Metro Neo

Why in news?

• Finance minister announced allocation of Rs2,092 crore for Nashik Metro which will be developed as a “Metro Neo” service.
• The central government recently urged all state governments to consider using MetroNeo technology in their tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

About Metro Neo:

• MetroNeo is a comfortable, rapid, energy-efficient and less noisy transport medium.
• They are cheaper than conventional metro systems and are aimed at smaller cities with less passenger traffic.
• The MetroNeo service consists of electric bus coaches – their lengths varying from 18 to 25 metres – with a carrying capacity of 200 to 300 passengers at a time.
• The buses will have rubber tyres and draw power from an overhead electric wire with 600-750 V DC supply, similar to railways or trams.
• The buses will be air-conditioned, with automatic door closing system, level boarding, comfortable seats, passenger announcement system, and an information system with electronic display.

Feeder Bus Service

• A Feeder Bus of 12-metre length will be battery-powered and run on the existing road on the two feeder routes.
• The feeder bus batteries will get charged while operating on the main corridors that will enable seamless travel with a wider coverage. No separate charging facility will be required.
• The capacity of main corridors will be 15,000 PHPDT (peak hour peak direction traffic).
• The system has been designed in such a way that there will be a train service after every two minutes.
• The stations will be similar to other Metro rail stations and will have a staircase, lift and escalators with passenger information display. The station entry and exit will be provided on both sides of the road.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Consider the following statements regarding Metro Neo rapid transit systems, recently in news:
1.It is a metro system with a higher capacity than conventional metroes.
2.The trains in this system will run on dedicated rails.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

 Answer to Prelims Question