DFCCIL's Rs.1,497 crore contract bagged by Alstom India's proposed JV

AIL-ATSA, the proposed joint venture between Alstom India Ltd and Alstom Transport SA, on Thursday said it has bagged a Rs.1,497 crore deal from an Indian Railways company as system contract for Bhaupur-Khurja section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor's (EDFC) Phase- I.

The contract has been given to the joint venture company by the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited which is entrusted with the implementation of this project.

Railways authorities said this section has a 343 km double track and AIL-ATSA will design and construct the required electrification, signaling, telecommunications facilities, buildings and other associated works.

"The contract has been awarded through International Competitive Bidding Process. The work is funded by World Bank," Indian Railways said in a statement.

The Bhaupur-Khurja section will have 10 stations at a spacing of 35-40 km of which four will be junction stations connecting to the railways for exchange of freight traffic.

"The system shall be designed to carry long Haul Freight trains of 13,000 tons at a maximum speed of 100 kmph and will improve the present average speed of 25 kmph on Indian Railway to 65 kmph," the statement said.

This project is aimed to be completed by 2018.