BEML Wins Bangalore Metro’s 72 Coach Rolling Stock Contract 6RS-DM

BEML Ltd. was today declared as the lowest bidder among 3 firms to manufacture and supply 72 new coaches for the 73.92 km Bangalore Metro Phase 2 project.

These coaches of contract 6RS-DM are intended to be deployed exclusively on the 19.143 km Yellow Line (Reach 5) which will connect RV Road – Bommasandra via 16 stations. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) plans to run them as 12 train-sets in a 6-car configuration out of Hebbagodi Depot.

6RS-DM is a back-up contract to 4RS-DM for 216 coaches which was awarded to CRRC in December 2019. CRRC failed to setup a local plant (ground breaking ceremony was conducted twice) and finally entered into an agreement with Titagarh Wagons in 2022 to locally manufacture 204 coaches, with the rest 12 coming from China.

With that contract embroiled in a legal battle, BMRCL invited tenders for this new contract in April 2022 with an unknown estimate and 243 week (4.66 year) deadline. Technical bids were opened in July 2022 to reveal 3 bidders. Titagarh Wagons was disqualified during technical bid evaluation.

Financial Bid Values

Note: Bids were submitted in different combinations of INR + EURO + USD + JPY. Below I’ve shown the approximate INR equivalent and cost per coach in parenthesis.

FirmTotal Bid (Per Coach)
BEMLRs. 734 cr (10.2 cr)
Alstom Transport IndiaRs. 1029 cr (14.2 cr)
Titagarh WagonsDisqualified

Brief Scope: Design, Manufacture, Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning of 72 Nos. of Standard Gauge Metro Cars and Training of Personnel under Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited Project Phase -2

Preliminary design rendering of Bangalore Metro’s new CRRC trains – Copyright: CRRC via East-Day

BMRCL’s estimate and intentions are unknown to me, but I do know they are in no hurry to award this contract, perhaps due to CRRC’s assurances, otherwise they wouldn’t have taken 11 months to complete technical bid evaluation and open financial bids.

The award of this 72 coach contract really depends on if CRRC and Titagarh are able to start supplying 216 coaches per their revised delivery agreement timeline, which prescribes delivery of the first two train-sets of 6 coaches from China in August 2023.

BMRCL isn’t flying blind. They are being advised by TUV India on the progress of those 216 coaches through a Rs. 2.66 crore consultancy contract, awarded in August 2022, to inspect manufacturing activities and witness factory acceptance tests. That said, we’ll have a definitive answer about the future of this contract in the next 2-4 months.

With this development, here’s a recap of Bangalore Metro Phase 2, Phase 2 A and Phase 2B‘s rolling stock contracts:

ContractStatus
4RS-DM: 216 coaches for Green, Purple & Yellow linesAwarded to CRRC (deliveries haven’t started)
5RS-DM: 318 coaches for Pink & Blue linesBEML is lowest bidder (LOA hasn’t been issued)
6RS-DM: 72 coaches for Yellow LineBEML is lowest bidder (this post!)

For more updates, check out the Bangalore section or my Home Page! Sign up for free instant email notifications on new posts over here. Like this post? Get early-access to updates and support the site over here.

– TMRG

written by

Global traveler who prefers mass rapid transit

7 Responses to "BEML Wins Bangalore Metro’s 72 Coach Rolling Stock Contract 6RS-DM"

  1. Appandai Rajan says:

    Hi BMRCL Management, Please change Metro train front design/lookcoaches, current metro train front design is not looking good. Kindly change front design as per images shows by BEML.
    2. Please install all the Metro station “Platform Screen Doors” to avoid accident.

    Reply
  2. Anil says:

    With this BEML has got both Phase 2A, 2B and Yellow lines , that 318 +72 looks like Namma BEML for Namma Metro.
    Hope the Blue line to Airport will have some cars modified to accommodate the baggage being carried by Airport travellers. It’s best that at this stage itself the feature is included before the final orders are placed. This will be of great use to travellers to Airport since dependence on Airport or private taxis will drastically reduce.

    Reply
    • Jishnukrishna Venkat says:

      More Horsepower is required to accommodate baggage in a separate OH rack. Extra Powerful DC motors should be installed..

      Reply
  3. Jishnukrishna Venkat says:

    I think it’s time that BEML starts delivering these ASAP. The Coaches from China hv been delayed from Sep to Mid-Oct. So BEML coaches can help to open the line by Dec this year..

    Reply
  4. Jishnukrishna Venkat says:

    This guy isn’t even responding to my comments

    Reply

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