AHMEDABAD: Western Railway has opened bidding for construction of the Sarkhej–Dholera Semi High-Speed Double Railway Line, pushing India’s first indigenous semi high-speed corridor into the execution stage.
The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) package carries an estimated value of about ₹18,901.68 crore. It bundles nearly every element of the corridor — civil works, track, electrification, signalling, telecom, testing and commissioning — into a single contract.
Beyond the main alignment between Ahmedabad (Sarkhej) and Dholera, the package covers two spur lines: one to the Lothal National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) and another to the upcoming Dholera International Airport.
Tender at a Glance
| Particulars | Details |
| Tender Number | CPMSHSRADIWRSEJDSIREPC01 |
| Project | Sarkhej–Dholera Semi High-Speed Double Railway Line |
| Estimated Cost | ₹18,901.68 crore |
| Earnest Money Deposit | ₹378.03 crore |
| Completion Period | 42 months |
| First Pre-bid Meeting | 7 September 2026, 11:30 AM |
| Second Pre-bid Meeting | 25 September 2026, 11:30 AM |
| Bid Validity | 180 days |
What the Contractor Will Build
The winning bidder takes on the full corridor, delivered complete and commissioned under Western Railway’s jurisdiction. The scope includes:
- Civil works — formation and viaduct, bridges, station buildings and allied structures
- Track system — ballasted track and ballastless track (BLT)
- Traction and power — overhead equipment plus electrical general services
- Signalling and telecommunication — including an Operating Control Centre
- Spur lines — connections to the Lothal NMHC and the Dholera Airport terminal
- System integration — testing, commissioning and all appurtenant works
A Flagship Project for Indian Railways
The Sarkhej–Dholera line is one of the Ministry of Railways’ marquee undertakings, with an overall project cost pegged at roughly ₹20,667 crore.
What sets it apart is the technology. It is planned as Indian Railways’ first semi high-speed rail project built on domestically developed systems rather than imported ones. If the corridor delivers on cost and schedule, it becomes a working template for future semi high-speed lines elsewhere in the country.
Why the Corridor Matters for Gujarat
The route stitches together four nodes that currently lack a fast, direct rail link:
- Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s commercial anchor
- Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR), the state’s greenfield industrial and semiconductor hub
- Dholera International Airport, currently under development
- Lothal NMHC, a heritage destination built around the Harappan-era port site
For people and businesses moving between Ahmedabad and Dholera SIR, the corridor should compress travel time enough to make daily commuting and same-day return trips practical — a meaningful shift for an industrial region still building out its workforce base.
Aligned with PM Gati Shakti
The project has been planned under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the government’s framework for coordinated multimodal infrastructure. In practice, the rail line, the airport and the SIR are being sequenced together rather than built in isolation — planning intended to cut logistics costs and avoid the connectivity gaps that have slowed earlier industrial corridors.
Once operational, the line is expected to support regional economic activity, improve passenger mobility and strengthen logistics movement across central Gujarat.