Alstom wins first Rolling Stock contract of Chennai Metro Phase 2

Chennai, India (Metro Rail Today): French multinational firm Alstom Transport emerged as the lowest bidder for the supply of 78 coaches (26 trains of 3 coaches) for 26.1 km long under-construction Corridor 4 (Poonamallee Bypass - Light House) of Phase 2 of Chennai Metro Rail Project.

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has opened financial bids for the first Rolling Stock Contract package ARE03A this week. Alstom has beaten the other two bidders - BEML Ltd and Titagarh Wagons Ltd. The financial position of each bidder is as under:-

• Alstom Transport India: Rs 946.92 crore (L1)
• BEML Limited: Rs 1,016.27 crore (L2)
• Titagarh Wagons Limited: Rs 1,028.19 crore (L3)

Tender notice for the design, manufacture, supply, testing, commissioning of standard gauge metro rolling stock (electrical multiple units) and training of personnel for Chennai Metro Project Phase 2 was issued in November 2021 and technical bids were opened in February 2022. The work completion deadline is 1340 days + 730 days (Defect Notification Period). However, officials said that the firm will produce three-coach trains and will be given a little more than two years.

Though this tender had to be finalised a few months ago, there were some issues that had to be ironed out. Fresh tenders were floated and Alstom was the lowest bidder. We will formally award the contract to the firm within a few weeks, said officials.

According to the technical specifications, these three-coach trains whose length will be about 66 meters, can carry about 900 passengers at a time. This is in contrast to Phase I project trains where CMRL opted for four-coach trains with a capacity of 1,200 people. Later, CMRL will plan to add three more coaches to make them six-coach trains.

Unlike Phase 1 trains supplied by Alstom, CMRL plans to run these trains with the ability to operate at Grade of Automation Level 4 (GoA-4) for “driverless” Unattended Train Operations (UTO).

The other two Rolling Stock contracts for the other two remaining corridors — Madhavaram to SIPCOT and Madhavaram to Shollinganallur — have not yet finalised. This is because Poonamallee to Light House stretch has been given priority and will be launched first followed by the other two.