EXCLUSIVE: Railways holds first pre-bid meeting for private-player operated train project

It was earlier reported that the Union Ministry of Railways has prepared a complete roadmap for the private player-operated trains project, the most important and the most unique step of the Indian Railways so far. Now, the first pre-bid meeting was successfully conducted today (i.e. Tuesday, July 21).

This is part of Railways' plan to invite private players to run passenger trains on 109 important routes of the Indian Railways.

Centre had earlier initiated the Request for Quotation (RFQ) process for the purpose of receiving questions or queries from the private players that are to invest in this project. The last date for this RFQ process was July 16.

All the received questions or queries will be answered by July 31, the ministry had said earlier.

After the second pre-bid meeting, the Ministry of Railways will send answers to all the questions by August 21.

Most importantly, the central government is looking to invite applications from private players to invest in the project on September 8.

As per the plan fixed by the Union Ministry of Railways, after the applications are sent by the private players for investing in the railway's project, a shortlist of applicants will be prepared within 60 days. Following this, the bidding process will then be carried forward.

Railways aims to complete the bidding process and get the first private player-operated train running on the tracks by March 2023.

The Union Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal, has made it clear that the private player-run train project is not knock-on privatization in Indian Railways. The government has been consistently claiming that the biggest benefit from the arrival of a private player will be incurred by the rail passengers.

So far, many corporate giants like Tata, Adani Port, Essel Group, Bombardier India, and Alstom have shown interest in this big project for private players-operated train project of the Indian Railways, which expects a private investment worth Rs 30,000 crore in aggregate.