L&T emerges as lowest bidder for 28 bridges on Bullet Train Corridor

Larsen and Toubro (L&T)-IHI Infrastructure Systems Consortium has emerged as the lowest bidder for the procurement and fabrication of 28 steel bridges for crossing over lines, rivers, highways and other structures for the 508 km long Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project. NHSRCL spokesperson, Sushma Gaur, informed that the financial bids for procurement and fabrication of 28 steel bridges were opened recently wherein a total of eight bidders had participated and only four qualified after technical evaluations. It is estimated that about 70,000 MT of steel will be used for the fabrication of these steel bridges and the Indian steel industry and allied supply chains will get a big business boost. NHSRCL has already sensitized the steel industries to cater to such a huge demand for India`s first High-Speed Rail corridors. The NHSRCL has already awarded civil contracts for the construction of 64 per cent of MAHSR alignment which includes five HSR stations at Vapi, Billimora, Surat, Bharuch, Anand/Nadiad, train depot at Surat and one mountain tunnel of 350 metres. The bullet trains are expected to run at 350 km per hour covering the 508 km stretch in about two hours as against seven hours to travel the same distance currently.