Single Bidder Titagarh Rail Systems Bags Contract To Supply 72 Metro Cars For First Phase Of Surat Metro

Titagarh Rail Systems Limited has been awarded the contract for supply of Metro coaches for the first phase of Surat Metro Rail, the engineering company announced Tuesday in a regulatory filing.

Under the terms of the agreement, Titagarh Wagons will undertake the design, manufacture, supply, testing, commissioning and training of 72 number of Standard Gauge Cars for Surat Metro Rail Phase-I.

Interestingly, the company which was earlier known as Titagarh Wagons Limited, was the lone bidder for the tender floated by the Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) to supply a total of 72 Metro cars for Surat Metro Phase 1.

The order value is about Rs 857 crore and the first two trains would be delivered 76 weeks after signing the contract and the entire delivery is scheduled to be completed in 132 weeks thereafter.

Single Bidder

The tender for the rolling stock for Surat Metro was floated in November 2021 and the last date for submission of bids was extended at least four times.

Despite four extensions, Titagarh remained the only bidder in the fray and the GMRC ultimately awarded the contract to Kolkata-based private firm.

Rule 166 of the General Financial Rules (GFR) 2017, mandates that procurement from a single source can be resorted only under three circumstances — when the user department knows that “only a particular firm is the manufacturer of the required goods”; in a case of emergency “when the required goods are to be purchased from a particular source and the reason for such decision is to be recorded and approval of the competent authority obtained” and “for standardisation of machinery or spare parts to be compatible to the existing sets of equipment (on advice of a competent technical expert and approved by the competent authority)”.

The GMRC on its behalf defended the selection of the lone bidder, having said, “If the lone bidder has the required competence, then we can award the tender”.

Quoting GMRC officials, an Indian express report said that other tenders for Surat Metro, including those for viaduct, stations and traction, were at an advanced stage. As such if the rolling stock tender had to be discontinued or withdrawn, it will not allow sufficient time to receive the rolling stock in Surat for integration with the signalling and traction system and the trials in time before the proposed commencement of operations by December 2024.

Surat Metro

The Union government approved the first phase of Surat Metro project in March 2019.

The 40.35-km project consists of two corridors covering 38 stations and two depots at Dream City and Bhesan.

The 21.61-km-long first corridor spans from Sarthana to Dream city, renowned as the diamond route and will have six underground and 14 elevated stations. This includes a 6.47km underground stretch from Kapodra to Dream city.

The 18.74 km second corridor, known as the textile corridor will run between Bhesan and Saroli. It will be an elevated corridor with 18 stations.

While the first corridor is expected to be operational before December 2024, the second corridor is slated for completion by March 2025.