Linxon Awarded Kochi Metro Phase 1B’s Power Supply Contract

Linxon Private Limited – a Hitachi ABB Power Grids & SNC-Lavalin Company – today announced it had been awarded the complete power supply contract for Kochi Metro’s under construction 2.95 km Phase 1B project which’ll extend Line-1 from Petta to Thrippunithura.

Kochi Metro Rail Ltd. (KMRL) had invited bids for this contract consisting of traction substations, auxiliary substations and a 750 V DC third rail system in March 2020, and opened technical bids on July 14 to reveal 3 bidders.

After technical bid evaluation, KMRL opened financial bids on July 29 to reveal that Sterling & Wilson had placed the lowest bid. However, the contract was awarded to Linxon, for reasons not disclosed by KMRL, after financial bid evaluation making this one of those rare instances where the lowest bidder lost out.

Update: A Linxon manager reached out with clarification indicating the bid was multi-currency in which bidders could quote prices in a combination of INR, USD and EURO currencies.

Combined Financial Bid Values

Firm	Bid
Sterling & Wilson – GSC JV	Rs. 53.49 crore
Linxon	Rs. 48.39 crore
Alstom	Rs. 54.45 crore

Contract: KAE-04

Completion Period: 938 days (2.5 years)

Scope: Design, design verification, detail engineering, manufacture, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of 750 V DC Third Rail Traction Electrification and Auxiliary Sub Stations (ASS) and associated SCADA systems for Phase-1 Extension.

The power supply contract for Phase 1 (Aluva – Petta) was awarded to Alstom in 2015.

Coming back to Phase 1B, there has been a tremendous uptick in pre-construction tendering activity over the past few weeks. KEC-VNC JV was awarded Phase 1B’s second civil contract for the SN. Junction – Thrippunithura section, while KMRL invited bids for the installation of heavy duty elevators and escalators under package KAE-02.

For more updates, check out the Kochi section of The Metro Rail Guy!

– TMRG