Classy coaches await you

BMRC plans to put in place design, supply, test runs and commissioning in such a fashion that railway rolling stocks are available for introducing commercial services in stages from December 2009 to September 2011.

Plush interiors, central air conditioning, aesthetic designs, sleek seats and an international look... these are the luxuries that will lure you when the Metro starts its journey in Bangalore.
Seven giants in the railway rolling stocks manufacturing sectors have shown interest in supplying coaches for the project.

Based out of Europe, Japan and China, they have bagged some of the top contracts for providing coaches, including for the London, Paris, Sydney and Beijing Metro trains, apart from the US. The BMRC will procure 180 coaches in the first phase and 260 in the second. Each coach will cost Rs 5 crore and the total cost of coaches for both phases is estimated at Rs 2,200 crore.

The companies are Firema Transporti (Italy), Norinco International Cooperation Ltd (China), Siemens AG Earlangen (Germany), Bombardier Transportation Gmbh (Germany), CAF (Spain), Alsthom Transport (France) and BEML, which has tied up with Mitsubishi Corporation (Japan) and Rotem (Korea). BMRC MD V Madhu said: “All the seven companies have received pre-qualification documents for design, manufacture, testing and commissioning of passenger rolling stocks, and also training of personnel.’’

A global tender will be floated in the coming months after which technical and financial bids will be evaluated. The General Consultants, the advisory body for Metro Rail project, will decide on the final tender document. “However, applicants will have to confirm their intention to submit valid and confirming tenders,’’ Madhu said. Apart from designs and technology, the authority has stressed on safety worthiness of the rolling stocks to be evaluated by an independent agency appointed by BMRC.

“The safety worthiness is to ensure that components of the rolling stocks are within prescribed limits of stress, temperature rise and oscillation behaviours. We want the coaches to be state-of-the-art and will conduct oscillation trails to ascertain whether they meet international standards,’’ Madhu said.

The BMRC plans to put in place design, manufacture, supply, trials, test runs and commissioning in such a fashion that rolling stocks are available for introducing commercial services in stages from December 2009 to September 2011. A prototype rake of three cars will be ready by September 2009 for performance evaluation and oscillation trails. The supplier will be solely responsible for maintenance, over-hauling, jigs and fixtures, maintenance depots, workshops, cleaning facilities to progress along with design development, Madhu said.