South Korean firm to prepare DPR for Bardibas-Birgunj rail
KATHMANDU, NOV 16 -
Chungsuk Engineering Company of South Korea will prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the Bardibas-Simara-Birgunj section of the proposed Mechi-Mahakali Electric Railway. According to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, the government plans to issue a letter of intent (LoI) to the Korean firm within a week.
Chungsuk Engineering scored the highest mark in an evaluation of its technical and financial proposal submitted to the Railway Department. The Bardibas-Simara section of the proposed electric railway is 102 km long, and the length of the Simara-Birgunj link is 34 km.
A six-member team of Chungsuk Engineering comprising officials from its partnering firms—Korean Railway Authority and Kunhwa Engineering, Korea—had also visited Nepal for negotiations last week. “We have completed almost the entire preparatory work to issue the LoI after negotiations with Chungsuk,” said Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, secretary at the Physical Planning Ministry. He added that the consultant would be entrusted with the DPR job with a formal decision within a week.
After the issuance of the LoI, the Railway Department is planning to get the DPR work done within a year.
Chungsuk will prepare a detailed design, estimated cost and bid documents for the construction of the proposed electrical railway based on the feasibility study conducted by RITES India last year. The feasibility study carried out by RITES India had estimated the project would cost Rs 800 billion.
The feasibility study had recommended a broad gauge 1676 mm railway system capable of handling loads of 25 tonnes for bridges and 22.9 tonnes for the track.
The detailed design will include designs and drawings of all the infrastructure including railway tracks, electrical traction system, power supply system, signalling and telecom, bridges, culverts, station buildings, station platforms, sheds and workshops and other required structures and facilities for operation of the railway. The study will also prepare a design for a link road to the Mahendra Highway.
“Chungsuk Engineering’s partnership with firms like the Korean government’s Railway Authority has also added a plus point for it to be selected,” said Ram Kumar Lamsal, director general of the Railway Department.
Meanwhile, the government has also invited Chungsuk for negotiations for a feasibility study of a Mass Rapid Transit (underground and elevated railway) or metro railway system in the Kathmandu Valley. Following an evaluation of proposals submitted by all the four short-listed international firms, the Railway Department has formally asked Chungsuk to come for negotiations within 15 days.
Apart from Chungsuk, RITES India, Systra FA of France and TEAM Consulting Engineering and Management of Thailand had submitted proposals for the feasibility study.
The proposed mass rapid transit system will be 75 km in length out of which 27 km of railway will be around the Ring Road and the rest will make up eight radial lines connecting locations on the Ring Road to the centre of the city—New Road and Ratna Park.
The Railway Department said that the feasibility study would comprise a detailed analysis of the existing transport facilities, engineering requirements and demand for usage of the railway lines, economic and financial analysis, and resettlement and also assess the project’s viability on economic cost-benefit evaluation.
Source: Kantipur
