Eight steel majors in fray for rail track renewal tender

SAIL will supply the railways 1.5 million tonnes of rail in 2018-19

Seven foreign steel companies and Jindal Steel & Power (JSPL) have bid for a Rs 2,000-crore contract from the ministry of railways, for an expanded track renewal plan. This is the first time in three decades that rail procurement has been opened for the private sector.

The foreign entities are Sumitomo Corporation, Angang Group International, Voestalpine Schienen, East Metals, CRM Hong Kong, British Steel France Rail, and Atlantic Steel.

Though the bids were opened on Friday, the Prime Minister’s Office had written a scathing letter to the Railways after the global tender was floated on November 28, asking all departments