GMR, Sterlite, Bharat Forge, Bombardier among bidders for private trains

The private entities for the projected will be selected through a two-stage competitive bidding process comprising Request for Qualification (RFQ) and Request for Proposal (RFP)

At least 16 players, including the GMR Group, Sterlite Power, RITES, Bharat Forge, JKB Infrastructure, Medha Group, R K Associates, Bombardier, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) participated in a pre-application conference of interested bidders for the private train project held on Tuesday.

However, the meeting was marked by the notable absence of Tata and Adani Group, which were believed to be the frontrunners for the private train bids. The project is expected to bring in private investments to the tune of around Rs 30,000 crore. "The conference received an overwhelming response with participation