INDIA: Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has formally awarded Alstom a contract to supply 234 metro cars for the future Line 4 and the Line 4A extension.
The contract announced on March 30 is worth Rs18·54bn, including staff training. It has been awarded to Alstom as a result of its Janaury 29 acquistion of Bombardier Transportation, which MMRDA had named as low bidder earlier the same month.
‘These are exciting times, and this first order following our merger with Bombardier Transportation demonstrates our continued commitment towards partnering in the country’s Make-in-India mission’, said Ling Fang, Alstom’s Region President, Asia-Pacific, when the contract was confirmed.
Alstom now employs nearly 8 000 people in India, with six industrial sites at Madhepura in Bihar, SriCity in Andhra Pradesh, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Savli and Maneja in Gujarat and Kolkata in West Bengal.
The 32·3 km Line 4 or Green Line will run from Wadala near Mumbai Harbour through Thane to Kasaravadavali, with the 2·9 km Line 4A extension continuing north to Gaimukh. The metro is expected to reduce the current travel time by 50% to 75%, depending on road conditions.
The 1 435 mm gauge line has been designed for driverless operation to GoA4, although it is initially expected to open using attended ATO under GoA2.
In December 2019 MMRDA invited bids for a fleet of 39 six-car trains, with BEML, Bombardier Transportation and CRRC Nanjing Puzhen being shortlisted after the technical bids were opened in May 2020. CRRC was subsequently disqualified during the technical evaluation.
A €525m loan from Germany’s KfW to fund the procurement of rolling stock, signalling and platform screen doors was agreed in November 2020.
Financial offers for the rolling stock contract were opened on January 16, with Bombardier Transportation bidding Rs18·5bn and BEML Rs19·5bn.
