Senbo & ITD Win Kolkata Metro Barasat Line’s Underground Work

Senbo Engineering and ITD Cementation India last week emerged as the lowest bidders for a 3.6 km underground extension of Kolkata Metro’s 6.87 km Line-4 from Kolkata Airport (Bimanbandar) to New Barrackpore.

This underground section of the 18.13 km Yellow Line will help towards eventually linking Noapara with the suburb of Barasat in north-east Kolkata.

Construction for it will be carried out using the Cut & Cover method (no TBMs to be used). Its alignment will primarily run along Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBI)’s land and includes 2 new stations at Birati and New Barrackpore.

Metro Railway Kolkata had invited tenders in January 2022 in 3 packages – 2 for tunneling works and 1 for subway works linking the airport’s terminal.

Package 2

This package includes a 1.045 km C&C tunnel and Birati Station’s construction.

Kolkata Metro’s Estimate: Rs 286.33 crore

Financial Bid Values:

Firm	Bid (Rs. Crore)
Senbo Engineering	299.76
ITD Cementation	307.78
SAM India	311.72

Brief Scope: Execution of civil engineering works for construction of underground rcc box tunnel including station building (birati) using diaphragm wall h-pile plunge pile etc and allied works from Ch 8.795 to 9.840 km by cut & cover method (top down) for two tracks/ multiple tracks in connection with extension of Metro Railway from Noapara to Barasat via Bimanbandar in West Bengal.

Package 3

This package includes a 0.74 km C&C tunnel and New Barrackpore Station’s construction.

Kolkata Metro’s Estimate: Rs 222.58 crore

Financial Bid Values:

Firm	Bid (Rs. Crore)
Senbo Engineering	232.23
ITD Cementation	244.02
SAM India	244.49

Brief Scope: Execution of civil engineering works for construction of underground rcc box tunnel including station building (new barrackpore) using diaphragm wall h-pile plunge pile etc and allied works from Ch 9.840 to 10.580 km by cut & cover Method (top down) for two tracks/ multiple tracks in connection with extension of Metro Railway from Noapara to Barasat via Bimanbandar in West Bengal.

Subway Package

Kolkata Metro’s Estimate: Rs. 48.31 crore

Financial Bid Values:

Firm	Bid (Rs. Crore)
ITD Cementation	47.36
Senbo Engineering	50.53

Brief Scope: Execution of civil engineering works for construction of underground rcc box subway, dispersals (entry/ exit facility) and allied works to provide subway connectivity from underground Bimanbandar Station to Terminal Building of NSCBI, Airport (Airport Portion), including finishing, fire suppression & other allied works in connection with extension of Metro Railway from Noapara to Barasat via Bimanbandar in West Bengal.

The lowest bids are fractionally higher than Kolkata Metro’s estimates, so I see contracts being awarded without a long financial bid evaluation period.

Back in 2020, Metro Railway Kolkata had invited tenders for assigning a contractor to conduct surveys, geo-technical soil investigation and prepare designs. At that time, a station at Michael Nagar was being explored, but I don’t see it being included in the civil construction packages’ scope. Either it’s been dropped or Michael Nagar Station has been renamed to New Barrackpore which is likely the case looking at the short tunnel lengths.

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– TMRG