A platform screen gate at a metro station in Mumbai.
DH PHOTO
Bengaluru, DHNS
Bengaluru: Thirty-seven elevated metro stations in the city will get platform screen gates (PSGs) and 13 underground stations will get platform screen doors (PSDs).
On January 11, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) opened tenders for the design, manufacture, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of signalling and train control, and PSD/PSG systems and training of personnel.
Alstom Transport emerged as the lowest bidder, quoting Rs 857 crore, followed by Siemens India (Rs 912 crore) and Nippon Signal (Rs 944 crore), well-placed sources said.
The BMRCL had invited the tenders in March 2023, but extended the deadline four months later and invited international competitive bids.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding the project.
The PSDs (2.15 metres) will be installed at 12 underground stations on the Pink Line (Kalena Agrahara-Nagavara) and the underground station at the airport.
The PSGs (1.5 metres) will be installed at six elevated stations on the Pink Line, 13 elevated stations on the Blue Line Phase 2A (Central Silk Board-KR Pura), and 17 elevated stations and the at-grade airport city station on the Blue Line Phase 2B (KR Pura-Airport).
PSDs/PSGs prevent passengers from falling onto the metro track. Metro services in the city were recently disrupted twice after passengers jumped on the electrified track. PSDs at underground stations lead to energy savings due to lower air-conditioning requirements. On the flip side, they take up space.
If things go smoothly, the BMRCL plans to award the contract in the next few months. The PSD/PSG systems will likely be delivered by the fourth quarter of 2025, the sources said.
The Pink Line's deadline is March 2025 and the Blue Line's June 2026.