Two projects. Both delivered ahead of time! Double delight!
Both the arms of Transportation Infrastructure IC – RBG (Railways Business Group) and RBF (Roads, Bridges & Formations) – under the leadership of Project Director, Sanjeev Gupta, collaborated to deliver two Mauritius Metro projects, both ahead of time, to a doubly delighted customer, the Metro Express Limited (MEL). That MEL can lay claim to have helped change the way the country of Mauritius commutes is thanks to L&T delivering so handsomely and both projects have won L&T Construction’s Timely Delivery Awards – 2023.
India’s first international integrated ‘Track to Train’ project, the 30 km long Mauritius Metro connects seven densely populated towns. Built on the FIDICSilver Book model, the project entailed design, engineering, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning.
Sanjeev Gupta
Project Director
“India’s first international integrated ‘Track to Train’ project, the 30 km long Mauritius Metro connects seven densely populated towns,” explains Sanjeev, in his characteristically clipped delivery style. “Built on the FIDIC-Silver Book model, the project entailed design, engineering, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning.”
Presently, 18 Urbos-100 Light Rail Trains (LRT) with a capacity of 422 passengers each run silently across the island on a multi-model track system of 60+TKM. Co-existing peacefully with the island’s road traffic, the LTR has 40 intersections that are regulated through a Traffic Signal Priority System and centralized operations.
The project in brief
The three phases of the project extend 30 km, initially from Curepipe to the Mauritian capital of Port Louis, and later, to include three stations between Rosehill and Reduit, apart from a full-fledged depot with workshop maintenance facility, 20 at-grade, three state-of-the-art elevated weather-proof stations, 6 urban terminals, including four interchanges. The LRVs switch over through the 11 shunting zones with interlockings triggered by an Automatic Vehicle Location system and the entire train corridor is controlled & monitored through an advanced Telecom System with radio communication through 11 Tetra Towers.
While the stations are scalable to manage future developments, the Mahatma Gandhi station is distinctive for its heritage aesthetic elements like rangoli-clad canopy columns, heritage lights, charkha, and quotes by Mahatma Gandhi. Further, park & ride facilities at the Vacoas Central and Coromandel stations have significantly eased traffic congestion.
Setting new benchmarks
“This project demonstrates our capabilities as an integrator to manage LRV, track, catenary, power, interlocking, TSPS, AVLS, Tetra, Telecom and ticketing systems, all of which have been commissioned,” points out Chirag Singhal, Lead – Railway Systems. “In fact, the embedded track, the first of its kind for an Indian organization, is powered through a 750v DC System supported by 1300+ OHL poles and 12 substations.”
Chirag Singhal
Lead – Railway Systems
This project demonstrates our capabilities as an integrator to manage LRV, track, catenary, power, interlocking, TSPS, AVLS, Tetra, Telecom and ticketing systems, all of which have been commissioned.
“The Mauritius Metro is a truly global project in every respect of the term,” observes Pankaj Lamyan, Head – Project Control. “Apart from constructing on foreign soil, we sourced equipment from as many as 22 countries, working with 700+ vendors across multiple time zones, and a team featuring 200+ expats and 2000+ workmen.”
Pankaj Lamyan
Head – Project Control
The Mauritius Metro is a truly global project in every respect of the term, we sourced equipment from as many as 22 countries, working with 700+ vendors across multiple time zones, and a team featuring 200+ expats and 2000+ workmen.
The RBF team executed six RCC viaducts of 4.3 km, seven bridges spanning 600 m, and a 62 m-long steel Warren Truss bridge, weighing 462 MT and designed for a 100 years, that was launched using the Push Launching Method across the River Cascade at Reduit. “The fabrication, shipment, assembly and launching of the Warren Truss was completed in a record time of just 9 months,” highlights a beaming Sanjay Upadhayay, Head – Formation.
Sanjay Upadhayay
Head – Formation
The fabrication, shipment, assembly and launching of the Warren Truss was completed in a record time of just 9 months.
The depot and the stabling yard comprise six buildings of 0.73 million sq. ft area, secured by high perimeter fencing with 23,000 sqm of paved area to facilitate vehicular movement and for easy unloading of the LRVs. An extensive 49.1 km drainage system runs along the metro corridor to check the water flow on to the track as well as adjacent road infrastructures. Apart from 24.5 km of road network along with tracks, the team has constructed 4 km of retaining structures.
“Our project incorporates aqueducts and secant piles used for the first time in Mauritius,” informs Sanjeev, “and two foot over bridges at Ebene and Dreamton have pathways for pedestrians to safely cross over the metro tracks and motorway.”
The 11 TSS buildings strategically placed throughout the project are architecturally designed to harmonize with the neighbouring business parks and residential societies. Equipped with waterproof facilities and emergency fire doors, these buildings prioritize safety and functionality.
“Expertise in project management and construction, the adept use of technology and skilled manpower have been the prime ingredients in our speedy delivery,” sums up S S Samal, Deputy General Manager, Accounts & Administration.
S S Samal
Deputy General Manager,
Accounts & Administration
Expertise in project management and construction, the adept use of technology and skilled manpower have been the prime ingredients in our speedy delivery.
Sanjeev, Chirag, Sanjay, and team are understandably delighted for having dramatically changed the way the average Mauritian commutes. Even as the small island nation celebrates a re-introduced transportation infrastructure, the team has been lavished praise for their handiwork by none other than the Prime Ministers of both India and Mauritius. Talk of building bridges between countries.