Consultants for monorail project soon

Consultants for monorail project soon

Govind D. Belgaumkar

Monorail will run as feeder service for metro rail network

# Three consortiums have been shortlisted
# Consultants will advise BMRC on technology to be adopted


BANGALORE: Three of the five consortiums have passed the first set of tests in their bid to get appointed as consultants for the city's monorail project being implemented by Bangalore Metro Rail Transport Corporation (BMRC).

Five consortiums had submitted their proposals in response to the tender floated by BMRC in January. Each of the consortiums had submitted proposals in three separate covers — the first for pre-qualification, the second for technical proposal and the third consisting of financial bid. The covers for pre-qualification were opened in the first week of April.

BMRC sources said the second covers were opened on May 2 for evaluation.

The consortiums are SOWiLL Ltd., Mumbai, along with SSDL, China; SBI Capital Market Ltd., Mumbai; and ALMT Legal Bangalore; RITES Ltd., New Delhi; Tonichi Engineering Consultants, Japan, and iDeck, Bangalore; and Semaly France with TOSTEMS, Japan and BCEOM India Pvt. Ltd., Faridabad.

The third set of covers that pass the technical criteria will be opened and the lowest bidder will be appointed consultant after obtaining the approval of the State Government.

Sources said the consultants so appointed will advice the BMRC on the technology to be adopted and the type of public-private partnership model to be followed in implementing the different corridors of monorail.

All the consortiums participating in the tender have Indian and foreign collaborations.

The State Government has decided to run monorail as feeder service to the proposed 38-km network of the Metro.

The following corridors have been identified for operating monorail: Corridor - I: From Kanakapura Road to Mysore Road Junction with a T connection from Kathriguppe to National College. Corridor - II: From Bannerghatta National Park to Adugodi. Corridor - III: From Jnanabhararthi to Mysore Road (Outer Ring Road) with a T connection to Tollgate on Magadi Road. Corridor - IV: From Tumkur Road on Outer Ring Road to Bellary Road.

The monorail runs on single elevated rail around two-feet wide and can transport maximum of 15,000 people an hour in one direction. Its coaches will have wheels with tyres.

Compared to this Metro coaches run on two rails, elevated, underground or at grade and can carry up to 40,000 people in one direction in an hour.