Bidder located anywhere in India need to registeronly o­nce for participating in auctions of any field unitof Indian Railways through the portal

During last o­ne month Pilot, 80 earning contractswere finalized collectively fetching 128 Cr to theRailways

Standardization of eligibility conditions pan-India

Indian Railways has taken steps to bring Commercial Earning and Non-Fare Revenue contracts under theambitofelectronicauctionthroughIndianRailwaye-ProcurementSystem(IREPS),inlinewithprevailing e-auction of scrap sale. Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw launched e-auction for Commercial earning,Non-Fare Revenue (NFR) contracts in Rail Bhavan today. This will not o­nly increase Railways earning butalsobolster effortsbeing takenby theGovernmentfor easeof doingbusiness.

Speaking o­n this occasion, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “This policy is in line with the vision of Hon’blePrime Minister to change the experience of common man by the use of technology. With this new policy,tedious process of tendering would get simplified. Also, it would give opportunities for youth to join the e-auction process. This policy enhances ease of living, promotes transparency and adds to Digital IndiainitiativesinRailways.”

Earning Assets: Parcel Van, Pay & Use Toilets, Advertisement rights o­n station circulating area andcoaches,ACwaitingrooms,Cloakrooms,Parkinglots,PlasticBottlecrushers,ATMs,Stationco-branding, Video screens for content o­n demand etc. These assets will be mapped location-wise in the portalonce,andthesystemwillrememberforeverifitiscoveredforearningornot.Thiswillimprovemonitoringofassetsonreal timebasisandwillminimizeasset-idling.

Present System: Participation in present e-tendering requires physical registration with the concerned fieldunit.ThismakesdifficultforpotentialbiddersfromtherestofIndiatocompete.Ittakestimeinfinalizationduetorequirementof physicalmeetingoftendercommitteemembers.

E-Auction: Bidder located anywhere in India need to self register o­nce for participating in auctions of anyfield unit of Indian Railways through the portal. Remotely bid can be placed for management rights of anasset after depositing earnest money (EMD) electronically. Successful bidder would be able to receiveacceptance o­nline and through e-mail in very short span of time. Except requirement of financial turnover,as such all the eligibility criterions have been removed. Further, financial requirement has been relaxed tothegreatextant.ThereisnofinancialturnoverrequirementforannualcontractsuptoRs.40lacs

Pilot Run: Pilot was launched in 11 Divisions of 9 Zones: total 80 contracts of total value of 128 Croreswerefinalised during thepilot launch.

SuccessStoriesduringPilotRun:

1.Ahmedabad Division had conducted e-Auction for 2 lots Gandhidham Junction &Himmatnagar(GIMB and HMT) of Parking o­n 04th June 2022. For Gandhidham Junction (GIMB) 24 bids werereceived with the highest o­ne being ₹ 12,60,000 (Per Annum)which is 38% above ConventionalBidding Price. For HMT 26 Bidswere received with the highest o­ne being ₹ 62,500 (Per Annum)whichis72% abovepriceof conventionalbidding.

2.On 06.06.22, e-auction was conducted for Mixed Parking near Gorakhpur Airport, in which highest bidof Rs. 8,47,458 was received against estimate of Rs. 5,31,000 which is 59.60% higher than the price ofconventionalbidding.

3.Parkingsite–AnandViharTerminal,ContractPeriod-3year,TotalBidsReceived-74,OfferPriceper

annum-75lakh.Totalearning-Total2.25Cr.Offerreceivedwas127.33%higherthantheconventionalbidding price.

SalientFeaturesofNewSystem:

●TheAuction willbeconducted online through ‘E-Auction Leasing’ module ofIREPS:www.ireps.gov.in

●Policy for e-Auction and Standard Conditions of Auction issued by Railway Board: Earlier systemof physical registration of contractors Division-wise has been done away with,Only financialcriteria – based o­n self-declaration of past turnovers by contractorsFinancial turnover criteriarationalizedandstandardized–NoturnoverrequirementuptoRs.40lacsannualcontractestimatesOnetimeonlineself-registrationofcontractorsNogeographicalrestrictions forparticipationinanyauctionof anyDivision

●Allassetswillbefedinthesystemforbettermonitoringandensuringissuingcontractsinadvance

–reduceassetidling

●AuctioncatalogueswithalldetailsoftheassetswillbepublishedonlineonIREPSportal,minimum15 days inadvance

●Auctionswillbeconductedonline-bidderswillbeabletoparticipatefromanywhereinIndia

●Minimum 30 minutes will be given for auction so that all interested contractors can submit theirbids.

●AuctionofconsecutiveLotsinanycataloguewillbeclosedaftergapof10minutes

●In case any bid is received within last 2 minutes of auction closing time, then the closing time forthe lot will be extended automatically for 2 minutes. 10 such auto extensions will be permitted toensureadequatetimefor allbidderstosubmittheirbids.

●ReservePriceofthelotswillnotbedisclosedandthebidderswillbefreetoofferanybidaccordingtotruecommercialpotentialoftheassetsaspertheirassessment.

●Bidswillbeautodecided.

●IfHighestbid(H1)isequalorabovetheReservePricethenthecontractwillbefinalizedonthesameday afterauctionclosing.

●Bidsheetandcontractagreementwillbesigneddigitally.

●Paymentscheduleforthecontractwillbegeneratedimmediately.

●Allpaymentsbythecontractorwillbemadeonline

●Entireprocesswillbeonline&paperless

Benefits:

1.Onlinemodemakespotentialbiddersfromdistantlocationacrosscountrytoparticipateinthebiddingprocess.

2.OnlinepaymenttoRailwayspostawardofcontract.Tillnowprovisionofdailymanualpaymentinparcelleasingcontractisthere,whichisatediousprocess.Nowitismadeonline.

3.BetterMonitoring:Aftermapping,portalpromptswhenanearningcontractofaparticularassetisnearingcompletionandcompelstostartfreshauction,thusmakingidletimeoftheassetminimal.

4.Standardizationofeligibilityconditionspan-India.

5.Simplificationofprocesses.DrasticallyreducesthetimetakeninfinalizationofTendersandwillpreventrevenue losson thisaccount.

6.Quickre-awardofcontractincaseoffailureofanycontractor

7.Breaksthecartelamongbidders.Bidders’identitywillbemaskedfromeachotherandfromIR.

8.Willincreaserevenueearningbyfetchingtruecommercialpotentialofassetsduetohighercompetitionamongstbidders.

9.Willminimizeassets’idling,resultinginmaximizationofpotentialsfromtheassets.

10.Noeligibilitycriteriaupto40lacswillhelpinpromotingstart-ups.

WESTERN RAILWAY TO ISSUE SEASON TICKETS IN SELECT TRAINS OVER NON – SUBURBAN SECTION WITH EFFECT FROM 15^th SEPTEMBER, 2021

For the convenience of passengers, Western Railway has decided to issue Season Tickets (MST) in non – suburban section in specified unreserved trains with effect from 15^th September, 2021. The season ticket will be issued o­nly o­n Monthly basis [Monthly Season Ticket (MST)] except in cases of revalidation. The facility of season ticket has been introduced in total 58 train services, out of which, 14 services are of Ahmedabad division, 12 services each are of Vadodara & Bhavnagar division, 8 services each are of Mumbai Central & Ratlam division while 4 services are of Rajkot division.

According to a press release issued by Shri Sumit Thakur - Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, the details of these specified trains are as under:

Trains of Mumbai Central division

·Train No 09079 Surat – Vadodara MEMU Special

·Train No 09087/09088 Sanjan - Surat – Sanjan MEMU Special

·Train No 09151/09152 Valsad - Surat – Valsad MEMU Special

·Train No 09153/09154 Umargam - Valsad – Umargam MEMU Special

·Train No 09082 Bharuch - Surat MEMU Special

Trains of Ahmedabad division

·Train No 09431/09432 Sabarmati – Mahesana – Sabarmati DMU Special

·Train No 09433/09434 Sabarmati – Patan – Sabarmati DMU Special

·Train No 09316/09315 Ahmedabad – Vadodara – Ahmedabad MEMU Special

·Train No 09497/09498 Gandhinagar Capital – Varetha – Gandhinagar Capital MEMU Special

·Train No 09401/09402 Asarva – Himmatnagar - Asarva DMU Special

·Train No 09488/09487 Viramgam - Mahesana – Viramgam Passenger Special

·Train No 09492/09491 Viramgam - Mahesana – Viramgam Passenger Special

Trains of Vadodara division

·Train No 09156/09155 Vadodara – Surat – Vadodara MEMU Special

·Train No 09495/09496 Vadodara – Ahmedabad – Vadodara Passenger Special

·Train No 09319/09320 Vadodara – Dahod – Vadodara MEMU Special

·Train No 09427/09428 Anand – Khambhat - Anand DMU Special

·Train No 09429/09430 Anand – Khambhat - Anand DMU Special

·Train No 09172/09171 Bharuch – Surat – Bharuch MEMU Special

Trains of Bhavnagar division

·Train No 09573/09574 Rajkot – Porbandar – Rajkot Special

·Train No 09514 Veraval – Rajkot Passenger Special

·Train No 09528 Bhavnagar – Surendranagar Passenger Special

·Train No 09572 Bhavnagar – Surendranagar Passenger Special

·Train No 09534 Bhavnagar – Surendranagar Passenger Special

·Train No 09512/09511 Bhavnagar – Palitana - Bhavnagar Passenger Special

·Train No 09525/09526 Bhavnagar – Mahuva – Bhavnagar Special

·Train No 09292/09291 Amreli - Veraval Passenger Special

Trains of Rajkot division

·Train No 09513 Rajkot – Veraval Passenger Special

·Train No 09527 Surendranagar - Bhavnagar Passenger Special

·Train No 09503 Surendranagar - Bhavnagar Passenger Special

·Train No 09533 Surendranagar - Bhavnagar Passenger Special

Trains of Ratlam division

·Train No 09382/09381 Ratlam – Dahod – Ratlam MEMU Special

·Train No 09506/09507 Ujjain – Indore - Ujjain Passenger Special

·Train No 09390/09389 Ratlam – Dr Ambedkar Nagar – Ratlam DMU Special

·Train No 09384/09383 Ujjain – Ratlam – Ujjain MEMU Special

Shri Thakur further stated that the season ticket (MST) passengers will be permitted to travel in above mentioned trains o­nly and if any MST passenger is found travelling in non-specified train (except as mentioned above), they shall be treated as passenger without ticket and shall be charged accordingly as per existing rule. Also, no separate earmarking of coaches exclusive for MST holders will be done for avoiding over-crowding in particular coach/coaches. The season tickets issued through UTS valid during the period 23.03.2020 and o­nwards in the lockdown period will be considered for revalidation. Revalidation of non-suburban season ticket will be done from 15.09.2021 for the number of days lost as per extent Railway Board instructions. All norms of the Local Govt. Administration, State and Central Government regarding Covid-19 shall be followed in the trains and at the Railway Stations. Passengers are requested by Western Railway, to adhere to all norms, SOPs related to COVID-19 during boarding, travelling and at the destination.

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