New Delhi: RITES Limited, a transport infrastructure consultancy and engineering company, in consortium with SMEC International Pty Limited, has signed a contract with Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (HRIDC) for providing general consultancy services for Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor (HORC) from Palwal to Sonepat via Sohna, Manesar and Kharkhoda. The contract value is about Rs 72 crore, including GST. The project is being executed by HRIDC, which is a Joint Venture of the Government of Haryana and the Ministry of Railways.
The contract has been signed by Piyush Kansal, Executive Director, Urban Infrastructure, RITES Ltd (on behalf of RITES-SMEC) and Narinder D Chumber, Director (Project & Planning), HRIDC, in the presence of HRIDC's Managing Director (MD) Dinesh Chand Deshwal (IRSE), RITES Limited's Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) Rajeev Mehrotra, RITES Limited's Director (Projects) VG Suresh Kumar and SMEC's Executive Director Andrew McKune.
RITES was awarded the work order by HRIDC for its Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor project on March 3. The order is for a new electrified broad-gauge double line (about 144 km) from Palwal to Sonipat via Sohna, Manesar and Kharkhoda in Haryana with a speed potential of 160 kmph. About 122 route km corridors will provide seamless connectivity to Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) at Parithala station and to the Indian Railways at Palwal, Patil, Sultanpur, Asaudha and Harsana Kalan stations. The project is being funded by Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and shall be completed in five years.
The project would help decongest Delhi by diverting goods and passenger trains not originated/destined for Delhi. It would also be beneficial to industrial and logistic hubs of Kharkhoda, Manesar and Sohna and would help develop additional hubs in the region.
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