An Israeli inter-ministerial tender committee has declared City Pass consortium the "preferred candidate" in receiving the concession to build and operate for 30 years, the first line of the light railway in West Jerusalem. The consortium’s status will remain "preferred candidate" until the signing of the concession agreement, by the beginning of December 2002.
The line will run a route of 13.4 kilometers, from the city's north to south, via Jaffa Road. Intensive preparations and engineering work are currently underway along the line's route to move the infrastructure, funded by the Ministry of Transportation and the Jerusalem municipality. The light railway is slated to begin running in 2006.
Prior to declaring the winner, the tender committee received guarantees to fulfill the tender in the amount of 30 million new Israeli Shekels ($6.3 million) from each one of the two competing groups:
Pass Jerusalem Group (Pass Jerusalem) comprising the international companies: operating company UESTRA, train manufacturer Siemens, and CHIC Company, alongside the Israeli companies Africa Israel and the Feuchtwanger Group.
The City Pass consortium (City Pass) comprising the international companies: operating company Vivendi and train manufacturer Alstom, and the Israeli companies Ashtrom and Polar Investments.
The committee's decision was based on the professional rating of the bids, according to benchmarks determined in the tender. The two bids received similar points for their technical aspects, and the committee commented favorably on the high caliber of the bids.
The difference between the bids was in terms of return of expenses (building grant), which each group requested from the government to cover the costs of building the project. The return will be given upon completion of the building and prior to the start of the light railway's operation in 2006.
Except for financing the concessionaire, the government of Israel is investing NIS800 million in planning work, in clearing the area for the line, in infrastructure work, and in upgrading the public district and revitalizing West Jerusalem’s city center.
In parallel with the work of building the first line, the project planning teams are currently planning the coming eight lines, 54 kilometers long in total, with the possibility of extending the first line and adding branches to employment, commercial and study centers in West Jerusalem. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
