Metrolite and Metro Neo

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• The government is set to approve national standard specifications for Metro Neo, a no-frills, low-cost urban rail transit system aimed at cities with population of less than 10 lakh or suburbs of bigger cities.

About Metro Neo

• Metro Neo is a mass rapid transit system providing low-cost, energy-efficient and eco-friendly urban transport solutions for tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
• Metro Neo systems are lighter and smaller than conventional Metro trains.
• They cost about 25% of conventional systems but with similar facilities, and are cheaper than the other budget option Metrolite, which costs about 40% of the normal Metro.
• Drawing traction power from overhead wires, Metro Neo will not run on track but on road. It is suitable for places where the traffic demand is around 8,000 passengers one way in peak time.
• The Maharashtra government has already given a green signal for this state-of-the-art Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) for Nashik.

Metrolite

• The Centre has proposed a light urban rail transit system – ‘Metrolite’ – in small cities and towns having lower projection of ridership, with each train having three coaches and a restricted speed of 25 kmph. 
• The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has issued standard specifications of the ‘Metrolite’ system which will be developed on surface and elevated stretches. According to the ministry, the ‘Metrolite’, which can be developed at a lower cost in comparison with the existing metro system, will also act as a feeder system to the high capacity Metro.

 About Metrolite

• The ‘Metrolite’ system will have a dedicated path separating the road traffic with it. For segregation with road traffic, fencing can be provided on either side of the network.
• The three-coach train will have a capacity of carrying 300 passengers. Sources said the government would provide financial assistance to states to implement the light urban rail transit system.
• The maximum operational speed of the Metrolite is 60 KMPH. In any case, even with failure of On-board signalling, the speed is restricted to 25 Kmph.
• The ministry stated that the metro rail system being developed at present is of high capacity which is required for bigger cities with very high ridership.
• The ‘Metrolite’ train will comprise three non-separable coaches with low floor height of about 300-350 mm. Unit length should be of minimum 33 m.The car structure material will be stainless steel or aluminium.
• Seeing the success of the existing metro system, several small cities and towns want a rail-based mass rapid transit system, which could be fulfilled by a light urban rail transit system.
• The ‘Metrolite’ system will have shelter platforms. Metrolite platforms will not have AFC gates, platform screen doors, X-ray and baggage scanner.

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