The first lot of 5,000 tonne of rails from France have arrived in Hyderabad for use in the metro rail project.
These rails will be laid as tracks at the project’s Uppal depot soon, a press release from L and T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited (LTMRHL) said on Wednesday.
The rails were shipped to Mumbai and from there transported by road on 60-feet special trailers to the Hyderabad metro rail Uppal depot.
The rails for the Hyderabad metro rail project are being procured by Tata Steel, France. They have a proven record of supplying rails to major railway projects in the world and also to the Indian market, the press release said.
Speaking on the occasion, VB Gadgil, chief executive and managing director of the project, said: “This is another important milestone for the Hyderabad metro rail project. With the arrival of rails from France, track laying work will commence at the Uppal depot soon.”
A total of about 22,500 tonne of rails are required for the project and will be be procured in six lots as per the project schedule. Accordingly, the first lot of 5,000 tonne rails have been shipped to Mumbai.
The rails are 18 m long and weigh about 1,100 kg each. In view of the sharp curves and steep gradients, it has been decided to use wear-resistant head hardened rails for the complete main line and normal rails for the depots.