BEML Wins Chennai Metro’s 210 Coach Rolling Stock Contract ARE02A
BEML Ltd. today was declared as the lowest bidder to supply 210 coaches for the 116.1 km Chennai Metro’s Phase 2 project by Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL).
Standard gauge coaches from this rolling stock contract ARE02A will be operated as 70 train-sets of 3 cars (configuration: DMC+TC+DMC) on the new 45.4 km Line-3 (Madhavaram – Siruseri SIPCOT) and 44.6 km Line-5 (Madhavaram – Sholinganallur).
CMRL had received no bids in the first round of bidding between July 2021 – May 2022 and cancelled the tender in June 2022. The official reason for no participation never surfaced, but I suspect it was due to the STEP loan requirements laid out by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which requires a significant percentage of Japanese content to be utilized.
CMRL had re-invited bids in July 2023, and technical bids were opened in May-end 2024 to reveal BEML and Titagarh Rail Systems had bid for its 21.84 year long contract which includes 15 years of comprehensive maintenance.
It remains unconfirmed but I hear BEML placed a bid of Rs. 14.7 crore per coach, while Titagarh placed a bid of Rs. 15.6 crore per coach. If those numbers are accurate, then BEML’s total bid would be valued at around Rs. 3087 crore.
If someone reading this can confirm values, then leave a comment below or shoot me a message via the Contact page. I’d like to add it in here for record keeping and everyone’s awareness.
CMRL’s Brief Scope: Design, Manufacture, Supply, Testing, Commissioning, Training of Personnel and Comrehensive Maintenance Contract for Fifteen (15) years of Standard Gauge Metro Rolling Stock (Electric Multiple Units) and Depot Machinery and Plant
Chennai’s new trains will be required to conform to Grade of Automation-4 (GoA4) standards for “driverless” operations.
I hear Alstom is on the verge of rolling out and delivering their first 3-coach train for 26 km Line-4 connecting Light House – Poonamallee Bypass. Production of those train-sets as part of Package ARE03 had formally started at Sri City in February 2024.
Bidding is currently underway for Line-3 and Line-5’s second rolling stock contract comprising of 96 coaches under Package ARE04A since February 2024. CMRL had switched its model from lease to procurement after receiving a lackluster response. Its current technical bid opening date is set for October 19, so stay tuned!
A list of all Chennai Metro Phase 2 tenders (civil, systems) and their status can be viewed here.
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– TMRG
What’s the deadline for them? Do you think they’ll manage to deliver trains on time, looking at Bengaluru’s fate?
Issues with Bangalore have to do with Titagarh and CRRC. BEML so far has been doing a normal pace with rolling stock deliveries.
BEML is supply trains on time issue is with Chinese supply of trains if not for BEML you would have not seen trains running on BMRCL lines.
BEML is suppling trains on time issue is with Chinese supply of trains if not for BEML you would have not seen trains running on BMRCL lines.
CMRL wants all deliveries to be made within 6.84 years. I don’t have a detailed schedule, but it should follow ARE04A’s schedule where CMRL wants the rolling stock supplier to deliver the first 3-coach prototype train within 630 days (1.7 years) from the ‘Commencement Date’ listed in the contract.
Deliveries will be dictated by BEML’s plant constraints as their orderbook includes trains for Mumbai (378 + 126 + 72 coaches) & Bangalore (318 coaches).
Bangalore Metro’s issues stem from CRRC-Titagarh’s internal knowledge & supplier constraints as others pointed out above.
Given the delays in receiving propulsion systems from Melco, can BEML deliver on time?