2818 smart rail_report_the_future_of_asian_rail_ii

2 www.SmartRailWorld.com The Future of Asian Rail II
As an international organisation, we work with the rail operators, metros and
suppliers all over the globe. But there is nowhere with more activity, growth
and innovation in the sector than in Asia. With a population already of 4.3
billion (60% of the world’s total) which is set to grow significantly. This growth
not only offers opportunities but also leads to increasing pressure on the
region’s natural resources. Whilst Asian cities are among the most polluted in
the world. Of the 15 largest cities on the planet with the worst air pollution 12
are in Asia.
One of the major factors in both continuing the growth of the continent
and also ease stresses on natural resources and the environment is the
development of a public transit networks. In The Future of Asian Rail
(published June 2014) we looked at several aspects of this but with the
industry always changing we have quickly returned to provide this e-book with
all new chapters.
All of the themes of this e-book will be discussed and presented upon and
several of the contributors confirmed as speakers at SmartRail Asia Congress
& Expo, in Bangkok Thailand, 26-28 November 2014 – a unique business and
development platform covering the entire value chain from South East Asia’s
leading authorities, rail and metro operators, international contractors and
solutions providers.
Each of the features within this e-book was first published in an abridged
form on SmartRail World www.smartrailworld.com which offers a truly global
perspective on rail and metro signalling with a strong focus on Asia. Recently
re-launched with a fresh new look to ensure you are enjoying the latest news
and become a subscriber for free today.
Many thanks to all the contributors who took time to speak to me and help
make this book happen.
Regards and thanks,
Luke Upton
Editor
SmartRail World
Dear colleague,
Many thanks for
downloading
The Future of
Asian Rail II
PS – If you would like to contribute to SmartRail, please email:
Luke.Upton@GlobalTransportForum.com
Contents
1 Nation Building through rail;
HSR and South Korea
2 Free public transport; dream
or reality?
3 Interview: Mr. Atsushi
Yokoyama, Director, Technical
Center at JR East
4 ‘Teflon Thailand’ on track for
rail business
5 Interview: Filippo Scotti,
Managing Director of Alstom
Transport in East Asia Pacific
6 India Insights with AK Dutta,
35+ year veteran of the
industry.
7 Interview: Joffrey Lauthier,
Head of Sales, Asia-Pacific at
Bombardier Transportation

The post-war economic development of South Korea (known
popularly as Miracle on the Han River) saw rapid and significant
export-fuelled economic growth leading to democratization,
industrialization, technological innovation, an education boom, a
large rise in living standards, successful hosting of Olympics and
FIFA World Cup and emergence of multinational conglomerates
such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai-Kia. And one of key factors
in this development, as both a cause and effect, has been the
growth of a national rail infrastructure followed by a High-Speed
rail (HSR) network.
Since 2004, when the first HS passenger train departed, South
Korea has become one of the leading global nations in the
development of dedicated HSR routes. Operated by KORAIL
(Korea Railroad Corporation, formerly Korean National
Railroad) the first public high-speed trains ran on April 1, 2004.
SmartRail World takes a look at the development of HSR in
South Korea and speaks exclusively to Professor Ilkwon Chae,
Chief Researcher, Graduate School of Environment Studies,
Transportation Studies Group at Seoul National University and
adviser to the Korean government.
Development of South Korean modern rail infrastructure began
with the first Five-Year Development Plan (1962–66), which
included the construction of 275km of new railway lines. And by
1987 the combined length of the country’s railroad network was
approximately 3,340km.
But by the 1980s, as the rapidly growing and industrialized South
Korea boomed, already crowded transportation facilities such
as roads and railroads began to strain under the pressure. A
new transport route between Seoul and Busan was required and
high-speed rail became the obvious choice. A formal feasibility
study was carried out and plans for high-speed train travel
began between 1984 and 1991, followed by a contract signed
with a GEC-Alsthom-led consortium in 1994. Testing began in
2000 with the first Korea Train eXpress (KTX) running between
Seoul and Busan on April 1, 2004. In doing so South Korea
became the fifth country in the world country to run a 300km/
high-speed rail operation country following Japan, France,
Germany and Spain.
I asked Professor Chae, who has over 18 years experience with
railway strategic planning and infrastructure projects about
the importance of this launch of high-speed rail to the South
Korean nation: “The development of high-speed rail in South
Korea has been very important. Firstly as an economic driver, is
has added a great deal to the wealth of the nation. This Mega-project
has been proved very lucrative for KORAIL. After the
first year of the operation of the high-speed line between Seoul
and Busan it turned a profit, successfully diverting passengers
from automobile and airline travel. Automobile use had grown
massively in South Korea and although congestion is still a
challenge, the development of high-speed rail has helped
offset this. It has also increased employment. And finally, has
given Korean companies the railway facilities and rolling-stock
platform to develop their own technologies, which they can not
only use domestically but also as an export. An obvious example
of this being Hyundai-Rotem who following work on the Korean
high-speed network now work across such varied train networks
as Ireland, Brazil, Turkey and India so on.”
Since the launch of the first lines in 2004, a number of other
high-speed lines have developed. One interesting aspect of the
development of the KTX services is that high-speed rail can now
connect most major cities within two hours of travel until 2020.
This is part of a government policy to create in effect a ‘mega-city’
around Seoul Metropolitan region which is 60% of the
country’s population lives with a commutable distance from the
nation’s capital.
What does the future hold for South Korean rail? Professor
Chae again; “Continued growth! A new terminal in Seoul’s
Gangnam District is under construction and will open in 2016.
Construction of a second high-speed line to Gwangju began
in December 2009, and is to open in the first half of 2015. And
a new line from Wonju to Gangneung is under construction
to serve the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. Exciting
Korean national infrastructure development impacts are also
underway with the KTX working with nations around the world
in developing technology and solutions, examples including
Singapore, Malaysia and other railway developing countries.
South Korea has really seen benefits on a number of levels
from the development of high-speed rail and increasingly other
nations are too.”
The development of KTX in South Korea has not been without its
challenges but is now widely viewed as one of the world’s most
successful government run projects. And has not just delivered
improved transport links and a GDP growth within the nation but
enhanced Korea’s railway technology capability, grown its ability
to deliver large-scale projects and boosted the national image.
All railway skills that are likely to help grow its reach further
within the expanding global rail market.
“South Korea has really seen benefits on a number
of levels from the development of high-speed rail
and increasingly other nations are too.”
Nation Building through rail; HSR and South Korea

Paris in the Springtime is usually a delight, with a return of the
pavement cafés and cultural life for which the French capital
is globally famous. This year however, there was less cause for
celebration as the city was beset by a severe smog. The Eiffel
Tower was barely visible and the Café au lait drinkers remained
indoors as experts measured pollution levels similar to Beijing,
one of the world’s most polluted cities. This smog offered
significant risks to the public health, particularly the old and
those with existing respiratory problems. A radical solution was
required.
The response from the city authorities was two-fold. Firstly,
the speed limit was reduced on certain roads and a reduction
in car use forced by a ruling that banned cars depending on
their number-plate (alternating days between odd and even
registration numbers). An estimated one million cars were
ordered off the roads with the ban was enforced by 60 control
points and police issuing €22 ($30) fine for rule breakers.
The second response was to make all public transport (local
trams, buses, trains and subways) completely free of charge
for three days. This move cost nearly $3.5 million per day
but in alliance with the traffic calming measures, did lower
pollution levels. The plan worked. Unfortunately, although
markedly increasing passenger numbers there was no precise
measurement of the increase as all gates were open. (Ed-which
seems a shame for such an amazing development).
Now, no one would currently expect Paris to do this
permanently, as fares cover just under half the operating costs
of RATP, the Metro operators. But it does open up an interesting
question, could public transit ever be free?
Many people reject the idea out of hand, saying free transport
would cause far more problems than they would solve. But there
are successful examples from around the world of free travel.
The French town of Châteauroux transit fares in 2001 — and
ridership increased more than 200 percent during the following
decade. Whilst probably the biggest example is Tallinn, the
capital of Estonia which made all public transit in the city free
for residents (though not tourists) in January 2013.
For Tallinn residents, all that is required for limitless free rides
is a deposit of €2 to acquire a smart card which is required
to be used when boarding and exiting buses and trams. They
also must carry an identification card proving that they are
a registered resident of Tallinn.This registration aspect is
particularly interesting, prior to the free transit plan there were
40,000 unregistered City residents. But once registered they
could get their card. And then be added to the city’s tax records
and boost the cities tax yield.
Other parts of the world have seen similar developments.
With similar initiatives in Brazil, Greece, Romania, Gibraltar
amongst others. As reported on SmartRail World, Singapore
is offering free rides for on its transit network early in the
morning to relieve crowding during the peak rush hours. Whilst
the concept is widely accepted in many college towns in North
America and Europe that offer free buses linking campuses and
accommodation.
If we accept that free transport could be funded by taxation or
from commercial sponsorship, what are the prospects of this
becoming a global trend? The Free Public Transport Association
(tagline - Because Highways Lead to Hell) see the decision as
an easy one particulary in their home city: “With just a marginal
tax-raise (in Stockholm, capital of Sweden, all commuters who
earns less than 5000 Euros a month would benefit from this), the
public transport system could be made free at the point of entry.
This would lead to a decline in car-traffic and a surge in the
demand for public transportation, which in turn would stimulate
a much needed capacity and comfort increase in the public
transport system.”
However, in a study from National Center for Transportation
Research in the USA a number of major disadvantages
including; in larger networks a significant revenue shortfalls,
a sharp increase in vandalism and hooliganism, declines
in schedule adherence and increased costs in security and
vehicle-maintenance amongst others. And several free transport
initiatives have failed or had to bring in small fares to keep
running after promising starts, for example the free transport
pioneer of Hasselt in Belgium.
EDITOR’S COMMENT: This idea of a free, integrated transit
system is a fantastic one putting transport on a level with
other public services like healthcare, education and police. For
small cities and towns it can be rationalised and be a sensible
solution but even with new ways of funding transport, it’s not
something we are going to be seeing in major cities anytime
soon. The amount of money gained through fares is simply too
big to be removed, even with changes to tax systems and greater
commercial sponsorship.
Free public transport; dream or reality?

SmartRail World journeys to Tokyo, to gain some insights into our industry from the East Japan
Railway Company (JR East) - the largest passenger railway company in the world. Incorporated on
1 April 1987 after being spun off from the government-run Japanese National Railways (JNR), the
numbers that JR East support are huge - 59,000+ employees, 1,688 stations, on average 12,784 trains
a day travelling across 7,512.6 kilometres transporting 16m passenger a day. To find out some more
details of their work both in Japan and abroad we talk to Mr. Atsushi Yokoyama, Director, Technical
Center at JR East.
LUKE UPTON (LU): Hello Mr. Yokoyama, asmeans of an
introduction, could you inform our readers a little about the
international work of the East Japan Railway Companies?
ATSUSHI YOKOYAMA (AY): Of course. Currently, JR East is
developing an overseas railway consulting business in upstream
fields such as business feasibility studies and design around
Japan International Consultants for Transportation Co., Ltd.
(JIC), a subsidiary JR East established in 2011. We will of course
focus on fast-growing Asia as a priority region but we also intend
to address railway projects in various other regions.
LU: And there are clearly some strengths in doing this as an
operator?
AY: Yes, there are many that lie in our expertise in railway
management and administration, including operation and
maintenance. Furthermore, working closely with companies
worldwide, we aim to participate in overseas railway projects
including in the operation & maintenance field.
LU: JR East had to overcome the challenge of rebuilding
following the earthquake of 2011. What did you learn from this
experience?
AY: When the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, the
earthquake countermeasures steadily implemented by JR
East until then proved effective to a great extent. However,
the earthquake also revealed issues that we must address
to ensure a higher level of safety. Based on this experience,
we have worked to implement earthquake countermeasures
in preparation for events that are conceivable such as an
earthquake directly beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area,
focusing on both tangible and intangible aspects. In these
ways, we are working to build a railway capable of withstanding
natural disasters. (Editor, for more on this: www.jreast.co.jp/e/
environment/pdf_2013/p13_16.pdf)
LU: High-speed rail and Japan are synonymous for many with
the rail industry, how much further do you see high-speed
developing?
AY: Since Tokaido Shinkansen, the world’s first high-speed rail,
opened in 1964, the Shinkansen has taken pride in achieving
a record of absolute safety with no one ever having been killed
or injured as the result of a railway accident. The Shinkansen
continues to provide safe and stable transportation unparalleled
anywhere in the world. We will continue our R&D efforts toward
achieving an operational speed of 360 km/h for Shinkansen.
These efforts will be focused on improving stability during high-speed
operation and reducing the environmental impact to areas
along Shinkansen lines.
LU: At SmartRail Asia you’ll be talking about long term
maintenance through ICT, can you give us a little insight into this
presentation?
AY: JR East is working on R&D for using ICT to innovate work
such as maintenance. In the maintenance field, we changed
our outlook to see what we are working on as assets and
introduced a “smart maintenance strategy” that maximizes
asset performance, and we are conducting R&D to achieve that.
Specifically, the strategy has three components: preventive
maintenance based on individual conditions, asset management
based on data, and expert systems for tasks such as malfunction
analysis.
LU: And finally, what most excites you about the future of rail in
Asia?
AY: We will tackle the challenge of technological innovation in
various fields. Besides in-house R&D activities, we will embrace
the approach of open innovation where we utilize external
development capabilities and intellectual property. I’m looking
forward to discussing the future of rail in Bangkok in November.
Interview: Mr. Atsushi Yokoyama, Director,
Technical Center at JR East

In deciding where the location of the Asian edition of the
SmartRail event series was to be held, the team had some
difficult choices. There are many fantastic locations around Asia
that could host this landmark gathering of 3000 rail professionals,
but in the end the decision was an easy one – Bangkok in
Thailand was confirmed as the host. Thailand has a developed rail
infrastructure with its metre-gauge rail system one of the best
in the world, and train travel is easily the best way to get around
& see the country. Plus with at least US$93 billion confirmed rail
infrastructure spend planned by 2021 and its excellent location
and thriving city of Bangkok it was an easy choice.
SmartRail Asia is on track to be a major industry event with
nearly 100 executive speakers confirmed along with a large
Expo and an expected attendance of around 3000 delegates
at the BITEC in Bangkok between 26th and 28th November
2014. The growth and progress of this event has been strong
through 2014 but many of you will be aware of the recent
political developments in Thailand that have also taken place
this year. After six months of political strife and after failing to
broker an end to a seven-month feud between the government
and protesters, May 22nd saw the intervention of the Royal
Thai Armed Forces led by General Prayuth Chan-ocha. The rail
sector continued to function throughout this and the foreign
firms working within the industry in Thailand on current projects
suffered no direct disruption; however, all new projects have
been on-hold since the dissolution of the previous government
at the end of last year.
But SmartRail World was keen to find out more so decided
to speak to Marc Spiegel, originally from Brooklyn, New
York and now a 10 year resident in Asia, to find out the latest
developments in Thailand. Marc is uniquely placed to offer an
expert viewpoint, he’s the Bangkok based Regional Managing
Director at Vinarco International, who works primarily with the
rail industry (amongst others) to deliver highly-skilled experts
and multi-discipline consultants for demanding technical and
professional roles, and also deliver out-sourced services by
their own internal teams of such specialised consultants. But
in addition to his position with Vinarco he also lends his time to
a number of international trade bodies including the Board of
Trade of Thailand where’s he a Director and the Joint Foreign
Chambers of Commerce in Thailand (JFCCT) of which he’s a
Vice-Chairman.
Considering his experience, I started by asking Marc what
makes Thailand such an attractive place for companies to open
up in: “For inward investment, Thailand is fantastic, particularly
for manufacturing and SME’s. All the key aspects such as
permits, land purchases, visas, etc. all made straightforward,
primarily due to strong incentive programs from the Thailand
Board of Investment (BOI). And the rail sector, being a key area
of growth for the nation, is particularly welcoming. There has
been some upheaval this year, but Thailand is still a great place
to call home to. As you may have seen it has continually been
voted the world’s number 1 most attractive city for international
visitors and with the quality of life high, but cost competitive,
that’s no surprise.”
The scenes that followed the May intervention were beamed
around the world, but I wanted to know what the future holds.
Marc again; “I think it is important to separate the politics from
economics when it comes to this. The new regime has some
clear goals when it comes to the economy and in particular the
national infrastructure. Certainly there was stagnation and the
new regime is digging in to tackle these problems. We expect
the 2015 fiscal budget to be approved shortly and then for new
infrastructure projects to begin again”
So opportunities for rail growth continue? “Absolutely. There is a
massive opportunity for further rail development in Thailand. We
are already seeing developments in the revised Infrastructure
Bill and the recent double tracking announcement. Thailand
already has a very strong rail system and I’m excited to see it
grow further. People described the economy in Thailand in being
‘Teflon’ – in that it has overcome a coup, a financial crisis and
the flood in recent years, and still continues to develop. There’s
no better example of the continued growth and potential of
Thailand than in its rail sector. And it’s great that SmartRail Asia
and the rail industry is coming to the fantastic city of Bangkok
to see both the fantastic developments taking place, and also to
take advantage of the opportunities this growing rail economy
presents” concluded Marc.
The numbers certainly match up Marc’s experiences. Recent
announcements have confirmed the infrastructure development
budget for Thailand has been increased to 3 trillion baht (in
order to include the expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport), the
equivalent of US $93 Billion. This announcement was followed by
confirmation that three electric train lines in Greater Bangkok,
and a dual-track railway are set to proceed in fiscal 2015.
Already in progress, is the MRT System (under supervision of
MRTA) for the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, totally 10 projects.
There are also another 1-2 projects under planning with high
recommendation to be under supervision of BMA (Bangkok
Metropolitan Authority).
‘Teflon Thailand’ on track for rail business

SmartRail World travels to Singapore to find out more about Alstom Transport operations in the
region. Alstom Transport, a name familiar to us all, develops and markets a complete range of
systems, equipment and services in the railway industry and boasts a number of the world’s most
famous industry brands within its product portfolio including very high speed, high speed, regional &
suburban, mass transit, signalling, services and infrastructure. Present in 60 countries and 90 sites
with over 28,000 employees, Alstom Transport has had a presence in the region for over 20 years and
we gain some exclusive insights into their current work, challenges and opportunities in the region
from Filippo Scotti, Managing Director of Alstom Transport in East Asia Pacific...
LUKE UPTON (LU): Thanks for the time today Filippo, our
SmartRail World readers will all be familiar with Alstom and
its work and long term experience within all segments. But as
means of introduction though, could you perhaps tell us a little
about some of the projects you are working on at the moment
within the region?
FILIPPO SCOTTI (FS): Hello Luke, Alstom Transport has a strong
and long term presence in the region through projects covering
our entire product portfolio. Asia Pacific remains a growing
market and is the world’s second largest railway market,
with a focus on segments such as mass transit, regional,
signalling, infrastructure and services. This is driven by two
factors; the need of additional urban transportation capacity
and the improvement of the current capacity due to congested
cities. The first is addressed with the construction of new lines
and extension of existing lines and the second is through the
revamping of present lines. Among the key markets, India,
China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Vietnam and
the Philippines are forerunners. Each of these countries have
a mix of needs; from building of new lines, extending existing
ones to refurbishing old lines with a clear intention to increase
operational effectiveness.
LU: Working out of Singapore but in a multi-national business,
what are some of the trends you are seeing in Asia and how do
they compare to what your Alstom colleagues are seeing in the
rest of the world?
FS: Being a key player with a global presence is a strategic
advantage for the developing markets as they can leverage on
the return on experience of more mature ones. A majority of
the countries in Asia are developing markets and thus attracts
healthy competition from local players such as the Korean,
Chinese and Japanese as well as the Western companies.
Customer wise we address some very experienced ones, who,
leveraging on their proven track record, have exported their
competences and know-how and others who are developing
their competence still focusing in the local market, also
seeking solutions that have been proven elsewhere. Although
having intimate customer relationships is a key business driver
everywhere, in Asia it has a greater emphasis driven by the
need for long term engagement and stability. Thus, emphasis
is placed on developing local talent and their competence to
foster organisational agility and establishment of long term
relationships.
LU: There are a large number railway projects currently being
developed in Asia. From a supplier point of view, what advice
would you give to a city or nation just beginning the process of
developing a system such as this?
FS: Long term engagement is paramount to the supplier-customer
relationship, as such, the partner with a return on
experience from other parts of the world, who is committed
to the development within the region or country, would prove
to be more successful. The experience can bring added value
to the customer, not just in technology, but with the evidence
that it has delivered the expected results elsewhere. Secondly a
company which has clearly committed to remain in the region,
through continued investment with a strategy for continuation
and critical mass to develop and improve its current system
assures the customer this long term relationship and support.
Value for money – experience is also an important parameter
to be considered while selecting a supplier. This value comes
also from the long term experience, proven track record and
sustainable commitment in the region for the long term.
LU: Thanks, the booming Asian rail market offers plenty of
opportunities, but what are some of the challenges?
FS: I think I’ve touched on two of them – the intense competition
driven by the growing market and competitivity which results
in the pressures on price, providing a higher value for money.
Furthermore, business in Asia requires a long term commitment
and customer intimacy, both of which need time to be
developed. In Alstom, we are fully engaged in the market with
the presence of over 20 years and through our deep connection
with our customers as well as continued development and our
commitment to develop our local team. For anybody deciding
to develop business in Asia, I would stress the importance of
consistency, continuity and relationships that will eventually reap
rewards for the company in the long term.
LU: And finally, what most excites you about the future of rail
business in Asia?
FS: Lots! I’ve spent two thirds of my working life in Asia, my first
day of work was in Japan. I do love living in Asia. I appreciate
the local business culture, dynamism and diversity. Moreover,
what is motivating is to have the opportunity to contribute to the
countries that are at the start of their rail transportation journey,
playing a key role in their development.
Interview: Filippo Scotti, Managing Director of
Alstom Transport in East Asia Pacific

Today SmartRail World Editor speaks to AK Dutta, Adviser
& former Director (Infrastructure), Indian Dedicated Freight
Corridor, Indian Railways Board and an industry leader with a
great deal of experience within this sector in this wide-ranging
interview a number of areas are covered.
• The role of a high capacity freight backbone.
• The future of High-Speed Rail.
• Challenges and opportunities within the nation.
• What will Indian Rail look like in 2030?
LUKE UPTON (LU): Thanks for the time today, perhaps as an
introduction you could inform our readers a little of your career
within rail?
AK DUTTA (AKD): My passion began with the steam railways on
meter gauge in my childhood spent close to a small wayside station
in Eastern India. After graduation in Electrical Engineering in 1977,
I joined Indian Railways and have worked within rail ever since.
Looking back over my 36 year career, 24 of which was spent on
project management, from the managing construction projects in
the field up to the project administration and policy at the Indian
Railway Board/Ministry of Railways. Taking an innovative approach
in each assignment was sharply utilised while heading Divisional
O&M in an insurgency prone area where I helped deliver incident
free management for two years using the best techniques of
human engineering. Other innovations which I developed and worth
mentioning are: the design of Overhead Traction System under the
overhead washed coal loading bunkers at Railway loading terminals
and public safety from electrical fire in general and fire on trains
has been a mission area for me in last 20 years.
Prior to my current assignment as Advisor to RailTel Corporation
of India, I worked as Director Infrastructure as a functional Board
Member of Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India, taking
the project through the crucial planning stage up to completion
of procurement of all consultancy services and procurement for
1000km of double line electrified track for double stack container
operation.
My current interests are in the field of Railway communication
through public network and development of an Asian Railway
Network for sustainable peace in the region.
LU: What are the latest developments in developing a high
capacity freight backbone in India?
AKD: The golden quadrilateral railway network (Delhi-Mumbai-
Kolkata-Chennai and Bangalore) of Indian Railways covering
approx. 12,000 km carries 60% per cent of the one billion tonne of
freight moved in the Indian network. This high capacity backbone
through dedicated freight corridor will be the future freight
backbone of rail transportation in India. A 3300km route of this
backbone is already under construction between Delhi-Mumbai
(1,500km) and Ludhiana-Delhi-Kolkata (1,800km). The first 66km
of the eastern freight corridor is expected to be commissioned
during the current fiscal year 2014-15. The procurement of
track works for over 1,000km on western corridor and 750km on
eastern corridor has been completed, and physical works are in
progress. Physical works of 27 major bridges out of 54 bridges
near Mumbai is also in progress along with construction of
formation on the western corridor from the Jaipur end.
The project investigation work for other freight corridors and
developmental planning for the associated industrial corridors on
remaining four corridors is also in advance stages.
The funding for existing eastern and western corridors with the
debt component being mobilised through JICA loan (USD 8.204
Bn) for the western corridor and through World Bank loan (USD
2.725 Bn) for eastern corridor have already been tied up. The
remaining fund for the equity portion has been committed through
the budgetary resources. A number of global development
agencies have shown keen interest development of future freight
corridors along with the associated industrial corridors as part of
integrated infrastructure developmental policy.
India Insights with AK Dutta, 35+ year veteran of
the industry

LU: Could you outline some of the principal challenges in
developing freight in India, and how these are being overcome?
AKD: Land acquisition in agriculture dominant country with
the associated social impact mitigation and environmental
clearances were the principal initial challenges faced. The land
acquisition and its social impact mitigation has been addressed
by customised legislation which came into force in 2008 (Railway
Amendment Act, 2008) for special railway projects and adopting
a liberal model for compensating affected land owners. The role
of financial institutions like World Bank and JICA through their
institutional support in sensitising the land acquisition officials
in Railways and State Government has been the key in meeting
this challenge to acquire nearly 90 per cent of 10,000 hectares of
land strip, spread over 11 provinces, required for construction of
two freight corridors. Similarly all the environmental clearances
are in place except one or two which is in the final stages of
approval with the National Green Tribunal and no bottlenecks are
anticipated on this account.
LU: In other parts of the world, in particular the USA, we are
seeing a large boom in the transport of petrochemicals via rail, is
this something you are also seeing in India?
AKD: The Indian scenario of petrochemical transportation via
rail is the converse of the US experience as at the present rail
transport volume of approx. 42 million tonnes constitutes a modal
share of 27%. While the petrochemical industry is growing at
5% per annum the growth in rail transport is less than 1% and
the modal share may even go down as the industry’s priority at
present is for pipeline over rail transportation.
LU: High-Speed Rail is a development currently being discussed
at length in India, what are your thoughts on it? Will this be a
development seen within the next 10 years?
AKD: High-speed Rail development in India is most discussed
topic not only amongst the infrastructure providers but also
amongst the rail users especially in rapidly developing sectors
Pune-Ahmedabad, Deli-Jaipur, Delhi-Bhopal, Delhi-Kanpur-
Lucknow, Chennai- Bangalore, Secunderabad-Bangalore etc.
The project feasibility study for high-speed rail development
on Pune-Ahmedabad via Mumbai already underway jointly by
JICA and Indian Railway is in its last stage. The intent of the
government to develop high-speed rail in India has also been
reflected in the Railway budget for 2014-15.
The institutional framework by setting up High Speed Rail
Corporation as a subsidiary of one of the existing public sector
enterprise of Ministry Of Railway has been an important step to
focus the efforts in developing the high-speed railways in India.
It would not be unreasonable to expect with the current pace of
development and the will of the Government of the day to expect
physical visibility of a 50 to 100km high-speed railway section in
making in India in next 10 years.
LU: And finally, what do you think will be the biggest difference
between the Indian rail network in 2014 and it in 2030?
AKD: The Indian Railways network between 2014 and 2030 would
see the following biggest differences:
• Rail freight infrastructure ownership would shift into the hands
of public enterprises gradually leading to the segregation of
fixed infrastructure and mobility for the carriage of contents
both in freight transportation.
• This would pave the way for non-discriminatory open access
to all qualified railway operators by payment of track access
charge to the fixed infrastructure owner.
• The above two changes would naturally call for regulation in rail
tariff.
• The infrastructure development both in freight and passenger
would undergo a paradigm shift from incremental planning to
quantum planning approach.
• Last but not the least, the cargo transit time would be matching
with the passenger transit time over long distances with the
least carbon footprints.
• High speed rail journey would be a reality in India for distances
up to 700km and open the possibility of its adoption for
distances 0f 1000km and above
LU: Thank you very much Dutta, some fascinating insights. An
exciting time to be involved in Indian Rail!
India Insights with AK Dutta, 35+ year veteran of
the industry [cont]

Bombardier Transportation are one of the world’s largest companies in the rail-equipment
manufacturing and servicing industry. In addition to manufacturing a wide variety of passenger rail
vehicles and locomotives, Bombardier Transportation provides services for commuter train providers
and employees over 34,000 staff worldwide. SmartRail World speaks to Joffrey Lauthier who has
over sixteen years of system integration experience in rail transportation projects. And having led
engineering teams and rain large-scale projects in Singapore and India has an extensive knowledge of
the rail infrastructure market in Asia Pacific.
LUKE UPTON (LU): Hello Joffrey, as means of an introduction,
perhaps you could let the readers know what train control
projects within Asia Bombardier are focusing on at the moment?
JOFFREY LAUTHIER (JL): Hi Luke, of course, we have been
successfully delivering signalling projects featuring CBTC and
ERTMS technologies. This year is not different, and our teams
in Asia are busy delivering a number of key projects: Klang
Valley MRT Line 1, Bangkok Purple Line, and Delhi Metro Line
7. We are also working on two large mainline signalling projects
for Pakistan Railways and a collection of smaller projects for
various rail authorities across the region.
LU: Thanks. The Rail Control Solutions Centre at Gurgaon in
India is a great initiative and big commitment from Bombardier.
What are the aims and objectives of the Centre?
JL: We wanted a dedicated engineering team focused on the
growing mass transit market in India. To develop such a local team
and their specialised technical expertise, we knew we needed
critical mass; and with contracts for Delhi Metro Lines 5, 6 and 7,
we now have enough work in India to justify the investment. I must
say we have had much success attracting talented candidates to
join this new engineering centre. Their future is bright: the pipeline
of opportunities is healthy and the new government is likely to
accelerate the pace of infrastructure investment.
LU: Bombardier recently acquired Rail Signalling Services in
Melbourne. Can you tell us more about your plans in Australia?
JL: That’s a very exciting development for Bombardier and RSS.
The two companies are very complementary: RSS has the local
engineering expertise to deliver signalling projects in Australia,
while Bombardier brings its advanced signalling technology to
enable the business to grow further. The combined signalling team
can also leverage Bombardier’s historical presence as a turnkey rail
systems supplier, and as the main car-builder in Australia.
LU: With your experience in radio-based signalling technology,
how can you see it improving Asian rail operations?
JL: Communications-based train control is the de-facto
standard for metro lines nowadays and our technology is in
operation on a number of lines in China, South Korea, Taiwan
and Thailand.
In addition, Asian mainline railways have also much to gain from
adopting radio-based solutions. Based on our experience, we
see that operators can gain many benefits from radio-based
solutions compared to operating with conventional signalling.
For example, we are deploying our INTERFLO radio-based train
control mainline projects in Kazakhstan, the first of which went
into commercial operation this year, and we see there are clear
CAPEX, OPEX and safety improvements over traditional solutions.
LU: Interesting, the booming Asian rail market offers plenty of
opportunities, but what are some of the challenges?
JL: Cities are expanding and car ownership is rising fast which
can result in gridlock. Rail offers a solution as seen in the
success and ridership of the many metro lines operating, but
the rail network is not expanding at the same pace as the cities.
Governments are promoting Public Private Partnerships (PPP)
to circumvent budgetary constraints. Plugging the viability gap
has proven to be difficult though. Only after factoring the social
and environmental benefits of rail will we see a clear shift from
road to rail.
LU: And finally, what most excites you about the future of rail
and metro in Asia?
JL: Asia is home to more than half the world’s population. There
is not one large city that is not considering another metro line,
tramway or monorail. Rail transit is so popular that one of the
key challenges is to increase the capacity of older lines. On that
front, Bombardier is well-positioned to support mobility needs
and deliver high-capacity signalling solutions.
LU: Thanks Joffrey, looking forward to hearing more in Thailand
in November.
Interview: Joffrey Lauthier of Bombardier
Transportation

2818 smart rail_report_the_future_of_asian_rail_ii

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to 2818 smart rail_report_the_future_of_asian_rail_ii

Similar to 2818 smart rail_report_the_future_of_asian_rail_ii (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (16)

2818 smart rail_report_the_future_of_asian_rail_ii