bahn underground trains, the company said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Kochi Metro is planning to lay underground power transmission lines along the entire metro rail corridor from Aluva to Pettah and relocating the transformers that protrude into footpaths and roads. KMRL is also working to acquire the pending land for the metro project, based on the Centre’s new Land Acquisition Act.