The Department of Railway Reform announced the suspension of the tender for the purchase of 62 regional electric trains. This decision came after appeals were heard by the National Appeals Council (CNSC).
What did ARF say?
The Railway Reforms Authority (ARF) announces that it has suspended the procurement of 62 RE-R regional electric frames for commuter and regional passenger rail services following the publication on the CNSC portal of a summary decision on objections raised against procedures, respectively: “recognizes the objection in part and orders a remedy.”
Once the CNSC decision is made public, ARF will implement the measures ordered and the award process will be resumed as soon as possible in accordance with legal provisions.
About the appeal
The appeals of the companies Alstom and Siemens were won by the National Council for the Resolution of Appeals, which decided that the actions of the global producers were justified and obliged the ARF to take measures, writes Club Feroviar.
Since ARF did not have time to correct the errors in the tender documentation overnight, it was forced to suspend the procedure just when the competitors started uploading the relevant documentation to PDSER.
Poles from PESA contested the type of engine required by the ARF and the Authority’s vague responses to accept a cheaper engine option but perfectly suitable for some regional trains.
A potential participant blamed poor documentation. “Both the subscriber and other interested business entities have repeatedly requested clarification of the award documentation, as it contains several gaps and discrepancies, as well as unclear, contradictory or incomprehensible elements.
Another participant also complained about the poor quality of the documentation, who also asked to suspend the procedure until the appeal was resolved. It said initially the requirements for calculating axle weight and minimum number of doors were “clear, fair and accurate”. However, later, through the “consolidated response”, these requirements were seriously modified. Changing the number of doors contradicts European standards for passenger flow and emergency evacuation. In addition, it would be beneficial for some competitors.
Source: Hot News RO
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