The Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has reissued bids for the redevelopment of New Delhi Railway Station, this time adopting the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) model. The project, estimated at Rs 24.69 billion, marks the latest effort to modernise the station after previous attempts failed due to higher-than-expected bidder quotes.

According to the Request for Proposal (RFP) document, a two-stage bidding process will be conducted, focusing on station redevelopment and infrastructure upgrades. RLDA officials told the source that the project scope has been simplified to attract competitive bids. “We will issue separate bids for real estate development once the station’s modernisation is completed,” a senior official revealed, adding that a pre-bid meeting is scheduled for later this week.

The RLDA stated that key elements of the project include constructing two linear station buildings on the Paharganj and Ajmeri Gate sides, along with an air-concourse featuring arrival and departure plazas, waiting areas, retail zones, lifts, and escalators. An elevated road network and on-ground roads are also planned to ease access and reduce congestion, complemented by enhanced platforms, parcel tunnels, and parking facilities.

In September 2022, the government had allocated Rs 100 billion for redeveloping key stations in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai. However, the lowest bid for New Delhi alone came in at Rs 80 billion, far exceeding the Rs 50 billion initially earmarked for the station's upgrade. The latest tender aims to bring the project back on track by focusing on a streamlined execution model.