RZD International keen to join Ahd-Rajkot railway project

RZD International, a special purpose engineering company of Russian Railways Holding (RZD), has expressed its interest in participating in the proposed semi-high speed railway project between Ahmedabad and Rajkot in Gujarat.

In their meeting with the Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Mumbai, Aleksei V Surovtsev and RZD International's Vladimir Finov expressed their readiness to participate in the project, a state government release said on Wednesday.

"RZD International expressed its interest in participating in the project as it presents the tremendous potential for economic and all-round development of the two areas," the release quoted Russian officials as saying.

RZD International had in the past made DPRs for 580-km high speed rail between Nagpur and Secunderabad in India.

The detailed report on the semi high-speed railway project between Rajkot and Ahmedabad, a distance of around 230 kms, is being prepared by the Gjarat Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (G-RIDE), a Special Purporse Vehicle (SPV) formed from the joint venture between the Ministry of Railways and the Gujarat government.

"The Russia Railway company would like to go ahead with the project's detailed engineering design, project execution and complete finance after consultation with Gujarat and Indian governments," the release said.

Russian representatives assured the government that the company will complete the project within six years of design preparation.

Rupani said this high-speed railway project would be vital in reducing heavy traffic load on Rajkot-Ahmedabad road and cutting down the travel time.

RZD International had entered into an MoU with the Ministry of Railways for modernisation of railways and the singaling system.

In Gujarat too, it is eager to work with G-Ride Company for this semi high-speed rail project, it said.

Vladimir Finov also expressed the desire of RZD International to contribute to new projects in increasing rail connectivity for freight corridors from ports as well as to increase existing speed of passenger rail and freight trains, the release stated.