look news india
Vande Bharat: Indian Railways has cancelled the tenders related to 100 Vande Bharat trains. A contract of Rs 30 thousand crore was to be signed with French company Alstom India, which included the design and manufacturing of 100 aluminum body Vande Bharat trains. However, this deal has not been finalized. Alstom India MD Olivier Loison himself has confirmed this. Talking to Money Control, Loison said that Indian Railways has cancelled the order, but if given a chance, the company will be in a strong position to fulfill the vision of the railways.
According to the report, the tender panel felt that the company's price of Rs 150.9 crore for each train was too high and sought to limit it to Rs 140 crore. But Alstom India wanted to settle the deal at Rs 145 crore per train set. Notably, it was the lowest bidder for the Rs 30,000 crore tender aimed at building all 100 Vande Bharat rakes. Swiss manufacturer Stadler Rail and Hyderabad-based Medha Servo Drives bid Rs 170 crore per train set.
Did this cause a setback to the efforts of Indian Railways?
The report quoted an official as saying that many players will be invited in the next round of tenders. This can be expected to increase competition and reduce costs. The official said that the cancellation of this tender will help the railways assess its cost. Also, the bidding companies will get a chance to understand their project and offer. However, the cancellation of the current tender has definitely given a setback to the efforts of Indian Railways. It is believed that preparations are underway to lay a network of Vande Bharat trains across the country. Especially the Vande Bharat train has become very popular among the passengers.
