Medha Servo bags ₹2,211 crore supply contract for 44 Vande Bharat Trainsets

New Delhi, India (Urban Transport News): Indian Railways on 21st January 2021 has awarded a contract worth ₹2,211 crores to Medha Servo Drives Ltd. to design, develop, manufacture, supply, integrate, test, and commission various equipment for Vande Bharat type train sets for 44 rakes of 16 cars each.

The scope of the contract includes the supply of propulsion, control and other equipment, and the procurement includes five years’ comprehensive annual maintenance contract with the supplier. 

"Medha Group is very much delighted to express sincere gratitude to Indian Railways for awarding INR 2,211 ($302 Mn) crore tender for 44 rakes of Vande Bharat Trainsets. The contract is for design, development, manufacture, supply, integration, testing and commissioning of IGBT based 3-phase Propulsion, control System, Bogie and other equipment for the rakes which will have 16 cars each," said Medha Servo Drives Ltd.

These coaches for new Vande Bharat Trainsets will be manufactured at three production units of Indian Railways — 24 rakes at Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai; 10 rakes at Rail Coach Factory (RCF), Kapurthala, and balance 10 rakes at Modern Coach Factory (MCF), Raebareli.

The specifications of equipment were prepared after multiple deliberations with the industry at various levels for manufacturing the train sets indigenously. For the first time, the tender required a minimum of 75 percent local content.

A total of three bidders namely Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Medha Servo Drives Ltd., and CRRC-Pioneer Electric India have participated in the tender and the lowest offer was from indigenous manufacturer Medha Servo Drives Ltd who successfully met the minimum local content of 75 percent of the total value.

The tender was finalized for Medha Servo Drives Ltd for a total cost of ₹22,11,64,59,644.00 for 44 rakes of 16 cars each. The first two prototype rakes will be delivered in 20 months. On successful commissioning, the firm will be delivering an average of six rakes per quarter.