The very first set of tenders have been invited for land surveys and other preparatory work
Aanchal Khare, NHSRCL chief, stands before a model of the future bullet train. File Pic
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India's bullet train project is finally taking off. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has finally begun ground work and invited the very first set of tenders to begin preparatory works, like surveys and demarcating boundaries, before the actual engineering work begins.
The NHSRCL has two teams — one based in Vadodara and another in Ahmedabad — for a large number of survey activities so that work can begin faster. The line's alignment passes through nine districts in Gujarat and three districts in Maharashtra, and land acquisition plans for roughly 1,100 hectares have been submitted to each district administration with an aim to hand out final compensation packages by March 31.
BKC terminus
The Maharashtra government has also handed over all the land documents required for the bullet train terminus at Bandra-Kurla Complex. This will be an underground station built in three levels that will go down to a depth of 25 metre. It will be integrated with the international financial services centre (IFSCO) that has been proposed to be constructed above the terminus. This terminus will benefit the public at large, as the station will be located in a central business district and will be at walking distance from the Mumbai Metro station.
A senior NHSRCL official said that these are all preparatory works, and given the strict timelines, it is important to begin sooner rather than later. The bids will open by March 19 and the survey work will be conducted within 36 months. Once this is over, it will pave the way for future works. Tenders on engineering works shall begin in June 2018, and work on the High Speed Rail (HSR) Terminus will begin by December 2018.
3 No. of districts in Maharashtra the train will pass through
36 No. of months the survey work will go on
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