New Delhi, Dec 3 (IANS): Sixteen firms, including international companies, have shown interest in providing Project Management Consultancy (PMC) Services for the second phase of the Indian railways' Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) project, an official said Tuesday.

The second phase of EDFC, from New Bhaupur to Mughalsarai (402 km), involves construction of double-line Electrified (2X25 KV) Railway Track complete with Signalling & Telecommunication system and related infrastructure.

The World Bank had earlier agreed in-principle to part-finance the Eastern Corridor project from Mughalsarai to Ludhiana, which has been divided into three phases. The total in-principle loan commitment is $2.725 billion, out of which the loan for the first phase to the tune of $975 million was sanctioned in May 2011 and the loan agreement was signed in October 2011.

The loan for the second phase is expected to be of the order of $1,100 million.

Sixteen companies, some of them international in joint venture with Indian firms, Nov 29 submitted expression of interest (EoI) applications for the PMC contract. Some of the JVs that participated include PS Digitech-HR (India) Pvt Ltd, Systra SA, Bernard Ingenieure (Austria)-Obermeyer Plannen Beraten(Germany)-Actes, and Bernard (Austria) in association with Bernard Engineers India.

The project management consultant will assist Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited for review of preliminary, definitive design, contract management, construction supervision, review of contractors' documents, review of quality assurance plan, contractor safety plan, and environmental management plan, and assist in coordination with different agencies, management of interface, and co-ordination with utility authorities with respect to civil structures and track works for the Bhaupur-Khurja section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor.