Indian Railways finalises tender for 44 rakes of Vande Bharat-type train sets
By TIOL News Service
NEW DELHI, JAN 23, 2021: THE Indian Railways has awarded Hyderabad-based Medha Servo Drives the Rs. 2,211-crore tender for designing and manufacturing of propulsion, control and other equipment required for making 44 rakes of 16 car each of Vande Bharat-type train sets, the Ministry of Railways said on Friday.
The tender, finalised on Thursday, will see Medha Servo Drives design, develop, manufacture, supply, integrate and test IGBT based three-phase propulsion, control and other equipment for the train sets. The procurement includes a five-year comprehensive annual maintenance contract with the supplier.
"This project will be completed under 'Make in India' policy with domestic content of 90 per cent," the ministry tweeted.
In a first, the ministry required minimum 75 per cent local content of the total value of the tender to give a boost to Aatmanirbhar Bharat missions and indigenously manufacture the train sets, it added.
Three bidders participated and the tender was finalised on Medha Servo Drives for the all-in cost of Rs. 22,11,64,59,644 for 44 rakes of 16 car each. These will be manufactured at three production units of Indian Railways-24 rakes at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, 10 rakes at the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala, Punjab and balance 10 rakes at Modern coach Factory in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh.
The delivery schedule is first two prototype rakes in 20 months and once approved, an average of six rakes per quarter.