L&T Emerges Lowest Bidder For Bullet Train Project, Set To Win Order
Infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) emerged as the lowest bidder for the design and construction of a portion of the 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), responsible for the development, execution and maintenance of the upcoming high-speed rail corridor, said on Monday that L&T was the lowest bidder in the auction of the project, which comprises the 88-kilometres-long stretch of viaduct - a type of bridge - between Vadodara and Ahmedabad, and the Anand/Nadiad Station.
An NHSRCL official said that the bids are being evaluated, which will take few more days. The process to award the letter of agreement (LoA) to the lowest bidder will be decided after evaluation, the official added.
According to NHSRCL, three bidders participated in the bidding process. Bidders included Afcons Infrastructure, IRCON International, a JMC Projects India-led consortium, and the NCC-Tata Project-J Kumar Infra Projects-HSR consortium.
Technical bids for the tender had opened on September 25.
L&T has already bagged the National High Speed Rail Corporation's contract for development of the 237-km stretch of the bridge between Vapi and Vadodara under the mega deal, which includes four elevated HSR stations - Vapi, Billimora, Surat and Bharuch - and one train depot in Surat.
The order represents 46.6 per cent of the total length of the project, making it longest amongst all the packages, running elevated from Zaroli Village on the Maharashtra-Gujarat border to the Vadodara station through four stations (Vapi, Bilimora, Surat and Bharuch) in Gujarat.
The 508-km long Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project is funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and will cover 155.76 kilometres in Maharashtra, 4.3 kilometres in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and 348.04 kilometres in Gujarat, with 12 stations along the route.
Upon completion, the high-speed rail will operate at 320 km per hour, covering the entire distance in approximately two hours with limited stops, and in three hours with all stops.
