Chinese firm gets Rs 604 cr contract

MUMBAI: The first metro rail corridor in the city is set to have a Chinese touch to it, with the Rs 604
crore contract for the rolling stock of the project being awarded to the CSR Nanjing Puzhen Rolling Stock Company.

Mumbai Metro One (MMOPL), specially created to build the 11.4-km long metro line, said the contract has been given to the Chinese firm, a subsidary of the state-owned China South Locomotive and Rolling Stock Corp, an official release stated here on Tuesday.

The first metro line is from the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar to the western suburb of Versova and the contract was awarded to a consortium led by Reliance Energy Ltd.

Under the Rs 604 crore contract awarded on Tuesday the Chinese firm will supply 16 trains of four coaches each to the MMOPL for the metro rail corridor.

CSR has been awarded the contract on the basis of a competitive bidding process in which other participants included two consortia.

The first was of Alstom Transport SA, France and Alstom Projects India and the second consortium consisted of Rotem Company, Korea and Bharat Earth Movers.

CSR Nanjing Puzhen has been manufacturing metro rail cars since 2000 and has manufactured 450 cars so far and 750 are being manufactured and ready for delivery, the statement said.

MMOPL added its construction schedule for the first metro rail line was ahead of schedule and will finish the project in 30 months instead of the stipulated 5-year period in the concessional agreement.