Rail Land Development Authority invites bids of Rs 2,563 crores for redevelopment of Ahmedabad rly station

New Delhi [India], July 15 : Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA), a statutory authority of Indian Railways, has invited bids for the redevelopment of Ahmedabad Railway Station and construction of associated infrastructure on Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode, an official statement said.
As per the official statement of RLDA, the pre-bid conference will be concluded on July 18, 2023, at RLDA HQ in Delhi. The estimated project cost is Rs 2563 crores. The last date for submission of e-bid is September 5, 2023, up to 3 PM and the date of opening of e-bids (technical) is September 8, 2023.
It is notable that Ahmedabad is located on the banks of the Sabarmati River and is the most populous city in the State of Gujarat and the fifth most populous city in India. Situated 25 km from the capital of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad has emerged as an important economic and industrial hub.
It is the second-largest producer of cotton in India and a historic centre of trade with the Middle-East and Europe. After the liberalization of the economy, Ahmedabad’s tertiary sector activities such as commerce, communication and construction have grown exponentially, with the city’s GDP estimated at over $80 Billion in 2020.
Ahmedabad has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under the Government of India's flagship Smart Cities Mission.
It is also pertinent to note that declared a UNESCO World Heritage City, Ahmedabad has been ranked as India’s third-best city to live by the Ease of Living Index. Time magazine has also acknowledged Ahmedabad in its list of the World's 50 greatest places to explore in 2022.
Giving information about this project, Vice Chairman of RLDA, Ved Parkash Dudeja said that the iconic city of Ahmedabad has historically been a centre of trade and commerce. As one of the largest cities in the country, Ahmedabad serves as a focal point of economic growth and prosperity. It is against this backdrop that we welcome bids to redevelop the Ahmedabad Railway Station to the highest international standards which will integrate different modes of transport including High Speed, Metro, BRT and city buses and will serve as a city centre.
He further said that the region has a thriving cotton industry, and with modern logistical redevelopment, we are confident that we will be able to bolster the supply chain and unlock greater growth and prosperity in the region. The strategic location will provide ample opportunity for new commercial development in and around the Ahmedabad Railway Station.
The redevelopment of the railway station will also encourage new economic avenues to grow and evolve in the region, while also generating employment through direct and allied industries. The new railway station will serve as a stellar testimony to Indian innovation and engineering ingenuity. It will not only interlink trade across west India but also facilitate the thousands of commuters travelling to and from the city every day, Dudeja added.
It is notable that Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) is a statutory authority under the Ministry of Railways for the development of Railway land. It has four key mandates as a part of its development plan, namely leasing commercial sites, colony redevelopment, station redevelopment, and multi-functional complexes.
During the current Financial Year, RLDA has leased out various sites which are situated at Waltax Road (Chennai), Ajmer (Rajasthan), Bijwasan (Delhi), Kharagpur and Solapur (Maharashtra) for a cumulative lease premium of Rs 1622 Crore including Railway assets valuing approx of Rs 7.54 Crore to be developed in Kharagpur Railway Colony.
RLDA has recently awarded the station redevelopment works for CSMT Railway Station on EPC (Engineering Procurement and Construction) model.