The Hitachi-led consortium has bagged a ₹1,780.2-crore contract from the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL) to design and implement signalling and electronic system in the 915-km segment between Vadodara and Rewari.

The contract includes multi-section digital axle counters, train management and diagnostic system, optic fibre cable-based communication system, GSM-R system, among others.

In the last six months, DFCCIL has awarded ₹15,000 crore worth of contracts, on both the corridors put together.

Contracts worth ₹10,250 crore were awarded on the Western corridor, said an official source. These include ₹3,080 crore for electrification contract of 920-km stretch between Rewari and Makarpura, ₹2,170 crore civil contract for the 186-km stretch between Sachin and Vaitaran river, ₹2,157-crore contract for civil works on 134-km stretch between Sachin and Makarpura, and ₹1,036 crore contract to build a steel bridge. Also, a ₹5,080-crore contract was awarded to Bhaupur-Khurja section GMR-led consortium in the Eastern corridor.

CCEA nod Incidentally, in another move, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for the revised cost estimate of ₹81,459 crore for the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) project, including land costs and financing plan. The revised cost estimate of ₹81,459 crore comprises construction cost of ₹73,392 crore for the Eastern and Western DFC. The cost of Eastern DFC is ₹26,674 crore and Western DFC is ₹46,178 crore. The land acquisition cost will be ₹8,067 crore.

A debt of ₹52,347 crore would accrue from JICA and World Bank, while equity requirement from the Ministry of Railways (including land) for the project is ₹23,796 crore.