Afcons & TATA Win Delhi Metro Phase 4’s Underground Work

January 18, 2021 Update: DMRC has issued LOA for DC-05 to Afcons Infrastructure with a contract value of INR 2404,99,99,990.71 + EURO 85,79,782 (Approx. Rs. 2481,50 crore) – see details.

January 17, 2022 Update: DMRC has issued LOA for DC-07 to Afcons Infrastructure with a contract value of Rs. 1608.09 crore + Euro 68,00,000 (Approx. Rs. 1669,20,96,000.00) – see details.

November 23, 2021 Original Post: Afcons Infrastructure and Tata Projects Ltd (TPL) today emerged as the lowest bidders for constructing 3 underground tunneling packages (DC05, DC07 & DC08) of the 65.1 km Delhi Metro Phase 4 project.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had invited bids for all 3 civil packages in May & June 2021 with a 42 month deadline financed by JICA through a Rs 8,390 crore ODA loan.

• DC-05: Afcons is L1 (Magenta Line’s 7.46 km Derawal Nagar to RK Ashram section with 6 stations)
• DC-07: Afcons is L1 (Silver Line’s 6.477 km Sangam Vihar to Tughlakabad section with 3 stations)
• DC-08: Tata Projects is L1 (Silver Line’s 6.11 km Aerocity to Kishangarh section with 4 stations)

Package DC-05

This 7.46 km underground section connects a ramp north of Derawal Nagar with RK Ashram via 6 stations at Derawal Nagar, Ghanta Ghar, Pulbangash (interchange with Red Line), Sadar Bazar, Nabi Karim & Ramakrishna Ashram Marg (interchange with Blue Line).

This is the 4th (and final) civil package of the Magenta Line’s 28.92 km Janakpuri West – RK Ashram extension. Other packages are 12.375 km DC-01, 7.473 km DC-03R, 2.03 km underground DC-06 – all of which are under construction.

DMRC had previously estimated DC-05 to cost Rs. 2444.828 crore, but I’m not sure if that is still current. Technical bids were opened in September to reveal 4 bidders.

Financial Bid Results

Firm	Bid (Rs. Crore)
Afcons	2481
ITD Cem	2547
Gulermak	3445
L&T	3475

Brief Scope: Design & Construction of Twin Tunnel by shield TBM, Tunnel by Cut & Cover, Underground ramp at Derawal Nagar and Six underground stations viz. Derawal Nagar, Ghanta Ghar, Pulbangash, Sadar Bazar, Nabi Karim & Ramakrishna Ashram Marg Including Architectural Finishing, Water supply, Sanitary installation, Drainage works of stations on Janakpuri West to R.K. Ashram Corridor (Line-8 Ext.) of Phase-IV of Delhi MRTS.

The assigned contractor will be required to use at least 4 tunnel boring machines (TBMs). DC-05’s design details such as crossover and ramp locations can be viewed here.

Package DC-07

This 6.981 km section on the eastern side of the 23.622 km Silver Line will connect Sangam Vihar Station’s east-end and Sarita Vihar Depot via 3 stations at Maa Anandmayee Marg, Tughlakabad Railway Colony, and Tughlakabad where it will form an interchange with the Violet Line’s station built in Phase 2.

DMRC had previously estimated it to cost Rs. 1365.51 crore, but that was up to only Tughlakabad Station. The package’s scope now includes tunnels all the way up to the existing Sarita Vihar Depot, which will be augmented to stable and maintain the Silver Line’s train-sets.

Technical bids were opened in August to reveal 6 bidders. During technical evaluation, HCC – JMC JV and STEC were disqualified.

Financial Bid Results

Firm	Bid (Rs. Crore)
Afcons	1669
ITD Cem	2070
Gulermak	2254
L&T	2412

Brief Scope: Design and Construction of Underground UP & Down Tunnels by Shield TBM from end of Cut & Cover tunnel near Sangam Vihar metro Station up to existing Sarita Vihar depot, Underground Ramp and Cut & Cover Tunnels near Sangam Vihar and Tughlakabad metro station and Underground Metro Stations at Maa Anandmayee Marg, Tughlakabad Railway Colony and Tughlakabad including Retrieval/Launching shafts on Aerocity Tughlakabad corridor of Delhi MRTS Project of Ph-IV

DC-07’s design details such as crossover locations and TBM launching shafts can be viewed here.

Package DC-08

This 6.116 km Aerocity – Kishangarh section is on the western-end of the 23.622 km Silver Line and comprises of 4 stations at Aerocity, Mahipalpur, Vasant Kunj and Kishangarh.

DMRC previously indicated this section to cost Rs. 1349.37 crore, but I’m not entirely sure if that’s still the current value. Technical bids were opened in August to reveal 7 bidders. During technical evaluation, STEC was disqualified.

Financial Bid Results

Firm	Bid (Rs. Crore)
Tata Projects	1734
ITD Cem	1737
J Kumar Infraprojects	1859
Afcons	1875
Gulermak	2305
L&T	2333

Brief Scope: Design and Construction of Twin Tunnel (Up & Down Line) by Shield TBM, Cut and Cover Tunnel box and four Underground stations namely Aerocity, Mahipalpur, Vasant Kunj and Kishangarh with Entry/Exits & Connecting subways from chainage (-) 760 mt. to 5356.285 mt. of Aerocity to Tughlakabad Corridor of Phase-IV of Delhi MRTS.

DC-08’s design details such as crossover locations, TBM launching shafts and Aerocity Station’s design, in relation to the upcoming Delhi – Alwar RRTS Line, can be viewed here.

DMRC’s current estimates for all 3 packages are unknown, so I can’t provide an assessment on how Afcons and Tata’s bids are placed and what the next steps look like. Per an industry source they all seem “high”.

If these are within DMRC’s acceptable range, then we should see contracts getting awarded by year-end with basic ground work starting in Q1 2022 and actual construction work in Q2 2022.

With this development, financial bids for 3 out 4 JICA-funded underground packages of Phase 4 have been opened. See a list of all Phase 4 packages and their status here.

Civil Package	Status
Package DC-05: Derawal Nagar to RK Ashram, 7.46 km underground section with 6 stations	Afcons Infra is lowest bidder (this post!)
Package DC-08: Aerocity to Kishangarh, 6.11 km underground section with 4 stations	Tata Projects is lowest bidder (this post!)
Package DC-09: Kishangarh to Saket G-Block, 6.88 km underground section with 4 stations	6 Bids Received – Technical Bid Evaluation Underway
Package DC-07: Sangam Vihar to Tughlakabad, 6.477 km underground section with 3 stations	Afcons Infra is lowest bidder (this post!)

For more updates, check out the Delhi Metro section or my Home Page!

– TMRG