Reliance, L&T-led consortia in race for B'lore Metro project

Five consortia led by Reliance Infrastructure, L&T, ITD Cementation India, Pioneer Infratech and Lanco Infratech have been shortlisted for the $2-billion (Rs 9,270 crore) High Speed Rail Link in Bangalore.

Sources said Bangalore Airport Rail Link, a special purpose vehicle formed by the Karnataka State Industrial Investment and Development Corporation to implement this project, had on January 28 shortlisted the consortia of Reliance Infrastructure and CSR Nanjing Puzhen Rolling Stock Company of China; Larsen & Toubro and Transco Ltd; ITD Cementation and Italian - Thai Development Public Company; Pioneer Infratech and Siemens Project Ventures Gmbh; and Lanco Infratech and OHL Concesiones of Spain, to bid for the project. There would be more companies in each consortium.

This metro line would be a 33.65-km rail link between Bangalore City Centre and Bangalore International Airport, with four elevated stations, at MG Road, Hebbal, Yelahanka and the airport.

The project will be on a public-private partnership model and will be awarded to the winner on a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer basis. The winner will be selected through an open competitive bidding process, said sources, and would operate it for 30 years, including the construction time.

The link will take only 25 minutes to reach the new airport, with a check-in facility at the centre of the city, at Police Grounds between M G Road and Cubbon Road, and at Hebbal, where the Ring Road passes through.

According to the traffic forecast by BIAL, the air traffic will be 17.2 million passengers per annum by 2010-11 and about 40 per cent of them will be using the HSRL.