The consortium of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and Russia’s CJSC Transmashholding have emerged as the lowest bidder to produce 200 sleeper versions of Vande Bharat trains. The firm has submitted bids for the Rs 58,000 crore contract to manufacture and maintain 200 new generation trains using the latest technologies.
The consortium has bid Rs 120 crore per train set, which is less than eight crore from the Chennai-based ICF’s production. The last Vande Bharat Express train costs Rs 128 crore a set.
Details of Contract:-
The Ministry of Railways‘ Railway Board has invited tender to manufacture 200 sleeper versions of 16 coaches of India’s first semi-high speed trains and to maintain them for the next 35 years. The winner of the contract has to produce the trains using the present technology developed by the railways, its staff, and factories.
Where to manufacture:-
These blue and white colour trains have to be manufactured at railway factories located in Maharashtra’s Latur and Chennai’s Integral Coach Factory (ICF). In Maharashtra’s Latur, the lowest bidder will have to manufacture 120 Vande Bharat trains while the second lowest bidder will get a chance to manufacture the remaining 80 trains at ICF.
Vande Bharat Depots:-
The supplied trains will be maintained at six to eight train depots located in 6 cities such as – Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Jodhpur, Kolkata, and Hyderabad.
Other bidders:-
The other bidders for the manufacturing cum maintenance works of the upgraded version of Vande Bharat Express trains are – the consortium of Bharat Heavy Electricals
The consortium of BHEL and Titagarh Wagons has emerged as the second lowest bidder. It has quoted Rs 140 crore for a train set.
Contract for Aluminium-body Vande Bharat trains:-
Last week, two major firms – Alstom and Medha Servo Drives Private Limited in alliance with Swiss major Stadler, submitted bids for the Rs 30,000 contract to manufacture 100 new-generation aluminum Vande Bharat trains in India.