Success in India: Knorr-Bremse partners with Alstom to equip metro trains for megacities Bhopal and Indore
- On behalf of Alstom, Knorr-Bremse is fitting braking and climate control systems to 52 Movia metros ordered by Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited
- Trains will serve on metro lines currently under construction in Bhopal and Indore
- Knorr-Bremse systems are in high demand for major projects in the emerging Indian rail market
- For Knorr-Bremse, the order value is in the lower double-digit million-euro range
Knorr-Bremse is to equip more metro trains destined for major cities in India in partnership with Alstom. The equipment includes braking and climate control systems for 52 Alstom Movia trains with a total of 156 railcars ordered by Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) for Bhopal and Indore. Knorr-Bremse will also provide comprehensive services for these technologies over a 15-year period. With this order, Knorr-Bremse is benefiting from the dynamic development of India’s transportation sector while contributing to safe, reliable, eco-friendly mobility in the country’s mass transit segment.
Dr. Nicolas Lange, Member of the Executive Board of Knorr-Bremse AG and responsible for the Rail Vehicle Systems division: “We’ve been working closely with local markets and customers in India for the last 30 years. The understanding and expertise we’ve acquired is paying off in the form of long-term customer relationships. For example, our high-quality systems solutions have already proved their worth in many other Indian metro fleets in cities like Delhi and Mumbai. And now we’re bringing our high standards of dependability and market-leading quality to this new Alstom project in the state of Madhya Pradesh.”
Olivier Loison, Managing Director, Alstom India, said, “Our integrated rolling stock and signalling project with MPMRCL for the Bhopal and Indore metro is a strong step forward in the infrastructure modernization in both the cities. Our global partnership with Knorr-Bremse allows us to provide the best-in-class solutions to our customers transforming the passenger experience. We look forward to our continued engagement and success in India.”
Safe and reliable rail mobility for major cities
To serve Bhopal and Indore, MPMRCL has ordered 52 metro trains from Alstom, totaling 156 railcars. Starting in 2024, they will go into service on overground and underground lines in both cities, traveling at speeds of up to 80 km/h. Of the metro trains, 27 are destined for Bhopal (31 km, 30 stations) and 25 for Indore, some 200 kilometers away (first construction phase: 33 km, 29 stations). The trains will play a vital role in India’s mass rapid-transit systems (MRTS), which are intended to provide reliable connections for commuters in the country’s rapidly growing cities. India has recently implemented a number of innovative, large-scale projects involving metro transit systems in various parts of the country.
Quick deliveries, long-term service
Knorr-Bremse was able to impress Alstom with three benefits in particular: punctual deliveries of high-quality products, dedicated technical support at all stages of the project, plus the two companies’ shared experience of India’s most recent major metro project, Agra-Kanpur, for which Knorr-Bremse is also providing equipment. Generally, Knorr-Bremse is a key partner for a number of customers in the ongoing development of the Indian transportation sector.
The brake control unit at the heart of Knorr-Bremse’s braking systems is based on market-leading software expertise from the company’s Technology Center in Pune, India (TCI). At TCI, Knorr-Bremse employs more than 800 people, and recently even expanded the facility to host a total of 1,300 specialists and engineers.
The energy-efficient and highly reliable climate control systems supplied by the Group’s Merak brand are already installed in several Indian metro systems, working to ensure onboard passenger comfort. Among others, the systems have an energy-saving free cooling function as well as they feature CO2 sensors and an intelligent fresh air control mode for optimized in-train air flow. Knorr-Bremse will start to supply Alstom with the technologies for Bhopal and Indore in the immediate future; deliveries are expected to continue through to mid-2025. At the same time, Knorr-Bremse will take responsibility for the long-term servicing of the braking and climate control systems, thus making a vital contribution to the high availability and reliability of the metro services.