28.12.2023 | ABIFER | Notícias do Mercado
Brazil’s Bahia state authorized the publication of the tender notice for a 36km, 3.6bn-real (US$747mn) light rail link, involving three stretches in state capital Salvador.
The rail is expected to improve logistics and comes amid a push by Brazilian states to improve passenger transportation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Recently, the transport ministry released the draft of a decree regarding the national rail passenger transport policy. In our assessment, the country lacks sustainable urban mobility policies, and this is what rail transport can provide,” Vicente Abate, president of rail equipment manufacturers association ABIFER, told BNamericas.
“Rail vehicles emit fewer greenhouse gases, contributing to achieving the UN’s sustainable development goals,” added Abate.
Project details and a tender schedule are expected to be published in the coming days in the official gazette, according to a press release.
A tender for the original light rail project was launched in 2018 and awarded in 2019, with the Skyrail consortium, formed by China’s BYD and Metrogreen, signing the contract with the expectation to conclude works within 36 months.
However, after delays and changes to the project plans, the consortium and the government agreed earlier this year to cancel the contract.
The first lot of the new tender comprises a 16.6km stretch between Ilha de São João and Calçada, expected to demand 1.5bn reais.
Works include 17 new stations, the recovery of tunnels, revitalization of the São João bridge, LED lighting and the implementation of an energy system, including a primary substation and rectifiers.
The second lot, for a 9.2km stretch connecting Paripe and Águas Claras, will require 1.2bn reais and includes eight new stations, LED lighting and an interconnection with the Salvador and Lauro de Freitas metro network.
The third lot, worth 878mn reais, relates to the 10.5km Águas Claras-Piatã stretch and involves nine stops, LED lighting, bicycle paths, a Salvador-Lauro de Freitas metro interconnection and an energy system.
