ISRAEL: Project promoter Trans Israel has prequalified six consortia for the Infra 2 PPP concession to finance, design and procure the railway systems and rolling stock for the future Haifa – Nazareth inter-urban light rail line, and to operate the completed route.
The six are:
- Dan Bus (Israel), CREC (China), Pesa (Poland), Shenyang (China) and ATM (Italy);
- Shapir (Israel), CAF (Spain), Keren Noy (Israel);
- Minrav (Israel), Electra (Israel), Alstom (France), Allied (Israel);
- Comsa (Spain), Globalvia (Spain), Transmashholding (Russia), Lesico (Israel).
- Meir (Israel), Afkon (Israel), CRRC and CRCC (China).
- Shikun u Binu (Israel), Egged (Israel), Stadler (Switzerland), Hitachi (Japan), Texmaco (India), Downer (Australia).
The concession contract is valued at between US$940m and US$1·25bn.
The line has been branded Nofit, which means ‘scenic’ in Hebrew. Tram-train vehicles will operate in light rail mode through Nazareth and Nazareth Illit, where the stops will be closely spaced, and at up to 100 km/h on the railway-style inter-urban section to Haifa. The promoters envisage a service of up to four trains each way per hour at peak times.
Four main contracts were awarded in November 2020 for civil works on the 41 km route with 20 stops. Three separate tenders are now being called for the construction of bridges and tunnels along the alignment.
Preliminary works are already underway at various locations along the route, including the depot site in the Kiryat-Ata satellite town northeast of Haifa and the future stops at the Har Yona government office complex and the Merkazit HaMifratz railway station and transport hub in Haifa.
