The Centre’s flagship project Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project is all set to gain momentum as Megha-Engineering and Infrastructures Limited and Hindustan Construction Company, a joint venture, have completed the Bandra-Kurla project. The lowest bidder (BKC) for the construction of the complex is the High Speed Railway Station. Sources said the joint venture could take up the project at a cost of around Rs 3,700 crore.
NHSRCL informed that National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has opened financial bids for design and construction of Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) High Speed Rail Station in Mumbai (Maharashtra) under MAHSR C1 package. The financial bids of 3 technically qualified bidders were opened and M/s Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Ltd. and Hindustan Construction Company Ltd. Joint Venture (JV of M/s MEIL-HCC) quoted the lowest bid.
The underground rail station will be the most expensive station ever built. The BKC underground station construction package was stalled for years and NHSRCL had re-invited tenders for the project in July. After bids were opened in November, four bidders emerged, namely, Megha-HCC, Afcons Infrastructure, J. Kumar Infraproject and Larsen & Toubro (L&T).
Sources said that J. Kumar failed to bid in its technical appraisal round, in which Afcon bid for around Rs 4,200 crore and L&T for around Rs 4,600 crore. Megha-HCC rates are lowest. Meanwhile, industry sources suggested that the current scope of work between HCC and Megha is yet to be known and the companies may soon finalize plans to execute the project.
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The station will have 6 platforms and each platform will be 415 meters long. At this length, a bullet train with 16 coaches can be stopped easily. The station will also be connected by metro and road. This will be the only underground station being built on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor. Earlier this year, work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor resumed after the change of government in Maharashtra. The plan stalled amid political strife. Earlier in an announcement, Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis announced the removal of barriers between BKC.
In October, the Center completed land acquisition of 98.87 percent in Gujarat and 95.45 percent in Maharashtra. On the one hand, work on the corridor’s terminal station BKC is progressing at a fast pace, on the other hand, another land acquisition case is pending in the state. A dispute between Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing and NHSPCL over compensation for 10 acres of land is pending in the Bombay High Court.