The Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure has failed to win a bid to build India’s first monorail project in Mumbai after a consortium between engineering major L&T and Malaysian firm Scomi International bagged the Rs 2,460-crore contract.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the designated nodal agency for the project, awarded the bid to L&T-Scomi consortium rejecting an offer made by Reliance Infrastructure and Hitachi due to its longer timeframe. Interestingly, a consortium led by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance conglomerate had also bid for the project, but the offer was rejected on technical grounds.
The monorail will run on a 20-km elevated stretch between Jacob Circle and Chembur. Each train, at a frequency of six minutes, would have four bogies and will take 18 stations planned on this route. The project could be executed on a “fast-track” basis as it requires a lesser space and minimal demolition of buildings.
The first 10-km stretch from Jacob Circle to Wadala will be operational in two-and-a-half years, by January 2009. L&T, in association with Scomi Engineering, has been given 30 months to construct the monorail. The consortium will design, construct, install, test and commission the project.
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