Bullet train corridor: Technical bids to build 28 steel bridges opened

The government is keen on showcasing a functional bullet train by August 2022.

Eight entities, in form of individual companies as well as consortium, including the Tatas, Larsen and Toubro and Braithwaite, are in the race to build 28 steel bridges on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor. The technical bids were opened on Friday.

The work for the steel bridges, which is complex considering they are on a high-speed rail corridor, was originally planned to be done by the Japanese, but it was subsequently decided that Indian engineering firms would be doing it.

The other five entities in race include companies like Afcons Infrastructure, Bridge & Roof Company (India) Limited, NCC Limited, JMC Projects (India) Ltd. and Rahee Infratech, ISGEC Heavy Engineering Ltd – M & B Engineering Limited Consortium. Larsen and Toubro has partnered with Japanese company IHI Infrastructure Systems.

Along with this, the National High Speed Rail Corporation also opened the technical bids for construction of the Anand/Nadiad station of the corridor along with 88 km of viaduct. While the project is hit by slowdown on account of various issues including land acquisition problems, 82 per cent of the land required in Gujarat has been acquired. The Railway Board has officially said that it will reassess the timeline of the project in light of the pandemic. The project was supposed to have been completed by 2023.

As reported earlier, a small portion, between Surat to Bilimora in Gujarat, might be commissioned by then even before the whole project is completed. The government is keen on showcasing a functional bullet train by August 2022.

“It is estimated that about 70,000 MT of Steel will be used for the fabrication of 28 steel bridges. NHSRCL has already sensitized the steel industries to cater to such a huge demand for India’s first High Speed Rail corridor,” a company statement said.

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