[Article] RPA selects two bidders for Metro North project

[Mark]

The Bombardier units of the Rotterdam metro have been shown a few times on RPA material so they are also an option:

http://www.amsterdamsetram.nl/nieuw/...rddrenth13.jpg

http://www.53a-pix.co.uk/picture/Metro1-RO-041102.jpg

Bombardier have also completed the units for Randstad Rail which could be similair to what we could expect:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ieuwe_RSG3.jpg

Remember that Metro North is only 2.4m (to be compatible with Luas) and not the recommended 2.65m or 2.8m widths that nearly all metro systems, light or heavy, are using. For comparison the Rotterdam, Porto and Seville are 2.65m wide (tram width) systems.


More than likely the decision to those two consortiums came down to money, money and money.

The financial security of the consortiums were an issue too no doubt.

[Mark Gleeson]

The operations side of both are very decent, one runs the Metro in Paris the other runs the incredibly well run Hong Kong metro system and has a 50/50 stake in a UK rail venture.

We did meet with one of the two failed bidders a while a back