The contract is for commissioning of double track electrified railway lines with signaling and telecommunication system and other related infrastructure for operation of freight trains on turnkey basis on the said route. The total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 3,000 crore.

The request for proposal (RFP) for the project is expected to be invited by August 2008 after selecting the suitable contractors on the basis of their technical and financial capability. Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL), which is overseeing the implementation of the project, hopes to award the final contract for the work by October 2008.

The Bhaupur-Mandrak section on the Kanpur-Khurja route is the first stretch on which the process for the construction work has been initiated out of the entire 2,700-km-long dedicated freight corridor comprising the Eastern Corridor from Sonnagar to Khurja and Western Corridor from Dadri to JNPT. The total cost of the entire project is estimated to be Rs 28,121 crore.

During February 2008, DFCCIL received approval from the Union Cabinet for starting the work on both the corridors. Sources in DFCCIL said that the process of construction work on this stretch was initiated first because of the availability of sufficient land with the Indian Railways. On the remaining portion, land acquisition is pending.

Railways requires around 25,000 hectares of land for the construction of the whole corridor. Of this, railways are in possession of around 15,000 hectares and the remaining 10,000 hectares will have to be acquired.

Sources in DFCCIL said that the land plans will be finalised by August 2008 and around 60 per cent of the required land was expected to be acquired by March 2008 and the remaining by a year and so.