RailEnquiry

PATNA: The Railways has decided to invite the global bid for setting up two locomotive factories at Marhaura in Saran district and Madhepura in Bihar by December 15. It was decided at a high-level meeting held recently under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. These two factories would manufacture diesel and electric locomotives, respectively.According to an ECR official, both these projects will be taken up on public private partnership (PPP) mode.This will be the 11th bid invited by railways for these two factories in Bihar.Earlier, railways could not strike a deal with foreign companies for setting up these two locomotive factories on PPP mode, he said.A board official said railways has already finalized the factories' design.There is likely to be major changes in price variation, delivery schedule, maintenance payment, transfer of technology for maintenance and termination clauses in the new documents being drafted by railways, he said.A board member said efforts would be made to award the contracts before the budget for 2013-2014.Officials associated with these projects in Bihar have been asked to get ready to kick off these two projects, he said.According to sources, railways has set up a high-level committee to shortlist fresh bidders for these two ambitious projects. Modalities and other conditions would be decided by the new committee.

Accordingly, the committee would put these two projects before the Union cabinet for final approval, sources said.

Railways would need about 1,800 electric locomotives for passenger and goods trains in coming years.

It would require more locomotives on completion of dedicated freight corridor. The Marhaura factory would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs2,025 crore while Madhepura electric factory is to be built at an estimated cost of Rs1,300 crore, an ECR official said.

The two factories were announced by the then railway minister, Lalu Prasad. At present, the railways has two locomotive factories in Varanasi (diesel) and Chittaranjan (electric).

Railways has also taken steps to augment the current electric loco production capacity of Chittaranjan from 200 to 250 locomotives every year, sources said.

The bids for the two factories to manufacture diesel and electric locomotives will be invited by December 15. Both projects will be taken up on PPP mode and this will be the 11th bid invited by railways for the two factories in Bihar Railways has already finalized the factories' design

There is likely to be major changes in price variation, delivery schedule, maintenance payment, transfer of technology for maintenance and termination clauses in the new documents being drafted by railways new move