The Steel Authority of India ltd (SAIl) has bagged contracts for supplying over 1.17 lakh tonnes of rails by bidding successfully for two global tenders floated by Rail Vikas Nigam limited (RVNl) for major upcoming passenger rail line projects in the country.
The total value of the two contracts is over Rs 650 crore. Domestic as well as global rail manufacturers had participated in the tender, a statement of SAIl’s largest unit Bhilai Steel Plant, informed.
Based on the guidelines of Asian Development Bank, the funding agency for the projects, RVNl had issued global tenders to get the best prices from the best supplier with prior experience of supplying rails with high quality specifications.
RVNl is a special purpose vehicle created by the Government in 2003 for the development and implementation of projects pertaining to strengthening of the Golden Quadrilateral and port connectivity.
The schedule for supply of the high quality (Grade 880 Class A) rails by SAIl would be completed within 18 months from the date of award of contract.
SAIl’s flagship Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), which has been supplying rails to the Indian Railways since its inception, has specialised in the production of long rails and has installed various ultra-modern processes to meet global standards. SAIl fulfils the Indian Railways’ entire requirement of close to 7 lakh tonnes of rails annually.
The BSP, the sole supplier of 260-metre-long rail panels to the Indian Railways, is gearing up to meet all future requirements of the Railways, including head-hardened rails, as part of its ongoing Rs.17,265-crore modernisation & expansion programme. Work is progressing rapidly at BSP’s new 1.2 million tonne per annum capacity Universal Rail Mill designed to produce world class rails that would enable SAIl to roll out the longest single-piece rails in the country.
BSP’s new Rail Welding Mill which is equipped to produce 260-metre long rail panels has a future provision of manufacturing 520-metre long welded panels as well.