The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited signed contract agreement with Larsen & Toubro Limited on 26th November 2020, for the Design and Construction of 237 km length of viaduct between Vapi (Zaroli Village at Maharashtra-Gujarat Border) and Vadodara in the state of Gujarat for 508 kms of Mumbai- Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor.
- The contract also includes four (4) stations namely Vapi, Bilimora, Surat and Bharuch, Surat Depot, 14 river crossings, 42 road crossings and 6 railway crossings including One Mountain Tunnel of 350 metres.
- Shri Satoshi Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan to India, Shri V.K. Yadav, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Railway Board, Shri Achal Khare, Managing Director, Prof. Ashok Kumar Chawla ji, Advisor Japan, East Asia Division, Ministry of External Affairs, NHSRCL, Board of Directors of NHSRCL, Shri S.N. Subrahmanyam, CEO & MD, Larsen & Toubro Limited and other senior officers from NITI Aayog, Ministry of Railways, JICA, JICC and NHSRCL attended the contract agreement signing ceremony held in the corporate office of NHSRCL in Delhi.
- The technical bids for this tender were opened on 23rd September 2020 and in less than one month i.e on 19th October 2020, the financial bids were opened, after evaluation of technical bids.
- The letter of acceptance was issued on 28th October 2020.
- The duration for completion of the works is four (4) years from the date of commencement of the contract.
- During the construction phase of this section, the areas around the alignment will witness social and economic development.
- There will be employment generation not only for the professionals like engineers, technicians, designers, architects etc but also for skilled and semi-skilled workforce and construction workers.
- There will be a boost in the demand of construction material and machinery like cement, steel, heavy construction machinery, cranes, trailers, etc.
- The ancillary industries like hospitality, entertainment, health, tourism, real estate & housing and education will also flourish during the construction.
Additional details:
This tender covers about 47% of total alignment of 508 km, between Vapi (Zaroli Village at Maharashtra- Gujarat Border) and Vadodara in the state of Gujarat. This includes four (04) stations namely Vapi, Bilimora, Surat and Bharuch, and Surat Depot.
- This entire section is in Gujarat State where more than 83% of the land has been acquired for the project.
- The MAHSR project alone will create more than 90,000 direct and indirect jobs during construction of the project.
- Not just the employment market but production and manufacturing market are also expected to gain with the project.
- It is estimated that close to 75 lakh MT of cement, 21 lakh MT of steel, and 1.4 lakh MT of structural steel will be used in the construction and all of which shall be produced in India.
- In addition to this, large construction machinery is another market that will gain big time through the project.
About MAHSR:
The first High Speed Rail corridor to be implemented in the Country, with technical and financial assistance of Government of Japan, has been identified from Mumbai to Ahmedabad.
- With a total twelve stations in the States of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the corridor will have a length of 508.17 Km.
- Where high speed rail will cover 155.76 kms in the state of Maharashtra (7.04 Kms in Mumbai sub-urban, 39.66 kms in Thane district & 109.06 kms in Palghar district), 4.3 kms in union territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and 348.04 kms in the state of Gujarat.
- High speed rail will cover total 12 stations namely Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, (in Maharashtra), Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad and Sabarmati (in Gujarat).
- Where a limited stop (in Surat & Vadodara) service will cover this distance in 1 hr. and 58 mins and all stops service will take 2 hr. 57 min to cover this distance.
- High speed rail will be operating at a speed of 320 Km/hr at an elevated (10 to 15 m) track above the ground on a viaduct all along except 26 kms in Mumbai, which will be underground.
- All stations will be elevated except Bandra Kurla Complex station (Mumbai), which will be underground.
About L&T:
- Larsen & Toubro is an Indian multinational engaged in technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and financial services with over USD 21 billion in revenue.
- It operates in over 30 countries worldwide.
- A strong, customer–focused approach and the constant quest for top-class quality have enabled L&T to attain and sustain leadership in its major lines of business for eight decades.
Source: NHSRCL-Press Release
