Mumbai, December 17: Mumbaikars could soon find relief from the crowded suburban trains in the form of state-of-the-art magnetic levitation (or maglev) trains running at speeds of up to 300 kmph.

Six bidders on Monday filed expressions of interest, with the Maharashtra government, for appointment as consultants for the mega project. The bidders are: Louis Berger Group in association with Reliance Industries-promoted Urban Infrastructure Development Company, KPMG, Vossing (Germany), TÜV SÜD South Asia, Rohit Gupta & Associates, and Bhobe & Associates.

The consultants will be appointed to carry out a feasibility study and help the state government prepare the bidding document for the project, the cost for which has been varyingly estimated at Rs 8,000-30,000 crore.

A senior state government official said: “The proposed high-speed rail is for 6 routes in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, including potential maglev lines. The distances for each route would be between 20 km and 50 km. Besides, a passenger-cum-freight railway corridor between Mumbai and Nagpur is also part of the project.”

The consultants would furnish the final cost estimates and submit a feasibility report. The project will be developed on a build-operate-transfer basis. Experts say a maglev train would typically cost Rs 300 crore per km. In China, a maglev train operates on a 30-km line and achieves a top speed of 501 kmph.

In the fast lane

•Proposed high-speed rail is for 6 routes in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

•Distances for each route would be between 20 km and 50 km.

•A passenger-cum-freight railway corridor between Mumbai and Nagpur is also part of the project