SEW – VSE JV Wins Mumbai Metro Line-4 Mogharpada Depot’s Work

September 26, 2023 Update: MMRDA has awarded a contract to SEW – VSE JV for Moghapada Depot’s construction work. LOA was issued today.

April 7, 2023 Original Post: SEW Infrastructure – Vishwa Samudra Engineering JV on Thursday was declared as the lowest bidder for the civil construction contract of Mumbai Metro Green Line’s Mogharpada Depot (Package CA-160).

This new train maintenance depot by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will support operations on Mumbai’s 35.2 km Line-4 & Line-4A which is under construction to connect Wadala – Kasaravadavali – Gaimukh through 34 stations.

After one failed round of tendering which was cancelled in May 2021, MMRDA re-invited bids in January 2023 with a Rs. 711.34 crore estimate and 1095 day deadline.

Technical bids were opened in mid January to reveal 3 bidders. Strangely, Rithwik Projects’ bid was found non-compliant to the tender conditions, while just a month back they were found compliant to Line-5 Kasheli Depot’s tender conditions and eventually went on to win it.

Financial Bid Values

Firm	Bid (Rs. Crore)
SEW – VSE JV	905.77
NCC Ltd.	944.25

Brief Scope: Construction of depot infrastructures comprising stabling yard, operational control centre and administrative building, maintenance and workshop buildings. auxiliary substation, staff quarters, architectural finishing, plumbing, earthworks for land development, compound wall, road approach, bridge connecting to depot, underground utility ducts, drainage system, design and build of ETP and STP, etc. including architectural finishing works and design and build of pre-engineered building structures of car depot at Mogharpada for Metro Line-4 and 4A of Mumbai Metro Rail Project of MMRDA

SEW – VSE’s bid was a staggering 27.33% higher than MMRDA’s estimate, so this will head to the negotiation table for contract finalization.

If awarded, it’ll mark the reintroduction of SEW to Mumbai Metro’s construction after a long gap. Between 2008-2014, they had built 12 elevated stations and a cable-stayed bridge (in a JV with VSL) over the Western Express Highway for 11.2 km Line-1 between Versova – Andheri – Ghatkopar.

Coming back to Mogharpada Depot, this facility with double-decker sheds was originally planned as the largest metro depot in the city, slightly larger than the Yellow Line’s Mandale Depot.

In its new avatar with a reduced footprint of 35 hectares, it’ll consist of 16 stabling lines (SBLs) for 32 trains, with another 16 SBLs planned in the future. It’ll also consist of 5 inspection bay lines (IBL), with another 5 planned in the future.

The depot will initially house 39 x 6 trains (plus more in the future for Line-10 & Line-11). A Rs. 1853.28 crore contract for those trains was awarded to Bombardier (acquired by Alstom Transport) in March 2021 which pulled out in February 2022 citing delays in the execution of the line’s civil work. A new tender notice for their acquisition is pending.

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– TMRG