The Kozhikode railway station is among the 23 stations identified for redevelopment across the country. | Photo Credit: K_RAGESH more-in A three-member panel of the standing financial committee of the Southern Railway will take a final call on the proposal of Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society’s bid to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for redeveloping the Kozhikode railway station. A.K. Sinha, Chief Planning and Development Engineer, Southern Railway, who is also the convener of the panel, told The Hindu on Friday that the financial proposal of ULCCS was opened in the last week of September after its technical approval. ULCCS was the lone bidder for the project. The Kozhikode railway station is among the 23 stations identified for the first phase of redevelopment across the country. The station is being developed with world-class facilities at an estimated cost of ?75 crore. At least four sites, measuring 4.40 acres, identified for the project will be leased to the successful bidder for 45 years. Several amenities such as separate arrival and departure terminals, passenger lounges, food and beverages outlets, canopy roofing, superior flooring, and escalators have been proposed at the station. Mr. Sinha said the proposal for redeveloping the station through the two-stage Swiss Challenge Method (SCM) was submitted by ULCCS on July 24, and it was reviewed by the Standing Technical Committee (STC). The technical proposal was deliberated and discussed by the STC with an independent committee of experts from architectural and functional design perspectives. The preparation of DPR is the first stage, and it will be uploaded to the Railway website for other companies to take part in the final round of SCM. “No time frame has been fixed for deciding on preparing or awarding DPR as the Swiss Challenge Method is a new initiative. But the process will be completed this calender year,” he said. If other companies take part in the second stage of bidding, the first bidder will get the Right of First Refusal (a contractual right that gives the holder the option to enter a business transaction with the owner of something, according to specified terms, before the owner is entitled to enter into that transaction with a third party under specific terms and conditions). However, the original proposer will have to bid for a higher premium, Mr. Sinha added. “In fact, the development of the station involves two parts including the commercial aspect after leasing the land of the Railways. Possibly, the estimate will be higher,” he said.

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