East Central Railways has shortlisted four firms for development of the proposed Madhepura electric locomotive plant in Bihar.

The four companies are: Bombardier; Siemens; Alstom; and General Electric. However, six companies had submitted bids for the project. The proposals of two Chinese companies -- CSR and CNR -- were rejected as they did not meet the technical criteria.

The RfPs for the project are likely to be issued soon. East Central Railways is planning to award the contract for the project by September 2014. The locomotive plant, estimated to cost Rs 1,960.57 crore, entails a capacity of 120 units.

Earlier, East Central Railways was expected to shortlist the firms in September 2013. The process was delayed as the ministry had to verify the claims of applicant companies with the countries where they have been operating.

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