Indian state-run national transporter Indian Railways (IR) is preparing to float a global tender to seek supplies of 750,000 mt of steel rails for its track renewal program, sources in the Indian government said on Wednesday, February 20.
The sources said that, in view of the enhanced target for track renewal set by IR and the limited supply capacity of domestic steel rail producers like Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL), the government-run transporter has decided on global sourcing to meet part of its rail requirements.
IR indicated that its steel rail requirements during the financial year 2019-20 would reach 1.7 million mt against 1.4-million mt in FY 2018-19, as it will replace at least 4,000 km of tracks during FY 2019-20, the sources added.
Government-run steel company SAIL had been the sole domestic supplier of rails to IR until last year when JSPL bagged an order to supply 100,000 mt of rails to IR.