Three bidders vying for suburban rail project

The proposed Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP) has attracted interest from three potential suppliers of rolling stock. Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL), and Bharat Earth Movers (BEML) have all expressed their desire to provide coaches and rolling stock. The tender was officially opened by KRIDE in the presence of the bidders on May 16. The tender process consists of two stages. The first stage, known as the Request for Qualification (RFQ), requires bidders to demonstrate their eligibility by fulfilling the technical and financial criteria outlined in the tender document. Only the bidders shortlisted in this stage will proceed to the second stage, known as the Request for Proposal (RFP) or financial bid. During the RFP stage, bidders will submit both technical documents and a financial proposal. The contract for supplying and maintaining the BSRP trains, as well as providing trained crew, will be awarded to the lowest bidder based on the financial proposal. KRIDE invited bids for the RFQ tender on January 25 and accepted applications until May 15. Currently, the submitted documents are being scrutinised. Once a detailed examination and thorough evaluation of the documents are completed, the selection of bidders for the RFP stage will be finalised. Despite some delays, officials assure that progress is being made on the project. The construction of the corridor-2 line (Mallige line), spanning approximately 25.2 km from Benniganahalli to Chikkabanavara, is currently underway and is being prioritised. The Bengaluru Suburban railway mentioned that they have successfully moved from the planning phase to the execution phase. One of the main challenges faced is the presence of defence land at various locations along this corridor, including Banaswadi garrison, Airforce Jalahalli, and CQAE Yeshwantpur. However, there has been positive development as the Air Force authorities recently signed an MoU for the handover of land at the Airforce Jalahalli location and granted permission for the construction of a boundary wall at Jalahalli. Also read: Mumbai's Underground Metro Project to Finish by June 2024Byappanahalli-KR Puram metro segment to open on July 15