 "New Delhi railway station")
New Delhi railway station (Photo: Twitter)
After over a decade of delays, the ministry of railways has once again attempted to kickstart the redevelopment of the New Delhi railway station, the national transporter’s station development body Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) said on Monday.
The latest tender will see the project executed at Rs 2,469 crore, after the ministry had to scale down the initial tender and reduce the scope of the project.
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“This comprehensive development plan envisions the station as an integrated transportation hub seamlessly connecting rail, metro, bus, and other modes of transport, ensuring convenient and hassle-free connectivity for passengers,” RLDA’s statement said.
According to the Request for Proposal (RFP) document, a pre-bid conference will take place on Tuesday in New Delhi, followed by a site visit.
An official aware of the developments said that the latest tender addresses all cost-related concerns of the industry, adding that refinements to the document were made through multiple consultations over the year. Earlier this year, the ministry had planned to float the tender in July, the official said.
The main components of the project include the construction of two linear station buildings on the Paharganj and Ajmeri Gate sides, an air concourse with arrival and departure plazas, waiting areas, vertical circulation elements such as lifts and escalators, retail areas, and other services to facilitate passengers.
While the project was initially conceptualised as a public-private partnership (PPP), a sudden reversal in September 2022 saw a fresh approval from the Union Cabinet, converting the project into an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) mode.
The tender was later scrapped when the two bids submitted by Larsen & Toubro and Shapoorji Pallonji came to nearly Rs 9,000 crore, against an estimated cost of Rs 4,700 crore approved by the Cabinet.
“An elevated and on-ground road network will provide seamless connectivity to the station and decongest roads. The project also includes platform works, a parcel area with two parcel tunnels for smooth handling, parking, and circulation facilities. The revamped New Delhi railway station will showcase a modern and sophisticated design enriched with state-of-the-art technology,” RLDA said.
Over the past decade, the redevelopment project has been launched multiple times, albeit without any breakthrough.
First Published: Oct 14 2024 | 7:39 PM IST
