India invites bids for part of bullet train project

National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHRSCL) has invited bids for part of bullet Mumbai-Ahmedabad train project between Vadodara and Ahmedabad.

Ahmedabad: The government has invited bids for part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project between Vadodara and Ahmedabad.

According to reports, the bids have been invited by National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHRSCL) for design and construction of civil and building works including testing and commissioning on design-build lump sum price basis for Double Line High-Speed Railway involving viaduct and bridges, crossing bridges, maintenance depot and one station between Vadodara and Ahmedabad.

According to reports, the bid has been invited for one station Anand/Nadiad (elevated) for a distance of approximately 90 km. The time for submission of bids is four months and the deadline set for the completion of the work is 1370 days. More than 66 % of the land required for the above-mentioned tender has been acquired.

This is the third tender floated by NHSRCL this year. With this, NHSRCL has invited bids ( all three tenders included) for the construction of about 69% ( 348 km) of total alignment of 508 km, including 21 km of the underground tunnel, 5 (five) elevated stations and one depot at Surat.

The NHRSCL had earlier this year invited bids for the 237 km out of 508 km-long Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project.

The bids were invited for viaduct between Zaroli village at Maharashtra- Gujarat Border and Vadodara in the state of Gujarat, (length: 237.10 km i.e 47% of total alignment of 508 km), elevated except one mountain tunnel of about 280 metres, 24 river crossings and 30 road & canal crossings, including 4 (four) stations: Vapi, Bilimora, Surat and Bharuch.

Another tender was for the underground tunnel of about 21 km, including 7 km of the undersea tunnel in Maharashtra.

The project, which is the biggest contract for civil construction in India, would cost about Rs 20,000 crore and the successful bidder will have to complete the work in 44 months, said reports.

NHRSCL is a joint venture of Government of India and participating state governments for implementing high-speed rail projects.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad line will have 12 stations - BKC, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati.