Four bids for metro coaches
12 companies attended pre-bid meeting
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-04-05 04:35 GMT
Kochi: The tendering process for procurement of rolling stock for the Kochi Metro Rail has not received the expected response as except for four, all other players who had initially displayed interest, seem to be having second thoughts.
“At least 12 big players like Alstom and Hyundai-Rotem participated in the pre-bid meet held in Delhi on April 2, but only four of them have bought the tender documents so far,” said Delhi Metro Rail Corporation sources.
The tender documents are bought for a non-refundable fee of Rs 2,62, 500. But the final picture could arise only by May 5, the last date for submission of the tenders.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s global tender for Rs 750 crore is for design, manufacture, supply, testing and, commissioning of 75 standard gauge cars with an option to procure an additional 75 coaches as and when required.
Its earlier global tender for procurement of coaches had run into a controversy with allegations that it had asked for 2.90 meter wide coaches to favour a particular firm.
Of the two bidders, Hyundei-Rotem/ BMEL-India and Band Changchun Railway Vehicle Co Ltd, which responded to those tenders, the latter was found ineligible.
The tender was later cancelled and the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd decided to relax the norms to bring in more players. “Hyundei-Rotem has successfully bid to supply coaches to the Delhi metro and it is now in the running for Kochi Metro too,” sources added