Two key firms bid for S&T contract of Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project

New Delhi, India (Metro Rail Today): The race to supply the signalling and telecommunications (S&T) system for India’s first high-speed rail line—the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project—has officially begun. This week, two major joint ventures, Alstom Transport–Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and DRA Infracon–Siemens, submitted their bids for Package S-1, a critical systems contract under the 508.17 km Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.

The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd. (NHSRCL), which is executing the ₹1.1 lakh crore (approximately USD 15 billion) project, had invited bids for this long-delayed package in January 2025. The scope includes the design, supply, installation, integration, testing, and commissioning of a complete signalling and train control system, telecommunications, and operation control center infrastructure across 12 stations between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

On Wednesday, NHSRCL opened the technical bids for Package No. MAHSR-S-1, revealing only two consortia in the race:

• Alstom Transport – Larsen & Toubro JV

• DRA Infracon – Siemens JV

These bids will now undergo a technical evaluation, expected to take several months. Once that stage is completed, financial bids from technically qualified bidders will be opened to determine the lowest and most competitive offer.

While NHSRCL’s April 2024 brochure indicates the use of Digital Shinkansen – Automatic Train Control (DS-ATC) technology, another key document has raised questions. The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) awarded a tender to BEML in October 2024 to manufacture two prototype train sets, stating that the project will use European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2. Notably, Alstom's ETCS solution is currently in use on India’s Delhi–Meerut RRTS Line, making it a frontrunner in high-speed rail signalling in India.

While civil construction is advancing well in Gujarat and beginning to pick up pace in Maharashtra, the systems procurement side of the MAHSR project remains delayed. NHSRCL originally planned the S&T scope under Package EW-2, but that tender never materialized, likely due to delays in finalizing the rolling stock contract.

As of now, there is no clarity on the final rolling stock that will be deployed. According to The Japan Times, Japan plans to send one E5 and one E3 series train-set to India by early 2026 for inspection use. The newer E10 series trains are expected to be introduced in the 2030s.

Meanwhile, BEML is currently developing two 8-coach prototype train sets capable of reaching speeds of up to 250 km/h.