DOTC evaluates Chinese firm that is lone pre-qualified bid for new MRT trains

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is now evaluating the bid of the sole pre-qualified bidder for a project providing new trains for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) along EDSA.

In a statement Wednesday, DOTC spokesperson Michael Sagcal said the agency's bids and awards committee "will now conduct a detailed evaluation of Dalian Locomotive’s financial proposal, followed by post-qualification exercises."

On Tuesday, Chinese firms Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co. CNR Group and CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co. Ltd. participated in the DOTC's bidding of the P3.769-billion MRT-3 Capacity Expansion Project, the statement showed.

CSR Zhuzhou, however, was declared ineligible due to its failure to submit a certificate of reciprocity and to comply with a technical requirement.  As a result, its financial proposal was no longer opened.

Through its Capacity Expansion project, the Transport Department aims to add 48 light rail vehicles (LRVs) to MRT-3’s current fleet of 73.

"This will decongest the system’s overcrowded service by allowing more cars to operate at a faster interval rate during peak hour," the statement read.

Thus, from the present three-minute intervals of three-car LRVs, the additional trains will allow 2.5-minute intervals offour-car LRVs, improving passenger convenience and service reliability, it added.

The DOTC earlier decided to drop a proposal to purchase second-hand trains from Spain.
 
"We looked at our options for purchasing some of the coaches from Metro de Madrid, but it turns out that this would not have significantly improved the time frame we are working on," Sagcal said.
 
"We decided to continue with the ongoing procurement of new trains instead. This should also result in lower maintenance costs," he added. — BM, GMA News