RLDA issues fresh Rs 2,563 cr tender for Ahmedabad railway station revamp

Ahmedabad_Junction_railway_station_-_Main_Entrance

The Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA) has issued a fresh tender worth Rs 2,563 crore for the redevelopment of the Ahmedabad Railway station, according to documents seen by Moneycontrol.

The new tender is the second time the RLDA has tried to move forward with its ambitious plan to redevelop the railway station. The earlier tender was dismissed in May after the bids received for Ahmedabad turned out to be too high compared to the cost estimated by the Indian Railways.

Afcons Infrastructure was the lowest bidder for the earlier tender issued by RLDA for the Ahmedabad station redevelopment project with a bid of Rs 5,355 crore, as against the Indian Railways' estimated cost of Rs 3,000 crore.

As part of the new tender, the RLDA has allowed joint venture companies to participate in the tender. Companies were only allowed to bid as single entities as part of the earlier tender for the redevelopment of the Ahmedabad Railway Station.

Initially, bidders were required to provide proof of three major works for eligibility. However, the revised tender now allows two companies in a joint venture to submit three major works together to qualify for participation.

The new tender also includes adjustments made to the alignment of the elevated road and civil engineering works in the new tender for Ahmedabad in order to attract more potential participants.

The pre-bid meeting for the new tender has been set for July 18 and the last date to submit bids for the tender has been set as September 5. Technical bids for the tender will then be opened on September 8 and the site visit will be carried out on July 6, as per the tender document issued by RLDA.

According to the new plans, the station is designed to be multimodal and transit-friendly. The aim is to connect the railway station to the airport and the rest of the city seamlessly. The station currently sees a daily footfall of almost 5 lakh people.

The redevelopment project is part of the Centre’s plan to modernise most high-density stations, ease passenger movement, and improve the business prospects of these assets.

In September 2022, the Union Cabinet sanctioned Rs 10,000 crore for the redevelopment of three major railway stations -- New Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai.

While an amount of Rs 5,000 crore was meant for the New Delhi station, around Rs 2,000 crore was earmarked for CSMT and Rs 3,000 crore for the Ahmedabad station.

The work of redevelopment is targeted to be completed in 36 months after the tender is awarded.

The project envisages a holistic approach to the integration of heritage monuments and the new City Centre at the station, by providing world-class infrastructure in the form of a Multimodal Transport Hub (MMTH), Multi - Level Car Parking (MLCP), Skywalk, landscaped Plazas, etc.

The architecture of this station building has been inspired by Modhera Sun Temple. An iconic tower of MMTH Building towards Kalupur side will become a new landmark for the city of Ahmedabad.

A 15-acre Concourse Plaza and a 7-acre Mezzanine Plaza have been planned over the railway tracks. This concourse shall have a waiting area for passengers which will be equipped with facilities like toilets, drinking water, food courts, retail shops, kiosks, baby feeding rooms, etc.

An elevated road network shall decongest the station and will facilitate the multimodal integration of railways with the National High-Speed Rail Terminal (Bullet Train), and Metro & Bus Rapid Transport (BRT). It will offer an enhanced experience and mobility to passengers and city dwellers.