5 Firms Submit Qualification Bids for Visakhapatnam Metro Project
Five firms on Tuesday submitted applications (bids) for qualification in response to the Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation’s request for qualification (RFQ) notice, published in September 2017, for developing Visakhapatnam’s 42.54 km metro project on the public-private-partnership (PPP) model.
This is just the first stage of the bidding process, and after evaluating each proposal over the next month or so, AMRC will invite request for proposal (RFP) bids from those firms that get shortlisted.
The five firms who’ve evinced interest are –
• Adani Enterprises Limited
• Essel Infraprojects Limited
• IL&FS Rail Limited
• Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Private Limited
• Tata Realty And Infrastructure Ltd.
From the list, only IL&FS has prior experience in executing a metro project – the one in Gurgaon.
Vizag’s metro project was originally planned to be developed on the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model like the metro systems in Delhi & Bangalore, but in 2016 was found to be economically unviable by the central government. In 2017, the project was resurrected on the PPP model with an estimated cost of Rs 8800 crores. The government will fund the line’s civil construction while the developer will be required to fund the procurement of all systems (rolling stock, signalling, telecom etc), and operate & maintain the system for 35 years.
The system will consist of 3 elevated lines with 41 stations –
• Line 1 – Gajuwaka to Kommadi – 30.38 km with stations at Kommadi Junction, Hanumanthawaka Junction, Maddilapalem, Gurudwara Junction, Akkayyapalem, Kancharapalem, Muralinagar, Government Polytechnic College, Thatichetlapalem, Kancharapalem, Murali Nagar, GSI, NAD Junction, Visakhapatnam International Airport, Sheela Nagar, BHPV, Auto Nagar and Gajuwaka.
• Line 2 – Gurudwara Junction to Old Post Office – 5.25 km with stations at BVK College, RTC Complex, Dabagardens, Saraswati Circle, Poorna Market and Old Post Office.
• Line 3 – Thatichetlapalem to Chinna Waltair – 6.91 km with stations at New Railway Colony, Railway Station, Allipuram Junction, RTC Complex, Siripuram Junction, Andhra University and Chinna Waltair.
Here’s one of my old maps which shows all lines’ general alignment –
General alignment of Vizag’s metro line – view Vizag Metro map & info
Local news report –
I’ll write a follow-up post when the shortlisted firms’ names are announced, which would be sometime in April/May.
For more updates, check out the Visakhapatnam section of The Metro Rail Guy!
– TMRG
Quite a big city ignored in terms of rail based mass transit. Even suburban trains were never introduced. Thank god now it will atleast have a good metro connectivity.
R u sure this is going to happen.. I mean the metro for vskp. I doubt.
5 firms have shown general interest. Isn’t that a good sign of things progressing?
Whether the system gets built or not depends on the terms of the proposals, which will be submitted only by the end of the year.
SPCL give to Afcons
Tata reality to Tata project both having metro project
Afcons and Tata have design-build civil engineering projects. In this case, the winning developer will be required to execute/manage, operate and maintain the system.
underground section?
Project is entirely elevated
Not holding my breath for this project.
Chennai metro even a single corridor stations not fully opened so far. Tata and ILFS would be good choice.
Hi TMRG,
Is this is a design build or Item rate contract?
Neither. This is structured similar to Delhi’s Airport Express Line. Govt will provide funds to the project owner (Amaravati Metro) for civil construction. The rest (system procurement-installation-testing- commissioning, train operations & maintenance) will be managed by the winning firm.