While an Alstom Transport (India) Ltd-led consortium has bagged the Rs 400-crore contract for the design and supply of the automatic train control, signalling and telecommunication system, Alcatel has bagged Rs 83-crore automatic fare collection contract.

Alstom (India), along with its partners, Alstom Transport (France), Alcatel (Portugal) and Sumitomo Corporation (Japan), will use solid state interlocking which will be computer and microprocessor-based. Three companies - Siemens, Adtranz and Alstom - had pre-qualified for the contract.

The system will also be designed to ensure safety during operations since there will be an interval of only two minutes between two trains. The idea is to eliminate human error through use of automatic train protection (ATP) and automatic train operation system which in turn are monitored and controlled through a centralised operational control centre which is linked through an optical fibre network. Train radio communication and surveillance system will also be provided as part of this contract. The contract was signed by DMRC director Satish Kumar and the consortium members led by Alstom Transport (India) Ltd managing director Rob Hallett.

The other contract for fare collection was also signed on Monday by Mr Kumar and Mr Tim Cavanagh, managing director, Alcatel.The fare collection system is based on the smart card technology which will eliminate other fare media such as paper and magnetic tickets. Validation check and deduction or acceptance of the card will be done automatically by gate which will house card reader.The card can also be used later on Delhi Transport Corporation buses.

City card offers travel without hassles
Moving around Delhi could be as easy as swapping a card in the years to come. The Delhi Metro smart cards a la electronic purse are being billed as a Delhi city card which will allow the holder to use any service in the Capital without worrying about hassles in payments.

Alcatel is providing the technology for such cards which, besides providing access to the metros could also be used for paying parking fee and entry fee for museums and exhibitions.