Friday, May 20, 2011

Prasarana to call for trains supply tender next month

By Sharen Kaur
sharen@nstp.com.my
Published in NST on March 12 2011

SYARIKAT Prasarana Negara Bhd will call for an open tender next month for the supply of trains for the Ampang light rail transit (LRT) extension line.

It is learnt that the contract, which is to supply 20 train sets consisting of 6-car trains, is worth more than RM1 billion.

According to Zulkifli Mohd Yusoff, group director of project development division, the tender exercise might attract five to six bidders, made up of local and foreign firms. He declined to comment on the contract value.

"When we called for a tender for the Kelana Jaya LRT extension line, it attracted three bidders. We expect more this time because we are looking at sets of trains with off-the-shelf technology," he said.

Bombardier Inc, a Canadian aircraft and electric trains manufacturer was awarded the contract to supply 35 train sets consisting of 4-car trains for the Kelana Jaya Line, worth RM1.2 billion.

Meanwhile, Zulkifli said he does not expect the cost of Ampang and Kelana Jaya LRT extension lines to exceed RM7 billion.

He said the project is running within budget and it will be done by mid-2014.

At a media briefing in Kuala Lumpur yesterday on the progress of the project, Zulkifli said Prasarana had mapped out a contingency plan for unforeseen issues.

So far, 15 per cent of advance works, involving the relocation of telecommunication and TNB low voltage cables as well as sewerage pipes have been carried out, while the main facilities works will progress, starting the end of this month, Zulkifli said.

"Based on the progress, the RM2 billion we have is enough for this year. We think the construction would not exceed RM7 billion. We will raise another RM5 billion via bonds in 2012," he said.

A recent report quoting Prasarana group managing director Shahril Mokhtar said the company plans to raise RM5 billion to RM10 billion more over the next five years via a bond sale to fund the LRT extension

Some RM7 billion is for the extension lines and RM3 billion for infrastructure and to buy new buses.

In 2009, Prasarana raised RM2 billion via a bond sale to fund the LRT extension. It has used less than 10 per cent for advance works and main facilities works for the Ampang and Kelana Jaya lines.

The value for advanced works for both the lines is around RM150 million and RM1.7 billion is for the main facilities works.

-ENDS-

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