Just Days After MMRDA Cancelled Chinese Bids For Monorail Project, Indian Firms Line Up To Take The Job

Merely days after the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had scrapped the bids by two Chinese firms for a Rs 500 crore contract to provide 10 rakes for Mumbai's monorail project, three Indian firms have lined up, showing interest in taking up the job, reports Economic Times.

Indian public sector firms Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BMEL), and private sector player Titagarh have risen to the opportunity which demands rakes which would be operated on Mumbai's monorail line which would run between Jacob Circle, Wadala and Chembur.

The global contract tender had first been floated by MMRDA last year, following which it had received bids from multiple players which includes China's CRR Corporation and BYD, and also an American firm. The tender was then cancelled upon push from bidders for changes in terms and bids were reinvited in February.

MMRD has now revealed that the Chinese firms which had placed bids in response to the contract had repeatedly asked for revisions in the contract terms and eligibility criteria.

Meanwhile, it should be noted that the 8.9 kilometres long first phase which runs from Chembur to Wadala was thrown open for public usage in February 2014, and the remaining of the overall 19.5 kilometres long route extending the link from Wadala to Jacob Circle was launched open in March last year.