Four contenders, including two consortiums, are locked in fierce competition for the coveted contract to construct the Thane Maintenance Depot for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project. Technical bids were recently opened, revealing the interested firms as KEC International Ltd, a global infrastructure EPC major and RPG Group Company, the engineering and construction conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Dineshchandra-DMRC JV, and SCC-PREMCO JV, according to The MetroRailGuy.
In December 2022, the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) had issued tender invitations for the Thane Depot construction in Maharashtra, setting a construction timeline of five and a half years. The scope of the MAHSR D-1 contract package encompasses civil works, building works, inspection sheds, maintenance depot establishment, installation, testing, commissioning of maintenance facilities, and other associated works at the Thane depot.
Rolling stock maintenance is an essential aspect of operating a high-speed railway effectively. In line with this, three depots are planned for the project, including two in Gujarat at Sabarmati and Surat, and one in Maharashtra at Thane. Surat Depot, spreading across 38 hectares, will be the smallest, while Thane Depot covers approximately 58 hectares, and Sabarmati Bullet Train Maintenance Depot sprawls over 82 hectares.
The Thane and Surat Depots will house facilities for daily and regular inspections, as well as unscheduled maintenance of trains. In addition to these functions, the Sabarmati depot will also accommodate bogie and general overhauling, along with bullet train washing facilities.
For the construction of the Sabarmati depot, NHSRCL awarded a work order worth JPY 63 billion (approx. Rs 3,773.79 crore) to a consortium comprising Japanese firm Sojitz Corporation and Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T) in December 2022. The construction work on the Sabarmati depot, situated northwest of Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat, is underway and is expected to be completed by 2028. Preparatory activities for the facility’s construction are already in progress under another package. The design of the depot draws inspiration from the Shinkansen maintenance facilities in Sendai and Kanazawa, Japan.
To ensure efficient operations and passenger comfort, around 250 types of more than 800 specialized machineries required for inspecting and maintaining rolling stock will be procured from Japan for the depot. These machineries will check for critical factors such as vibrations, temperature, and noise, essential for high-speed running.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) currently holds the distinction of being the only sanctioned high-speed rail project in India. With a top speed of 320 kmph, the high-speed rail will traverse the picturesque landscapes of western India, covering a distance of 508.17 km between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in just about two hours. Compared to current travel times by bus or conventional railways, this will result in significant time savings of approximately nine hours and six hours, respectively. The high-speed rail project will pass through Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Maharashtra, with a total of 12 stations along its route.
