KOLKATA: The Railways has decided to invite financial bids for the proposed Rs 500-crore coach factory in Kanchrapara by November. Eight global majors, including two in consortium with Indian partners, have been shortlisted by the railways for setting up the factory.
“We will invite financial bids from the shortlisted bidders in November,” a railway official said.
The eight shortlisted bidders include leading global players in rail transportation like Bombardier Transportation India, Alstom India, Siemens of Germany and Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) of Spain and Hyundai-Rotem, which is part of Korea’s Hyundai group. Hyundai Rotem has worked in the Delhi Metro.
CAF has been part of top international projects like Heathrow Express and the Hong Kong’s Airport Express. The other bidders include Stadler Rail of Switzerland with Titagarh Wagons, Jindal Rail India with Hitachi and Kawasaki Heavy Industries with Texmaco. The project is close to railway minister Mamata Banejee’s heart.
The project will come up as part of a JV, in which the Railways will hold 26% equity. The majority 74% will be held by the potential JV partner. The Railways had announced plans to manufacture some 500 EMU/MEMU coaches in the factory.
Established in 1863, the Kanchrapara workshop was set up by the then Assam Bengal Railway. It is one of the oldest such facilities in existence under the Indian Railways and had served the defence department in aircraft maintenance and in production of armoured cars and grenade shells during the Second World War.
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