Courtesy : www.hindustantimes.com
Bullet train design
Mumbai: Four companies have submitted bids for the design and construction of the only underground station at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) as a part of the ambitious bullet train project.
This is the country’s first undersea tunnel for which National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited had invited bids in July. This bullet train project will connect BKC in Mumbai to Ahmedabad in Gujarat.
The companies that have submitted their bids include Larsen and Toubro Limited, J Kumar Infraprojects Limited, Afcons Infrastructure and MEIL HCC Joint venture. “After completion of the technical evaluation, the financial bids will also be opened. This will take a couple of months to complete after which the financial bids of the technically qualified bidders will be opened to reveal who is the lowest bidder. The lowest bidder will be the contractor for the construction of the BKC underground station,” said a spokesperson for NHSRCL.
The station is 467m long with six platforms of 425m length such that it can easily accommodate 16 coach trains. The underground structure will have three levels that include a service floor, concourse and platform that will be 24m below ground level. There will be two entry and exit points to facilitate access to nearby metro stations. The stations are planned such that ample space for passenger movement is available.
Moreover, a dedicated skylight provision has been made for natural lighting within the underground station. “It includes integration with other modes of transportation like Metro buses, autos and taxis. The station includes passenger amenities like security, ticketing, waiting for the area, business class lounge, nursery, rest rooms, smoking rooms, information kiosks and CCTV surveillance with public information and announcement system,” said a spokesperson for NHSRCL.
NHSRCL had originally invited tenders for this package in November 2019 and cancelled it in February 2022. Tenders were re-invited in July 2022 with a 5-year deadline. According to officials at NHSCRL, if the project goes as scheduled the actual construction will start within a year for the Bullet train.
On September 23, bids were invited for a 21 km long tunnel that will connect Mumbai to Ahmedabad. This includes 7km of under-the-sea tunnel between Shilphata in Kalyan and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai.
This project was expected to be completed by 2023 but due to hurdles in land acquisition as well as the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been delayed. With the change in government within Maharashtra, the project has received a boost.
The entire route of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train will have 12 stations, eight in Gujarat and four in Maharashtra. Stations in Gujarat include Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati while stations in Maharashtra are Mumbai (BKC), Thane, Virar and Boisar.