On April 14, 2011, Bucharest underground transport operator, Metrorex, initiated the open tender procedure for the acquisition of 16 underground trains, a project part of the operator’s strategy for improving transport conditions and the passengers’ comfort and safety. Also, the acquisition of metro trains will help reduce exploitation and maintenance costs and to improve energy consumption.
During 2011-2014, the expansion of the operator’s fleet of metro trains consists in the acquisition of 37 vehicles, of which 16 will complete the rolling stock fleet in exploitation on the existing underground lines (Line 1, 2 and 3, where new trains will be put in service), while 21 vehicles will run on the new underground line (Line 5), for which works are currently under development.
The acquisition programme is financed from the state-budget and the European Investment Bank (EIB) which granted EUR 395 Million for the development of the new underground line, EUR 54 Thousand of which will be allocated to the acquisition of new rolling stock. “One of the points of the EIB financing contract is the acquisition of rolling stock to serve Line 5, but also to replace the obsolete vehicles currently in exploitation, the amount being strictly reserved to the purchase of vehicles. The tender is opened to all companies”, said Gheorghe Udrişte, the Executive Director of Metrorex saying that the winner will be the company which offers the lowest price.
The contract for the acquisition of the 16 underground trains is estimated at RON 448 Million (EUR 107.2 Million), VAT excluded. Two companies participated in the tender: Bombardier Transportation, with an offer of EUR 117 Million and Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF), offering with EUR 20 Million less than Bombardier (EUR 97 Million). According to Metrorex, the winner will have to deliver the vehicles in 38 months from the contract assignment and the operator will have to pay the price for the products in the next 45 days. ATP-ATO equipments will be purchased from Bombardier. The supplier of trains will provide technical assistance and will have to collaborate with Bombardier in the integration of these equipments. “Currently, we are expecting the assignment of the winner, but the two companies will have to answer to several of our requests. After analysing these answers we will name the winner of the bid”, said Gheorghe Udrişte.
At the moment, out of 462 underground cars (according to Metrorex data), 198 of them are IVA (33 metro train) and 264 Movia (44 underground trains) supplied by Bombardier. The first major project of Bombardier in Romania was the one consisting in the delivery of the underground vehicles that were put in service in the period 2002-2004. CAF participation in the bid for the acquisition of the 16 underground trains is the first action of the company in the Romanian market.
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