Nexans has been awarded a contract by Nanjing SR Puzhen Rail Transport (NPRT) of China as the exclusive supplier of all the onboard power, control and data cables for a fleet of 16 trains currently under construction for Phase 1 of the new Metro system in Mumbai, India.

Over a 12-month contract, Nexans is supplying NPRT with a total of 932 kilometres of specialised rail cables for installation on 16 4-car Mumbai Metro trains. The cables which belongs to the FLAMEX® range of special cables for the rolling stock industry will be manufactured to the international NFF standard, and will be used to distribute power throughout the new trains. They will also provide control and data communication services for a variety of high-tech ancillary systems such as signalling and passenger information.

Nexans has worked closely with NPRT to develop the ideal cable solution for each application. This collaboration has resulted in an important advance in cable technology for Nexans as it will be the first time that it has supplied twisted power cables for a rail customer. The twisted design has been specified for the power connection between the converters and traction motors to eliminate harmonics, this improves the stability of the traction system as well as meeting EMC requirements.

“The Mumbai Metro contract is a perfect illustration of the way that Nexans works in partnership with major rail industry contractors like NPRT to solve technical challenges and ensure high volume deliveries to meet a tight project schedule” said Stéphane Mortelette, Nexans Global Segment Manager for Rolling Stock. “It also shows our commitment to supporting the continued strong growth of China’s rolling stock industry as this will be our first major contract to be fulfilled using rail cables manufactured locally in China.”

The Mumbai Metro train power cables will be manufactured by Nexans (China) Wires & Cables Co.Ltd, while the control and data cables will be produced by Nexans Communications (Shanghai) Cables Co.Ltd.

The new Mumbai Metro project

The new Mumbai Metro will provide a high capacity transport system to relieve the increasingly overstretched rail and road networks serving the world’s second most populous city, with a current population estimated at 18 million. Phase 1 comprises a new 11 kilometre east-west route from Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar. Running on an elevated track, it will slash journey times on the east-west corridor from 90 minutes to just 21 minutes.