Macau, China, 20 Aug – Three international consulting companies have applied to carry out the feasibility study of the second phase of the Macau light railway, construction of which is due to begin in 2009, government officials said.
British company Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong, US company Parsons Brinckerhoff (Asia) and Hong Kong consultancy, Maunsell Consultants Asia applied to carry out the study for the stretch of light railway to be built in the northwest of Macau linking Portas do Cerco (border between Macau and China) to the Barra area via Porto Interior.
The first phase of the light railway is due to be concluded in 2011 and expected to cost 4.2 billion patacas (US$525 million).
The first phase of the Macau light railway will be built on an elevated platform and have 23 stations linking the Portas do Cerco area, the border with the Chinese mainland, and the Pac On area on Taipa island, near the Macau International Airport, passing through the city center.
The light railway will be driven automatically (no driver) and will have the capacity to transport a maximum of 152,000 passengers per day.
The Macau Infrastructure Development Office accepted proposals from France’s EGIS Rail and the consortium made up of Portugal’s Consulgal and Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation and rejected a proposal from Singapore’s CPG Corporation for the project management and technical assistance for the implementation of the first phase of the light railway system. (MacauNews)
