The companies are — Alstom; Bombardier; Siemens; a consortium
comprising China-based CSR Zhuzhou Electric Loco Works and Monnet
International; and Japanese consortium comprising Mitsubishi, Kawasaki
and Toshiba.

The Railways had invited applications (qualifying bids) for setting up
a factory to procure and maintain electric locomotives at Madhepura.
Wednesday was the last date for receiving applications.

Indian Railways would have 26 per cent equity in the joint venture
while the electric loco company would have rest of the ownership. The
joint venture has a minimum assured order of 660 electric locomotives
of 12,000 horsepower each from Indian Railways. The locos would be
ordered over an eight-year period ranging from 2008-09 to 2015-16 and
the joint venture has to maintain the locomotives over a 20-year
period.

Land for setting up the factory is being acquired by the railways and
will be leased to the joint venture company on a long-term lease basis
for around 35 years. The locomotives are planned to be used in the
dedicated freight corridor project and the existing routes of the
Railways. Railways estimates the project cost to be about Rs 1,000
crore.

Next step

Railways will now study the applications and list the qualified
players. It would then invite the request for proposal (financial
bids) from the technically-qualified players.

On its electric locomotive requirement, Railway projects that it would
need about 1,800 high power locomotives during the 2008-13 period for
haulage of the projected freight traffic.

So far, it has been meeting the requirement of electric locomotives
almost entirely through in-house production at the Chittaranjan
Locomotive Works (CLW), located in West Bengal. CLW currently has a
capacity to manufacture about 150 electric locomotives annually. This
is being augmented to 200 locomotives a year.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/07/31/stories/20080731519110...