METRO EXPRESS: Metro Express Construction Proceeds at Lightning Speed

Metro Express CEO Dr Das Mootanah dials in to Enterprise Africa from the Ebene suburb of Quatre Bornes, Mauritius, which he likens to Canary Wharf in the UK: just five kilometres south of the capital, Port Louis, its own construction began in November 2001 with the district being vaunted as a new information technology hub for Mauritius and a vital link between African and Asian markets.

Located at the heart of the island and often referred to as Cyber City, it is the second most important business hub after the capital and the preferred destination for both wealth and employment creation through the use of information technology. Its inaugural building, the iconic Cyber Tower One, was voted Intelligent Building 2005 by the Intelligent Community Forum of New York and propelled Mauritius to a higher level of technology-led enterprise.

“It is something of a technological and financial hub,” Dr Mootanah explains, “and where the likes of PWC, Allianz and Deloitte have their headquarters; our head office is proudly situated here, too, in one of Mauritius’s most noteworthy and successful business parks.” The quarter has provided the sturdiest of bases for the introduction of the island’s very first light rail system, with Metro Express incorporated in October 2016 and wholly government-owned.

EXPRESS DELIVERY

“We are responsible for the implementation of a multimodal transport system by pioneering a new sector in the local transport industry through the development, financing, construction, operation and management of the Metro Express Light Rail Transit (LRT) System in Mauritius under the Metro Express Project,” Dr Mootanah outlines. “Our vision is to create integrated public transport opportunities by delivering sustainable world-class transport solutions.”

As cities grow and public expectations for low-carbon transport options increase, light rail and other forms of mass transit are experiencing a resurgence as governments seek to improve connectivity and reshape cities. Done well, mass transit systems can reinvigorate neighbourhoods, generating economic uplift and creating a distinct identity for the communities they inhabit. Most importantly, they also unlock opportunities, giving people greater choice in how they live, work and travel.

The Metro Express alignment, Dr Mootanah expands, will occupy a 29.5 kilometre corridor beginning in Curepipe and ending in Port Louis, and a leg from Rose Hill to Reduit, punctuated by 22 stations along the way. “We started the construction in 2017, and finished Phase I, representing almost exactly half of the initial 26km total, in a record time of two years,” says Dr Mootanah.

Having worked for more than 20 years in infrastructure in the UK and in Sydney, on some high-profile mega-projects including the 2012 London Olympic Games and HS2, Dr Mootanah has abundant knowledge of multi-modal transport and is well-placed to recognise the significance of this feat, which saw seven of the route’s stations constructed and 13 kilometres of line laid down and operational.

“To be able to complete this aspect of the project in such a time is quite extraordinary, even looking on objectively” he sums up. The operational section of the route connects the island’s third-largest town Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, located in the Plaines Wilhems District, with Port Louis, and has since June last year been bolstered by a further 2.5km stretch to Quatre Bornes, also known as La Ville des Fleurs, tipping the line to over halfway towards completion and adding station number nine to the roster.  

“Since June 2021 more than 15 kilometres has been functional,” Dr Mootanah proudly states, “and we managed to complete the latest portion from Rose Hill to Quatre Bornes during lockdown, another huge boon to all involved in the project.” The monumental effort was supported by Larsen & Toubro ltd, the major Indian technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and financial services conglomerate, and consultant RITES Ltd, another renowned multi-disciplinary consultancy organisation in the fields of transport, infrastructure and related technologies.

“These agencies work with us on this priority transport infrastructure project, the largest of its kind ever undertaken in the country since independence,” Dr Mootanah says of these crucial collaborations.  

As of 08 May 2022, Metro Express Ltd has completed nearly 18.5km of railway with 12 stations now operational and open to the Mauritians.

PHASE II UNDERWAY

This major light rail undertaking was commissioned with the aim of addressing several key challenges prevailing in the country at the time – a rapidly-growing economy, increasingly unsustainable car ownership and limited public transport options all combined to engender considerable congestion during peak traffic periods. The strategic need of the project was made more urgent by the requirement to improve road safety and reduce carbon emissions and enhanced accessibility, mobility and connectivity between employment centres.

“The vision of the Metro Express is to deliver a modern, alternative mode of public transport that supports the country’s development and economic growth strategy,” Dr Mootanah stresses. “The benefit of Metro Express is that there will be an aggregate effect on the economy, as by developing the infrastructure through these towns and developing transport hubs, the project will act as a catalyst for incremental growth.

“As the first light rail system in Mauritius, the project is a key developmental step for the country to become an inclusive, high-income economy by 2030. In addition to the economic benefits, there is the environmental benefit of using a light rail transport network and giving the Mauritian people the option of getting out of their cars.” With Phase I so expertly, and swiftly, taken care of, attention now switches to the project’s second major chapter.

“We are about to put the finishing touches to half of the second phase, within the next few weeks” Dr Mootanah informs, “and what we have come to call Phase II B, the Quatre Bornes to Phoenix segment, has just been inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Mauritius the Hon Pravind Jugnauth. We are looking at a real success story so far, especially now that Covid has cleared the way for our ridership to begin to return to the levels we were observing pre-pandemic, and expect everything to be completed by December 2022.”

There is a sustainable angle at the forefront of this development Dr Mootanah proudly unravels, manifesting Metro Express’s concern for the environment and resultant commitment to applying and promoting the most environmentally-friendly approach possible across all of its activities. “The Metro Express runs on electricity and is therefore a greener vehicle,” Dr Mootanah explains. “For instance, the energy generated when the brakes are applied in the LRVs is automatically stored in the overall system and redistributed for use across the network, in station lighting and powering the electronic ticketing machines.

“Furthermore, to compensate for the loss of the Roland Armand walkway between Rose Hill and Beau Bassin, MUR 100 million was allocated for the creation of the nearly 27,300m² (over 8 Arpents) Ebene Recreational Park, where for every tree that was unfortunately and unavoidably removed, we have planted three more trees.”

This project, and the speed at which everything to date has been successfully implemented, is understandably a matter of deep personal pride for Dr Mootanah; having returned to Mauritius after so long away he saw this as the ideal opportunity to use his wealth of experience to impact the whole country. “With so much background in integrated transport, delivering projects to deadlines, and transport infrastructure development I knew I would regret not taking up this chance, and this project really is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he effuses.

“The last time a train left a station in Mauritius was 55 years ago; this is a project which is really delivering something unique. We are positively disrupting the industry,” he adds, “putting forward the vision of a new, smart Mauritius, and of an integrated transport network. It represents a significant challenge for the country, but above all a remarkable improvement for the people of Mauritius.

“This project is one of the most complex national infrastructure developments ever undertaken, which is all the more reason to be proud of it.”