Another tender for the purchase of railway rolling stock ends in suspension, this time for new locomotives. The CNCD has decided to suspend the tender for the purchase of 16 electric locomotives, the Railway Reforms Department said. On Tuesday, it became known that the tender for 20 long-distance electric trains was canceled.
The purpose of the auction was to purchase 16 electric locomotives capable of developing a maximum speed of 160 to 200 km/h. These new locomotives could pull trains of up to 16 cars. The estimated cost ranged from 702 million lei without VAT to 1.03 billion lei.
The current fleet of locomotives has an average age of more than 40 years, and some of them break down frequently.
Over the past 15 years, Romania has been very inefficient in purchasing new locomotives for passenger trains, unlike countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary.
The decision to suspend came after the CNSC upheld an appeal filed by Alstom Transport, in which the company requested, in addition to changes made to the conditions set by the authority for the auction, and their suspension pending legal proceedings, writes Club Feroviar.
The National Appeals Board decided to stay the proceedings pending a hearing on the merits, arguing that if the tender went ahead and Alstom Transport ultimately won the case, the proceedings would be annulled and the public interest would be seriously harmed. .
The requirements related, among other things, to changing the currency in which the financial offer is submitted and the method of payment, as well as the language in which the offers can be submitted.
Here’s what ARF says
The Authority for the Reform of Railways (ARF) announces that on November 1, 2022 the National Complaints Council (CNSC) decided to suspend the procurement of 16 new 4-axle electric locomotives with ERTMS systems, following the publication on its portal of the decision summary of the appeal filed on procedure, respectively: “satisfies the appeal in part and orders a suspension pending consideration of the merits of the case.”
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.
Source: Hot News RO
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