AHMEDABAD (Metro Rail News): The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project has achieved another major construction milestone in Gujarat. Engineers have completed the launch of a 45 meter long viaduct span over busy Kalupur Flyover in Ahmedabad, helping the High-Speed rail corridor move closer to completion. The viaduct runs parallel to the existing Mumbai-Sabarmati railway line of Western Railway. Project teams completed the bridge launch on May 25, 2026.
Bridge Installed over key Ahmedabad flyover
The new span crosses the Kalupur flyover, a railway overbridge that carries thousands of vehicles every day. The flyover connects Shahibaug, Asarwa and Kalupur and serves as an important route for daily commuters. Engineers used the Span-by-Span (SBS) construction method to place the bridge segment above the flyover.
Key details of the structure
Length of span: 45 meters
Height from ground level to rail level: 19.5 meters
Number of segments used: 19
Total weight of span: 1,200 metric tonnes
Teams finished the work in three nights
The construction team carried out the work between May 22 and May 25 after receiving permission from the Ahmedabad Traffic Department for night traffic blocks. To ensure safety, authorities closed entry and exit points within the work zone between midnight and 6 am. During this limited time, engineers completed all major activities, including,
Transportation of segments
Auto-launching operations
Span erection
Dry matching
Gluing works
The team completed the entire operation in just three nights and reopened the area for normal traffic during the daytime.
Traffic management plan reduced disruptions
Project officials put several measures in place to reduce inconvenience to the public during construction. These included,
Barricading around the work area
Traffic diversion signs
Advance public information about route changes
Deployment of traffic marshals during day and night shifts
Additional lighting for night-time work
These arrangements helped maintain traffic movement while construction continued above the flyover.
Progress continues across Ahmedabad section
The Ahmedabad section of the bullet train corridor includes several complex crossings over railway lines, roads, canals and bridges. The corridor passes through 31 crossings in Ahmedabad district, including:
8 Indian Railways crossings
16 canal crossings
1 crossing over the Sabarmati River
Road flyovers, roads and underpasses
6 steel bridges
So far, project teams have completed work at 23 of these 31 crossings. The latest achievement at Kalupur Flyover adds another important link to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor, which remains India’s first high-speed rail project.
There is a moment in the industrial history of most major economies when ambition finally catches up with capability. For India’s railway manufacturing sector, that moment has not arrived all at once, but it has been building, component by component, factory by factory, train by train, across more than a decade of deliberate policy, foreign investment, and indigenous engineering. The result is visible today in the form of some of the indigenous trains including Namo Bharat, Vande Bharat, in WAG12B Prima locomotives manufactured in Bihar that haul six thousand tonnes of freight across the Dedicated Freight Corridors, in hydrogen-powered test trains rolling through Haryana, and in a growing ecosystem of domestic suppliers that are supplying critical components to one of the most ambitious rail programmes anywhere in the world.
This is the story of India’s railway manufacturing localisation. A structural shift that is remodelling not just how India builds trains, but how it positions itself in the global rail supply chain. It is also, inevitably, a story with unresolved tensions. Between the pace of foreign technology transfer and the readiness of domestic suppliers to absorb it. Between the ambition of Atmanirbhar Bharat and the reality of a sector where import dependency in some components remains deep. And between the interests of large joint venture manufacturers and the fragmented base of MSMEs that form the backbone of India’s component supply ecosystem.
The primary objective of this study is to bring light to India’s progress in localising rail components and how India is positioning itself in the global rail market, where it is not only a buyer but a supplier. The paper also focuses on the impact of localisation on domestic suppliers and how well-equipped they are to take the edge while competing with international manufacturers who are establishing their ecosystem in India.
The Policy Foundation: From Import Dependence to Atmanirbhar Bharat
For most of its history, Indian Railways has been an importer of technology. Locomotive designs came from Germany, the United Kingdom, and later the United States. Coach technology arrived through transfer agreements from Switzerland and Germany. Signalling systems were sourced from Europe. Even the LHB coaches that replaced ICF designs in the early 2000s were licensed from Linke-Hofmann-Busch of Germany. The institutional assumption, for decades, was that India could manufacture at scale but could not design or engineer at the front end.
Make in India: A Key Pillar in Achieving Independence in Rail Manufacturing
That assumption began to crack after 2014, when the government launched the Make in India initiative and identified railways as one of its priority sectors. The policy framework that followed was not merely aspirational, it was structural. Foreign Direct Investment in the railway sector was opened up to 100 % on the automatic route for greenfield projects. Local content requirements were embedded in procurement contracts. Public sector production units were tasked with designing, not just assembling. And a new generation of PPP structures allowed global manufacturers to set up world-class facilities in India but with explicit obligations to localise.
The result, a decade later, was an 18-fold increase in coach production compared to the decade before 2014. FDI inflows in railway-related components stood at Rs 9,163 crore between April 2000 and June 2025, with the bulk concentrated in the years after 2015.
Railway exports coaches, bogies, propulsion systems, and locomotives reached USD 315 million in FY2024, up from USD 173 million in FY2021. India is now exporting railway equipment to over 16 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia.
The Madhepura Model: One of the Largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects in the Indian Railways sector
No single project better illustrates India’s railway manufacturing reformation than the Electric Locomotive Factory at Madhepura, Bihar. In 2015, the Indian Railways awarded Alstoma contract worth EUR 3.5 billion to manufacture 800 high-powered double-section electric locomotives of 12,000 HP under a joint venture structure. The Ministry of Railways holds a 26 % stake; Alstom holds 74 %.
What makes Madhepura more than just a large contract is what has happened inside the factory over the past decade. When production began, a large share of components was imported. Today, Alstom has progressively achieved near 90 % localisation, meaning nearly nine out of every ten components in a WAG-12B locomotive are sourced from within India.
India’s Entry in the Global Club: Producing the Most Powerful Freight Locomotives
The WAG-12B is equipped with Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) based propulsion technology and regenerative braking; each locomotive can haul 6,000-tonne freight rakes at up to 120 km/h, making India just the sixth nation in the world capable of indigenously producing such high-horsepower locomotives.
Vande Bharat: A New Dimension in Indigenous Rail Manufacturing
If Madhepura represents the FDI-led model of localisation, Vande Bharat represents the indigenous design-led model, and its significance to India’s manufacturing narrative cannot be overstated. When the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai developed Train 18 in 2017-18, it did so with a specific ambition: to build a semi-high-speed trainset at half the imported cost, using Indian design and engineering, in 18 months. The result was a 16-coach self-propelled EMU with automatic doors, GPS-based passenger information, Wi-Fi, and regenerative braking with 80 % indigenous components built for Rs 97 crore.
That figure, 80 % indigenous content, rising to 90 % in subsequent versions, is the number that defines the Vande Bharat story for India’s manufacturing ecosystem. Every component that is not imported is a supply chain opportunity for a domestic manufacturer. ICF’s General Manager, U. Subba Rao, has confirmed that Vande Bharat trains are now 90 % indigenous, with the remaining 10 % covering specific advanced components where domestic capability is still being developed.
The scale of deployment underscores what localised manufacturing at this level means in practice. By March 2026, over 160 Vande Bharat services were operational across 274 districts, carrying more than 7.5 crore passengers.
The strengthening of local manufacturing units has led the government to scale up the Vande Bharat deployment. The government plans to roll out 800 Vande Bharat trains by 2030 and over 4,000 Vande Bharat trainsets by 2047. This vision to transform the railway would never have been possible if India had depended on foreign suppliers.
NaMo Bharat Trains: A New Benchmark with 80% Localisation
The NaMo Bharat rapid rail, operating on the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor, represents a different dimension of India’s rail manufacturing evolution, one that combines indigenous project delivery with international technology deployed on Indian soil for the first time globally.
The 210 regional trainsets supplied by Alstom for the RRTS corridor were manufactured at the company’s Savli plant in Gujarat and feature ETCS Level 2 signalling, a system that had never before been operationally deployed on a regional rail system anywhere in the world. The Namo Bharat trains, in accordance with India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ vision and the Make in India guidelines, are 100% indigenously manufactured, with over 80% localisation.
The project has demonstrated that India can not only build world-class regional rail infrastructure but can do so as a proving ground for global technology firsts. For the domestic manufacturing ecosystem, the RRTS has generated supply chain activity across civil works, electrification, station equipment, and systems integration, much of it performed by Indian firms.
The Hydrogen Train
The development of India’s first hydrogen-powered train is perhaps the most tangible expression of where Indian railway manufacturing ambition is heading. Designed by RDSO in Lucknow and manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, the hydrogen train completed load tests in August 2025 and conducted its inaugural test run on March 2, 2026, reaching a top speed of 70 km/h on the Jind-Sonipat section of the Northern Railway zone in Haryana.
The train consists of eight coaches and has a power capacity of 2,400 kW, which makes it one of the most powerful hydrogen-powered trains globally, exceeding the 500-600 HP capacity of most international hydrogen trains.
However, hydrogen technology is new for India, and it will take time to evolve. Taken together, these programmes represent a supply chain development opportunity for Indian manufacturers in fuel cells, hydrogen storage, power electronics, and related systems technologies with applications well beyond railways.
The Domestic Supplier Ecosystem: Opportunities and Pressure
Uneven Ground Realities
The narrative of India’s railway manufacturing localisation, world-class factories, indigenous trains, and export ambitions sits alongside a more complex reality for the domestic supplier ecosystem that underpins it. The localisation of programmes like Vande Bharat and the WAG-12B does create supply chain opportunities. But the question of whether Indian MSMEs and mid-sized manufacturers are able to capture these opportunities at scale and at the quality and cost standards required is one that the sector is still working through. Some domestic manufacturers have made an advancement in this. Titagarh Rail Systems Limited is building coaches, propulsion systems, and aluminium-bodied trains under the Vande Bharat programme from state-of-the-art facilities in West Bengal and Maharashtra.
Component Manufacturing: Gains, But Not Uniform
At the component level, progress is evident but uneven. Taural India partnered with Indian Railways to supply aluminium casting solutions for the Amrit Bharat Express, replacing imported German components. Uniproducts India collaborated with ICF to supply sound and thermal insulation materials for Vande Bharat. These examples illustrate the depth of localisation that is possible, but they are the successful cases. For every domestic supplier that has made the quality and scale transition, there are others that have struggled to meet the technical specifications or delivery timelines demanded by large-scale rail programmes.
The Missing Middle in Supplier Readiness
The pressure on domestic suppliers comes from multiple directions. Global joint venture manufacturers like Alstom, Wabtec, and TMH bring with them established international supply chains that they are accustomed to drawing upon. The pace of technology upgrade from Vande Bharat 1.0 to 2.0 to 3.0 has been rapid, and domestic component suppliers must continuously invest in retooling and recertification to remain relevant.
Policy Push vs Ground-Level Impact
The government has attempted to address this through procurement policy. Local content requirements in railway tenders, the Aatmanirbhar Bharat provisions in procurement guidelines. But the effectiveness of these interventions varies, and there is no comprehensive public data on what percentage of railway component value, as opposed to assembly or integration, is truly sourced from Indian manufacturers.
From Importer to Exporter: India’s Growing Rail Trade Footprint
One of the most consequential implications of India’s railway manufacturing development is its emerging export capability. Since 2016, Indian Railways and its manufacturing ecosystem have exported over 1,000 rail cars, 3,800 bogies, 4,000 flatpacks, and 5,000 propulsion systems to countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Egypt, Sweden, Brazil, the UK, and Saudi Arabia.
The Marhowra Diesel Locomotive Factory in Bihar, a joint venture between Indian Railways and Wabtec (formerly GE), secured a Rs 3,000 crore deal to export 150 Evolution Series ES43ACmi locomotives to Guinea’s Simandou iron ore project, a transaction that will create over 2,100 jobs and establish India as a credible exporter of heavy-haul locomotive technology to Africa.
The Union Budget 2026-27, which allocated a record Rs 2,78,000 crore for the Indian railway sector, the highest in history, signals the continued scale of domestic investment that will sustain this manufacturing ecosystem. Seven new high-speed rail corridors have been announced as ‘growth connectors’, each of which will generate significant rolling stock, signalling, and infrastructure procurement.
The Gaps That Remain: An Assessment of Localisation
India’s railway manufacturing localisation story, for all its genuine achievements, is not complete. Several strategic gaps remain that must be acknowledged.
Manufacturing vs Technology Localisation
Localisation, as it is currently structured in India’s railway sector, is primarily a manufacturing localisation; the fabrication, assembly, and supply of components is increasingly done in India. But technology localisation, the ability to design, modify, certify, and independently produce the most critical systems without reference to the foreign licensor, remains largely aspirational.
The Three Pillars of Independence
The path to rail manufacturing independence runs through three areas where investment remains insufficient.
Indigenous R&D: India must fund and develop proprietary traction, signalling, and control systems that are designed and owned domestically, as demonstrated, to an extent, by Kavach.
Technology absorption with ownership: Joint venture agreements must evolve to include clear provisions for IP transfer and domestic ownership of key systems over defined timelines, rather than focusing solely on localisation percentages.
Competitive domestic OEMs: India needs firms that can compete globally on technology, not just cost. At present, companies like BEML and Titagarh operate largely in the assembly and fabrication tier.
Signalling Technology
In signalling, the picture is more balanced. Kavach, India’s indigenous Automatic Train Protection system, represents a genuine technological milestone. However, high-end systems such as CBTC for driverless metro operations and ETCS Level 2 deployed on RRTS corridors continue to be sourced from global vendors. These systems represent the most valuable segment of the railway technology stack.
Workforce Challenge
Finally, the workforce transition that manufacturing localisation requires has not always been adequately addressed. The shift from importing assembled equipment to building it domestically requires not just factory capacity but deep engineering skills in design, in quality systems, in testing, and certification. India’s engineering talent is abundant, but the specific, applied skills required for railway manufacturing in propulsion engineering, in signalling systems, and in materials testing require sustained investment in vocational training that has not yet materialised at the scale required.
Conclusion
India’s railway manufacturing localisation has delivered real results over the past decade in locomotives, coaches, rolling stock, and supporting infrastructure. The combination of ambitious government policy, large-scale foreign investment, indigenous design capability demonstrated through Vande Bharat, and emerging competitiveness in exports has created a foundation that did not exist in 2014.
But a foundation is not a destination. The work of the next decade is to deepen localisation into the technology-intensive layers of the supply chain, where import dependency remains structural. It is to build a domestic MSME supplier base that is capable of meeting the quality and scale demands of world-class rail programmes, not just in benign conditions but consistently and reliably.
The hydrogen train, NaMo Bharat trains, and Vande Bharat are not isolated achievements. They are data points in a larger industrial story that India is writing in real time. The question is whether the policy discipline, the supply chain investment, and the institutional commitment that got India this far can be sustained and deepened as the programme scales.
MUMBAI (Metro Rail News): Mumbai Metro Line 5 has become one of the longest metro corridors in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) after authorities approved its latest extension. The project now stretches 34.21 km and will connect key areas such as Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Dombivali and Ulhasnagar.
At the same time, work on the first phase has entered an important stage. The project team is now preparing for the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) inspection, which is required before passenger services can begin.
Corridor length increases after new extension
Metro Line 5 originally covered 22.38 km between Thane and Kalyan. With the approval of the new Metro Line 5A extension, the corridor will gain another 11.83 km, taking the total length to 34.21 km. The expanded project will cost around Rs 18,130 crore and will improve connectivity across some of the fastest growing parts of the MMR.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the corridor will play a major role in improving travel for people living in Bhiwandi and the Kalyan-Dombivali region. He also mentioned that Bhiwandi is one of Asia’s largest textile and warehousing hubs, which requires better transport infrastructure to support its economic activity. The Kalyan-Dombivli region is also home to more than 35 lakh people. It is also expected to benefit from faster and more reliable public transport. Fadnavis expressed confidence that phase 1 could open for commuters by the end of this year.
Phase 1 nears safety inspection
The first Phase of Metro Line 5 runs between Thane and Dhamaknagar Naka and covers 11.9 km.
Phase-1 station
Balkhum
Kasheli
Kalher
Purna
Anjurphata
Dhamankar Naka
Construction teams are also making progress at the Kasheli Metro Depot. Work includes ground improvement, inspection facilities and the Depot Control Centre. MMRDA Metropolitan commissioner Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee said station construction has reached an advanced stage and officials are preparing for the CMRS inspection and the line will play an important role in the agency’s “Mumbai in Minutes” mobility vision once operational.
Project Snapshot
Phase
Route
Length
Stations
Cost
Phase-1
Thane to Dhamankar Naka
11.9 km
6
Rs 6,741 crore
Phase-2
Dhamankar Naka to Durgadi
10.48 km
6 (1 underground, 5 elevated)
Rs 7,326 crore
Phase 5A
Durgadi to Kalyan with Ulhasnagar Spur
11.83 km
7
Rs 4,063 crore
The phase 2 section will include an underground station at Bhiwandi and Five elevated stations extending towards Durgadi. The newly approved Phase 5A extension will add stations at Durgadi, Khadakpada, Bhoirwadi, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Path, Shanti Nagar, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk and Ulhasnagar. A dedicated spur from Bhoirwadi will provide direct metro access to Ulhasnagar.
Designed as an Integrated Transport Corridor
Metro Line 5 has been planned with multiple interchange and connectivity points to support seamless travel across the region. Key integration points include,
Interchange with Metro Line 4 at Balkhum (Kapurbawadi)
Interchange with Metro Line 12 at Kalyan Junction
Connectivity to suburban railway stations at Thane, Kalyan, Vitthalwadi and Ulhasnagar
Feeder bus services planned across stations
Access to major highways including NH-160, NH-61 and NH-848
Deputy Chief Minister and MMRDA Chairman Eknath Shinde said the corridor will strengthen links between Bhiwandi’s textile and warehousing sector and the rapidly growing Kalyan-Dombivli urban belt, creating a major mobility spine in eastern MMR.
Expected Benefits
According to project estimates, the corridor could cut travel times by 40-50% compared to road journeys on several stretches. Other expected benefits include,
Reduced traffic congestion on key roads and highways
Better access to industrial and logistics hubs in Bhiwandi
Improved connectivity between residential and employment centres
Stronger links with suburban rail and future metro corridors
MUMBAI (Metro Rail News): Mumbai monorail is set to return with upgraded connectivity, while the upcoming Chembur Metro Station is emerging as a key interchange hub in eastern Mumbai. Together, the two projects could significantly improve connectivity and make travel faster for lakhs of commuters across the city’s eastern suburbs.
According to an official update shared by Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Ltd (MMMOCL), authorities are working to create a seamless connection between the Metro and Monorail networks as part of Mumbai’s larger public transport expansion plan. Metropolitan Commissioner of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee, recently inspected the upcoming Chembur Metro Station along with MMMOCL Managing director Kanhuraj Bagade. During the visit, the officials also walked to the nearby V.N. Purav Monorail Station to review passenger connectivity between the two systems.
Metro Monorail integration takes shape
The new Chembur Metro Station will serve as the sixth station on Metro Metro Line 2B and extend metro connectivity up to the busy Sion-Trombay Road corridor. A key feature of the project is its connection with the Mumbai Monorail network. The metro station is located about 100 meters from V.N. Purav Monorail Station. It will allow passengers to switch between the two systems with minimal walking distance. Officials believe this interchange will significantly improve travel options for people living in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs.
What the project includes
Chembur Metro Station on Metro Line 2B
Direct interchange with V.N. Purav Monorail Station
Around 100 meters between the two stations
Faster access to South-Central Mumbai
Easier transfers between Metro and Monorail services
Mumbai Monorail nears relaunch
MMMOCL said preparations for the relaunch of the Mumbai Monorail are in the final stages. While authorities have not announced an official launch date, they indicated that services could resume soon. The Mumbai Monorail runs on a 20 km corridor connecting Chembur, Wadala and Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk. The project opened in two phases,
Phase-1 (Chembur – Wadala): 8.8 kn, opened on February 2, 2014.
Phase-2 (Wadala – Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk): 11.2 km, opened in March 4, 2019
This Monorail project was first conceived in 2008 and developed with support from international partners.
Once the Chembur Metro Station becomes operational and the Monorail returns to service, commuters will get quicker access to different parts of Mumbai through a single connected transport network. The interchange is expected to reduce travel time, improve last-mile connectivity and make daily journeys smoother for thousands of passengers.
KOLKATA (Metro Rail News): Metro Railways Kolkata has invited bids for rehabilitation works on parts of the Blue Line viaduct in Kolkata. The project carries an estimated cost of Rs 43.36 crore and aims to strengthen ageing metro structures and improve the long term reliability of the corridor. The work will cover viaduct sections between Dakshineswar (KDSW) and Dum Dum (KDMI), as well as stretches between Mahanaya Uttam Kumar and Kavi Subhas stations. Metro Railway plans to complete the project within 18 months.
Tender Information
Details
Information
Tender Number
Civil2572-2026
Tender Type
Open Tender
Bidding System
Two Pocket System
Estimated Cost
Rs 43.36 crore
EMD
Rs 86.73 lakh
Bid Submission Start Date
2 June 2026
Tender Submission Deadline
16 June 2026 (12:00)
Completion Period
18 months
Scope of work
The contractor will repair and strengthen various structural elements of the Blue Line viaduct. The work will cover metro viaduct sections from Dakshineswar to Dum Dum and from Mahanayak Uttam Kumar to Kavi Subhash. The project includes rehabilitation of aging structures and damaged components. The contractor will carry out civil engineering works required to improve structural stability and durability. The work will help maintain safe and reliable metro options on the corridor, The entire project will be completed within 18 months.
About the project
The Blue Line is Kolkata’s first metro corridor and one of the busiest urban transit routes in the city. Thousands of passengers use the line every day to travel across north and south Kolkata. Over the years, several sections of the viaduct have required maintenance and strengthening work due to age and continuous operations. Through this project, Metro Railway Kolkata aims to improve the condition of key structures, extend their service life, and ensure smooth metro operations for passengers in the years ahead.
Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) has proposed three new metro stations and an extension of the existing metro station to connect to the highly awaited Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor.
The suggested stretch will link Saroli station under Corridor-II (Green Line) Phase-1 to the Surat Bullet Train Station at Antroli. This expansion will be an addition to the underdeveloped Phase 1 of GMRC, which consists of 2 metro corridors with 38 stations stretching 40.35 km. The first section of the metro (8.5 km elevated section of the Diamond Corridor between Dream City and Althan) is expected to open to the public by mid-2026.
The proposed 4.4 km-long extension will include three new stations: Kalpataru Metro Station, Ambaba College Metro Station, and Surat HSR Metro Station. This expansion will connect the metro network to areas such as Chedcha, Vedchha, and Antroli, enhancing connectivity to the bullet train corridor.
The estimated cost for the proposed project is over ₹1,400 crore, and the approval from the Union Cabinet is currently awaited. The Gujarat government has earmarked ₹40 crore as capital assistance and ₹40 crore as a loan to support this strategic expansion of Corridor-II to the HSR network.
Saroli Metro Station is the last station of the Green Line originating from Bhesan Station, and will be the interchange station for this project. The Red Line starts from Dream City Depot and ends at Sarthana Metro Station. The green and red lines meet at an interchange station at Maujar Gate Metro Station.
According to sources, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this project has been prepared and submitted to the Cabinet. Once approved, this project will serve as a direct point of connection between the metro station and the High-Speed Rail (HSR) stations.
DELHI (Metro Rail News): Northeast Railway has invited bids for automatic block signalling and associated telecom works in the Varanasi Division. The project has an estimated cost of Rs 128.72 crore and aims to improve train operations, safety, and line capacity on busy routes in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The work will cover the Aunrihar junction-Varanasi City and Banaras-Prayagraj Rambag sections. Northeast Railway plans to install Automatic Block Signalling (ABS) and other modern systems to help trains run more efficiently.
Tender Information
Information
Details
Tender Number
NER_SnT_Proj_BSB_02_2026
Tender Type
Open Tender
Bidding System
Two Pocket System
Estimated Cost
Rs 128.72 crore
Earnest Money Deposit (EMD)
Rs 2.57 crore
Pre Bidding Meeting
5 June 2026, (11:30)
Bid Submission start date
18 June 2026,
Bid Submission Deadline
2 July 2026, (15:00 hrs)
Completion Period
18 months
Scope of Work
The contractor will carry out survey, design, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of Automatic Block Signalling systems. The project will use Multi-Section Digital Axle Counters (MSDAC) for continuous track circulating. The scope also includes 4×48 Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) works on both railway sections. The contractor will execute signalling and telecom works as adjoining stations. The package includes Electronic interlocking indoor works at Sarnath, Kadipur, and Rajwari railway station.The entire work will be completed within 18 months.
About the project
The project will cover the Aurnihat junction -Varanashi city and Banaras – Prayagraj Rambag sections in the Varanasi Division of Northeast Railway. Automatic Block Signalling allows railway authorities to reduce the gap between trains while maintaining safety. This helps improve line capacity and allows more trains to run on the same route. The installation of MSDAC, OFC network, and Electronic Interlocking systems will strengthen signalling infrastructure and improve reliability on these stations.
In a revolutionary step towards bridging a gap between India’s freight capacity the Kazipet Rail Manufacturing Unit whose foundation stone was laid by PM Modi virtually onJuly 8, 2023 is on the verge of its completion. The facility was visited by The Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Union Minister of State for Railways, Ravneet Singh Bittu, where they reviewed the plans to operationalise the Kazipet Rail Manufacturing Unit on 28th May along with other senior officials.
Kazipet Rail Manufacturing Unit is a versatile railway rolling stock manufacturing unit and is set to manufacture 200 intercity trains in the next 5 years.
These short distance trains are set to be deployed throughout the country for short distance travel and will run for about 300 km and are designed for affordable travel and will be equipped with modern features like automatic door closing, superior ventilation and a safe coach design with a 20-coach configuration.
The trains will also have regenerative braking, meaning that when the train applies brakes, it will become a generator of electricity & feed the regenerated electricity back into the grid. It is, therefore, energy efficient. These short distance trains are a greener mode of transport and will have significantly less carbon emissions vis-à-vis road transport.
The introduction of such a large fleet by Railways will increase the green and clean transport capacity across the country.
LUCKNOW (Metro Rail News): Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited has announced Ranjit Buildcon Limited as the lowest bidder for the civil contract of Lucknow Metro Phase 1B. The contact is worth ₹ 3,83,98,13,629.
The bids received for the tender are:
Bidders
Value
Ranjit Buildcon Limited
₹ 383.9 Cr.
LCC Projects Limited
Rejected-Technical
PNC Infratech Ltd
₹ 442.5 Cr.
Lucknow Metro is the fastest constructed metro Project in India. The bids invited in January were for the Design and Construction of Main Line Elevated Viaduct from ThakurGanj Metro Station to Vasantkunj Metro Station (approx. 4.6 kms including station length) including construction of ramp (Approx. 740.00m) to connect viaduct & Depot Entry/Exit and 5 nos. of Elevated Metro Stations i.e., Thakurganj, Balaganj, Sarfarajganj, Musabagh & Vasantkunj, including Civil, Associated Ancillary Structures, PEB structures, Architectural work, Water Supply, Sanitary Installation, Drainage, External Development, Fire Fighting arrangement, and E&M works.
The contract period for this agreement is 2738 Days.
The Lucknow Metro Phase 1A is fully operational (Red Line) and Phase-1B is under construction. The Groundwork and the construction for phase-1B is set to begin in June 2026. The second corridor spans 11.16 km from Charbagh to Vasant Kunj, consisting 4.286 km of elevated track and 6.879 km underground, with 12 stations – seven underground and five elevated. The Execution of this contract will result in better connectivity and seamless travel across the city.
DELHI (Metro Rail News): For two days, InnoMetro – Asia’s leading expo and conference became a convergence point for the people restructuring the future of India’s rail mobility ecosystem. The event brought government leaders, metro rail corporations, manufacturers, technology providers, financiers, urban planners, and startups all under one roof.
The scale was bigger. The conversations were sharper. And the energy across the exhibition floor made one thing clear: India’s rail and urban transit sector is moving into a defining decade.
From breakthrough technologies and indigenous manufacturing solutions to financing models, digital transformation, sustainability, and future-ready transit systems, the discussions throughout the event reflected an industry that is evolving rapidly and confidently.
But beyond the numbers, what truly defined InnoMetro 2026 was participation. Every conference session, every networking conversation in the aisles, every exhibitor showcasing innovation together, they created the spirit of this edition.
InnoMetro 2026 would not have been possible without the organisations that believed in the platform and supported its vision. InnoMetro 2026 is grateful to the Indian Railways and the Ministry of MSME for their long-standing support for the event.
To Aurionpro, our Event Partner, thank you for bringing innovation, indigenous technology, and innovative thinking to the forefront of this year’s edition.
A sincere thank you to the Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC), our Title Partner, whose presence brought immense depth to conversations around infrastructure financing and long-term rail development in India.
A heartfelt appreciation to our valued partners, Bahwan CyberTek, our Gold Partner; Hindalco, our Branding Partner; MMRDA, our Urban Transformation Partner; and Sidwal, our Associate Partner, for believing in the vision of InnoMetro and contributing immensely to making InnoMetro 2026 a grand success.
To our speakers, thank you for making the conference meaningful. More than 60 industry leaders and experts shared their time, experience, and insights across two days of discussions that went far beyond presentations and formal panels. The conversations were honest and deeply relevant to the challenges and opportunities facing the sector today.
To our exhibitors, thank you for bringing the expo floor to life. The technologies, systems, products, and innovations showcased during the event demonstrated the scale of progress happening across India’s rail ecosystem today. From established global players to emerging Indian companies, the exhibition reflected confidence, capability, and ambition.
Six editions later, InnoMetro has evolved into something much larger than a conference and exhibition. It has become a platform where the industry gathers not only to showcase progress, but to collectively think about what comes next.
Because the future of mobility is not built in isolation. It is built through collaboration. Through dialogue. Through partnerships. Through difficult questions and ambitious ideas shared across the same room.
And while the exhibition halls may now be quieter, the momentum created during InnoMetro 2026 will continue far beyond these two days into future projects, partnerships, policy discussions, innovations, and infrastructure developments across the country.
To everyone who was part of this journey, thank you for making InnoMetro 2026 a success. We look forward to welcoming you again at the 7th Edition of InnoMetro.
