Two firms compete for Soladevanahalli Depot of Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project

Bengaluru, India (Metro Rail Today): KPC Projects Ltd. and URC Construction Pvt. Ltd. have emerged as the only two bidders for the construction of the Soladevanahalli Depot, part of the ambitious 149.35 km Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP). The technical bids for this crucial project were opened by Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Company (K-RIDE) on Monday.

The Soladevanahalli Depot will serve as a key facility to stable and maintain trains operating on Corridor 2 of the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project, also known as the Mallige Line. Spanning 24.866 km, this corridor will connect the Baiyyappanahalli Terminal with Chikkabanavara, passing through 14 stations. The depot, along with another depot planned at Akkupet (Devanahalli), will house the project’s rolling stock, which includes 51 trains with a total of 306 coaches.

The scope of the contract includes the construction of a 1 km at-grade section between Chikkabanavara Station and the Soladevanahalli Depot, in addition to the depot itself. The depot will feature essential facilities such as administration and workshop buildings, civil works, MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) services, roofing, signage, architectural finishes, sewage treatment plants (STP), external drainage, internal roads, and boundary walls.

K-RIDE had invited tenders for the civil construction contract in September 2024, with an estimated budget of Rs. 170.93 crore and a construction timeline of 24 months. The tender, identified as K-RIDE/BSRP/DEPOT/SDHL/2024, outlines the comprehensive scope of work for the Soladevanahalli Depot.

Once the technical bid evaluation process is completed, which may take a couple of months, the financial bids of the qualified bidders will be opened to determine the lowest bidder and the likely contractor for the project.

Additionally, K-RIDE is expected to issue a tender soon for the construction of the Akkupet (Devanahalli) Depot, another essential depot of the Bengaluru Suburban Rail network.

The construction of these depots is a crucial step in the ongoing development of the Bengaluru Suburban Railway, which aims to improve urban mobility and reduce traffic congestion in the city.