Indian Railways has floated a tender for the manufacturing and supply of forged wheels under the Aatma-Nirbhar Bharat for the supply of nearly 16 lakh wheel discs of different rolling stock.

This would be for a long-term period of 20 years, with a supply of about 80,000 such wheels per year.

The selected bidder would be expected to set up facilities for manufacturing and testing of wheels at the wheel factory as well as for machining of wheels, axles, and assembly of wheels and axles with a capacity of 6,000 wheelsets per annum.

Further, the selected bidder would also be required to set up a wheel test centre at a railway site for prototype testing of newly designed wheels.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had last week announced that the railways planned to domestically manufacture as well as export forged wheels under the Make in India mission, which it is currently importing. It floated the tender on September 9.

“The Ministry of Railways is engaged in the development of railways and, as part of this endeavour, the Authority has decided to enter into a long-term Agreement for the manufacturing and supply of forged wheel Discs and wheelsets for different rolling stock to promote “Make in India under Atma-Nirbhar Bharat and has therefore decided to carry out the bidding process for the selection of suitable bidders to whom the project may be awarded,” said the electronic bid invitation.

The last date for the submission of bids is December 15, 2022.

According to the e-bid, a total of 15.4 lakh wheels would be manufactured and supplied. About 50 per cent of the requirement for different types of wheels would be for LHB coaches, 40 per cent for WAG 9 locomotives, 7 per cent for EMU and MEMU trains, and 3 per cent for Vande Bharat trains.

“Up to about 15 per cent of the wheel discs may have to be supplied in the form of assembled wheelsets for which rough turned axles, bull gears, and brake discs will be free supply items by the railways. Accordingly, the selected bidder shall set up facilities for the machining of wheel discs and axles and the assembly of about 6,000 wheelsets per annum,” said the railways.”

The selected bidder can supply to a third party only after meeting the requirements of the railways as per the Supply Programme.

The supplier would be expected to provide 40,000 wheels during the first year of supply, 60,000 wheels during the second year of supply, and 80,000 wheels per year during each of the subsequent years. Railways would have the right to increase the total supply period by up to five years on the same terms and conditions.

The finalised bidder would also be expected to provide to the railway a Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) containing the detailed process of manufacturing and testing of the products to be manufactured within four months from the letter of acceptance.

The Railways has said the procurement would be done in line with the Make in India policy. Only Class-I local suppliers are eligible to bid in this tender. The class-I Local supplier means a supplier or service provider whose goods, services, or work offered for procurement have local content equal to or more than 60 per cent.

comment COMMENT NOW