Eight firms bid for city monorail project

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The state government’s ambitious monorail scheme has evoked great response from developers across the globe with eight reputed firms having expressed interest to develop the project.

The government opened Monday the financial bids received for the much-awaited, `8,500 crore monorail project.

It is learnt that a Malaysian firm, which has undertaken the ongoing Mumbai monorail project, has also expressed interest.

“We have received financial bids from eight reputed developers across the world which would be scrutinised by the Hyderabad-based consultancy firm that is implementing metro rail in Hyderabad,” highly-placed sources in the government told DC on Monday.

It is learnt that it would take at least two weeks to finalise the developer. “The consultant has to evaluate all the bids thoroughly after which the firm will submit its final report.

This would be placed before the empowered monorail committee, headed by the chief secretary. Only this is authorised to take a final call,” the sources added.

“Apart from the Malaysian firm, Scomi international, players from Spain (Kafe India), Japan (Hitachi) and China have participated in the tendering process,” said the sources.

In the first phase of the 57-km-long network, work would begin on three elevated corridors — Vandalur to Velachery; Poonamallee to Kathipara; and Poonamallee to Vadapalani. In the second phase, Asia’s longest monorail corridor from Vandalur to Puzhal would be taken up.