Four firms bid for E&M, Plumbing and Fire Safety Contract for Chennai Metro Line 4

Chennai, India (Metro Rail Today): In a key development for Chennai Metro Phase 2, four companies have submitted bids for the underground Electrical & Mechanical (E&M), plumbing, and fire protection systems contract for Line-4. The bids were opened on Wednesday by Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), marking a significant milestone in the ongoing expansion of the city’s metro network.

Line-4 of the Chennai Metro Phase 2 project spans 26.09 km and will connect Light House to Poonamallee Bypass through 30 stations. A major segment of this line—10 km—is being constructed underground, running between Power House Ramp and Light House Station through twin tunnels.

The contract in question, C4-E&M-06, covers system works for 8 of the 10 underground stations:
Light House, Kutchery Road, Alwarpet, Bharatidasan Road, Boat Club, Nandanam, Panagal Park, and Kodambakkam.

These stations are currently under construction by ITD Cementation India Ltd. under packages UG-01 (5.15 km) and UG-02 (4.87 km), which were awarded in January 2022.

Participating Bidders

• Blue Star Ltd.

• IRCON International Ltd.

• Jakson Ltd.

• Universal MEP Projects & Engineering Services Ltd. (a Voltas subsidiary)

CMRL had floated the tender for this systems package in November 2024, with a project deadline of 1,630 days (approx. 4.46 years). While the contract’s estimated cost remains undisclosed, the scope includes supply, installation, testing, commissioning, and training for the electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems at the designated underground stations. It also covers associated tunnel infrastructure, including bored tunnels, cut-and-cover sections, U-sections, and ramps between chainage 0+173 m and 9+949 m.

What’s Next?

The technical bids are now under evaluation—a process expected to take a couple of months. Once completed, CMRL will open the financial bids of technically qualified firms to determine the lowest bidder and most likely contractor for the project.

In a related development, ABS Fujitsu General was awarded contract C4-VAC&TVS-12 in July 2024 for the same set of 8 underground stations. That contract includes ventilation and air conditioning (VAC), tunnel ventilation systems (TVS), and SCADA systems.

Chennai Metro Phase 2, totaling 116.1 km, is one of India’s most ambitious urban transit expansion projects and is expected to significantly improve connectivity across the city upon completion.