Of the six firms that submitted both technical and financial proposals to study the feasibility of a metro train in the Valley, the Department of Railway (DoR) said it has narrowed down the number of eligible firms to four. [break]
“We are preparing to select one of the four firms for the study on the basis of their financial proposal, within a couple of weeks,” said a source.
Likewise, the department has short-listed three out of six firms for preparing a DPR for the Bardibas-Birgunj section of the Mechi-Mahakali Electrical Railway. “We will select one of the firms within a couple of days on the basis of their financial proposal,” said the source.
Firms short-listed for conducting feasibility for the proposed metro are Chungsuk Engineering Company of Korea, RITES Limited (India), Systra FA of France and TEAM Consulting Engineering and Management of Thailand. DoR said it will start scrutinizing their financial bids from Sunday.
The firm bagging the contract for metro feasibility study will make suggestions on constructing a Mass Rapid Transit (underground and elevated railway) system for the capital.
Similarly, Chungsuk Engineering Company of Korea, Scott Wilson of India and Systra FA of France have been short-listed and one of them will get the contract to develop a DPR for the Bardibas-Birgunj section of the East-West Railway.
The government pushed for a Mass Rapid Transit system in the Valley some two years ago in a bid to manage traffic. As the railway network will cover almost all major bus stops and connect the city with the outskirts, it is expected to make life easier for private vehicle owners as well as the general public that relies on public transport to commute.
Likewise, an east-west railway network was pushed in a bid to narrow down travel time for long-haul passengers and make their journeys more comfortable.
“The firms that are to recommend designs and plans for the metro and a segment of the east-west railway will be known in two weeks,” Ram Kumar Lamsal, director general of DoR, told Republica.
Once the firms are selected, DoR will negotiate with them for the smooth execution of the DPR and feasibility study and hand over Letters of Intent for initiating the studies, he said.
Sixteen companies had lodged expressions of interest (EoI) in preparing the DPR for the 136-km Bardibas-Simra-Birgunj section of Mechi-Mahakali railway line.
Similarly, 16 companies had registered EoI in conducting feasibility study for the metro that envisages a railway line within the core area of the Valley and laying down of 75 km of railway track, including 27 km along the Ring Road.
DoR had short-listed the applicant firms to six for each project some three months ago
RITES Ltd (India) had submitted a feasibility study report for the proposed east-west railway line (1,300 km) to the government in August last year. The total cost of the project, including the Kathmandu-Pokhara Electrical Railway, has been estimated at between Rs 700-800 billion.
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