Right track

The man behind Delhi's world-class Metro system is a man who has won many accolades including France's highest recognition, Legion d' Honour in 2003. Time magazine has termed him an Asian hero. Despite all the praise heaped on him, E Sreedharan is a man who simply believes in doing his job well.

December 25, 2002 was a historic moment for Delhiites.
Considered the world's most expensive Christmas gift, the Indian capital joined an elite club of international cities -including London, Paris and New York -which boast a world-class metro rail network. The project's first phase has cost about $1.7 billion (Dh6.2 billion).

For Elattuvalapil Sreedharan, it was the culmination of five years' hard work. Sreedharan's first contact with the project was in early 1997, when he and 10 other experts from Indian Railways sat on a steering committee to create the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

Gradually, this grew to a team of 150 people. The emphasis was less on paperwork and more on decision making, he says.

When Sreedharan became the first managing director of DMRC, a decade ago this November, there was no office, staff or telephone. In fact, he started operating from Rail Bhavan, Indian Railways' headquarters in New Delhi, until a temporary office was organised.

Developing an organisation with the right attitude, commitment, dedication and work culture was a challenging task, he says.

From junior engineers to the top directors, the technical team of DMRC toiled for four years to build Delhi's first Metro route. The first phase of the 8.3-km stretch included six stations in east Delhi.

And surprisingly, even though the trains and stations have no toilets, garbage bins or drinking water, no one is complaining.

Instead, there are accolades. The Delhi Metro has an ISO-14001 certificate, a rare recognition for eco-friendly public transport -an award it shares with the New York subway.

"The Metro is a dream come true for commuters," says Sreedharan. "Travel will be easier in a few years' time when the entire city will be well connected. And travelling from the Indira Gandhi International Airport to other parts of the city will also be possible soon."

With its unobtrusive construction, the Metro has created an immense amount of goodwill. Staggeringly, the project received unflinching support from all ends of the political spectrum. Its progress was never affected by changing governments.

The economic knock-on effects from the Metro are also blossoming. Stations are becoming shopping epicentres for commuters. Some already have adjoining malls with more opening shortly.

Eventually, all stations will boast ATMs, food outlets, pharmacies and internet cafes. And real estate developers are jockeying with each other to land projects located near the Metro stations.

"Passenger convenience has been our uppermost aim. But in this case it's a two-pronged benefit. DMRC is making ends meet to make the stations not just commuter friendly but also commercially viable," Sreedharan says.

Reliability in what can be an unreliable city is paramount to the network's success.

"At times, when the entire city reels under prolonged power cuts, the Metro has a smooth run, as it has multiple sources for power supply. It sure has become a hotspot in many ways," says Sreedharan.

In the journey towards excellence, he gives credit to the entire DMRC team for their hard work and dedication in making the Metro a success.

Driven by the boundless passion to put Delhi on the fast track to progress, he has led by example and brought a result-oriented corporate work culture to government offices.

The 74-year-old was also given France's highest honour; Chevalier de l'Odre National de la Legion d' Honour in 2005. The award recognised Sreedharan's long-standing commitment to the development of transportation infrastructure in India and his valuable contribution in enhancing Indo-French relations.

French companies like Systra, Alstom, Cogifer and Geismar contributed to the Delhi Metro's engineering, signals and fare collection systems.

Listed as one of the 'Asian Heroes' by Time magazine 2003, Sreedharan is also the recipient of the Padma Shree, for services to India.

I
Did I dream of this Metro? No, I just stumbled on the job. I neither worked towards it nor dreamt about handling a Metro at all when I was in service and even after retirement.

It was a sudden call from the Government of India asking me to take over the Delhi Metro. The call came in early 1997 when I was inducted into the search committee to find an efficient managing director for the Delhi Metro.

Somehow the committee could not find a proper person. So towards the end of the year the Delhi Government insisted I take over.

I had my reservations as first I was already handling the Konkan Railway Project, which was not expected to be ready before December 1997 and hence Indian Railways wouldn't release me.

The second reason I had was that I was 64 and (I thought) that they should opt for a younger person. But ignoring it all, the government was adamant that I visit Delhi for a discussion.

On reaching here, I found myself being introduced to various dignitaries and it all seemed like a selection process where everyone said I should take over the project.

When I told them to first let the Indian Railways release me, they suggested I handle both projects for some time. I did not object to this, but I was anxious to produce results … I wanted to be able to deliver the project on time.

I was straight about my terms -I wasn't interested in the salary or perks, I only wanted freedom to make decisions without any political or bureaucratic interference. They agreed. So I went back to Konkan Railways and did not hear from anyone for several months.

In October 1997, the Government of India (gave me the go-ahead). I officially began as managing director of DMRC on November 4.

I do not think my job is done now that the Metro is running. Rather, I feel it is a continuous responsibility. As days go by, the seat (I occupy) becomes hotter and hotter.

So far we have completed only Phase One of the project. We still have a lot in hand and, as of now, have to go on until Phase Four. We have chartered a plan of action for Delhi Metro until 2021 and by then will have covered about 350 km. And this is just for construction.

That apart, we also have the operations and maintenance of the lines already functional.

I look at hurdles as challenges that one has to get over.

I don't budge an inch when bureaucratic demands are made on me. Officially, the demands come from politicians and I refuse to act unless they are meaningful. Sometimes demands are made in my personal life as well and I use the same rationale there also.

I think people hang outside compartments because there is no space to get in. But in a Metro people cannot hang outside. Doors have to be closed and only then the train moves. But yes, in suburban railways this (hanging outside) happens normally.

I travelled on the London Underground for the first time in 1966, when I was sent to London by Indian Railways as a Colombo Plans scholar for training in the UK. (This was part of a Commonwealth education initiative.)

I define achievements as milestones … and in a project like the Delhi Metro there are many milestones one comes across.

If I have to choose between trains, planes and automobiles, I would most certainly opt for trains. My background is that of a railway man and I am most happy with this.

I think the magic of trains is that the fascination never wears off. Trains entice everyone, particularly children. Even as a child I was attracted to trains and even today that charm remains.

Me
Me and my childhood:
I was born on June 12, 1932, in the remote village of Chaliyattiri in the Palghat district of Kerala. And I stayed with my mother, Elattuvalappil Ammalu Amma, and father, Kizhuveettil Neelakantan Moosad, until the age of 8.

Chaliyattiri was a village with no electricity and water facilities. And the nearest bus route was about 6 km away. Even today it's a very nice and untouched village. And I visit the place quite often.

My father was very keen that I be given good education but due to lack of any good school, I was sent to the village Chathanur to stay with my elder sister and had my education there and grew up with her.

My sister will be 100 years old this November. She is more like a mother to me. I remember we had to walk 1.5 km to school and on the way had to pass a railway station.

While returning from school I would spend time at the station and watch the trains come and go. For me, that was great entertainment. Those days we had steam engines and it was very exciting.

Me and my family:
My wife's name is Radha. Our children -three boys and one girl -are all married and we have nine grandchildren. We are a very close-knit family and make it a point to meet frequently.

Our convergence point is generally our daughter's place. In our community, girls are given a lot of importance and they are considered the main fulcrum around which the family revolves.

Me and a decision that changed my life:
After finishing my early education, I joined Victoria College, Palghat, and later graduated in civil engineering from the Government Engineering College, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, in April 1953.

After a short stint as a lecturer in Civil Engineering in Kerala Polytechnic, I joined Bombay Port Trust as an apprentice engineer for a year.

What brought about a significant change and changed the course of my life was the decision to appear for the All India Competitive Examination for the Engineering Services in the Indian Railways in 1953.

I qualified from Chennai and joined Southern Railway as a probationary assistant engineer in 1954.

Thereafter, I held a number of assignments and was in charge of new line constructions, including the Mangalore-Hassan railway line, and also maintenance of permanent ways in Palghat and Hubli divisions.

During this period, I was given the Railway Minister's Award for restoring the Pamban Railway Bridge in 46 days. (The bridge connects Mandapam and the island of Rameshwaram at the very southern tip of India.)

As deputy chief engineer, I was in charge of investigation, planning and design of the first ever Metro in the country at Kolkata, from 1970 to 1975.

On promotion, I became a chief engineer and handled the major Railway Construction projects from 1976-79.

Later, for a year I was on deputation to the Ministry of Shipping and Transport as chairman and managing director of India's premier shipyard at Cochin. During this time, the first ship, Rani Padmini, was built.

In 1987, I was general manager of Western Railway and in 1989 ex-officio secretary to the Government of India. On retirement in 1990, I was put in charge of the Konkan Railway as its managing director and joined the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation in 1997.

Me and my work:
Technically, the Metro is a highly complex project. And magnitude-wise quite huge, involving a lot of money. So it poses a real challenge.

Fortunately, I have been able to shape the project the way I wanted and we have managed to complete the project in phases well before time. I am happy that the command that I took of the project has made headway with no glitches and I have been able to serve the people.

The project's influence on me has been such that I have become a more organised person. I have had to educate myself properly and learnt to keep the team going. The project is a part of my life these days and has enriched me in many ways.

Every day is a working day and these days my only activity is work related to the Delhi Metro. I do not indulge in social activities and for me recreation means going for a walk.

Me and oddities:
I hardly ever come across oddities. Work is very well streamlined and well planned. There are no sudden developments or last-minute changes.

Me and the 'man on the street':
It's a very congenial and friendly relationship. In fact, I always feel I have to do something for the man on the street. And that means not merely in terms of providing a good viable transport system, but, if possible, something more.

Me amid this surge of humanity:
I gel very well with the rest of humanity. I never stand aloof -I am a part of the whole system, society and the nation.

Myself
Do you need to read self-help books in order to manage yourself or your ambitions better?
I am very fond of self-help books and read any such book I can lay my hands on. They have been extremely helpful in many ways and I try to practise whatever is possible.

Do you come early to the station and wait for the train or simply rely on a timetable and hope for the best?
I make it a point to reach the station early and wait for the train to arrive, because trains are not dependable and train timings are not under my control, whereas organising my own time properly is in my hands.

But in the Delhi Metro the situation is different. It is a well-oiled system and we know that the train will come at a particular time, unlike the Indian Railways, where trains could be late by several hours.

What connotations do the expression 'missing the bus' have for you, particularly when there is a bus every half-hour?
Missing the bus means missing an opportunity. If you don't catch hold of the opportunity that has come your way, you are a loser, because the opportunity will not be repeated. So saying 'there is a bus every half-hour' is not correct in this context.

Why is it said that the journey is more important than the destination? If you did not know your destination, why would you make the journey?
I feel it is not the journey, but the destination that is important and it is important to know the destination first and then to decide on the journey one wants to make, which could be by foot, vehicle or train.

And once you have chosen the destination and decided
the mode of transport, you can enjoy the journey.

Experience isn't interesting until it begins to repeat itself. Any experience that you would want not to be repeated?
God has been kind and I cannot really think of an experience that I detest. Of course, losing my mother -if you can count that in this category -is something no one would like. But then these things are inevitable and have to happen.

An accident that occurred in 1964 in Hubli is another experience I would like not to experience again. I was executive engineer in charge of a survey where one had to do a lot of trips on a jeep.

Once after coming back from one such inspection, my jeep collided with a truck and turned turtle. Fortunately, I survived and managed to come out from under it with only a few bruises.

Given a chance, which other project would you like to take up? Or any existing project you would like to alter and do it your way?
If I have to do a job again, it would certainly be a Metro rail project, where I have acquired sufficient expertise and am sure I will be able to add value to whatever work I undertake.

Maybe I will do it in a different manner and probably plan it in a still better way -the way we are doing in Metro Phase 2. The manner in which we decide on contractors and the contract package is different now and we have been improving.

And improvements are possible even further. But then, I am certainly not looking forward to any new assignment.

A public service facility is the first to be criticised, the first to be taken for granted, the first to be abused, the first to be neglected, and the last to be given the respect it deserves. Comment.

I compliment Delhiites for taking to the Metro in a very enthusiastic manner, despite the type of habits they have. They have maintained and respected the system very well and kept the trains and stations clean.

We have only had two problems since 2002. The first was during the introduction of the Shahdara-Tis Hazari sector when, out of curiosity, a large number of people wanted to travel and we did not have sufficient trains. There was terrible over-crowding and a lot of chaos.

The second incident was recently during the Delhi bandh (closure) organised by the traders in view of the demolitions taking place in the city. Some people threw stones and damaged the coaches. These were the only ugly and adverse instances regarding Delhi Metro.

Did you visit any other metro in the world before the launch of Delhi Metro?
I had the good fortune to be associated with the Kolkata Metro during the initial planning, investigation and study. During that assignment, sponsored by the Government of India, I visited a number of major metros all over the world.

These included Russia because Russians were then our consultants, Japan, London, Paris and Germany. So that had already given me a good insight.

Once we took up the Delhi Metro project, whenever we had any doubt, any clarification, I was free to go and see other metros functioning, learn a lesson and try to implement this and improve our project. And today I can say that our Metro is as good as any other in the world.