TENDERS were due to be submitted on September 16 for two tracklaying contracts on São Paulo metro Line 5 between Capão Redondo and Largo Treze. The contracts cover 9·5 km of ballastless double-track and 4 km of ballasted track for the maintenance depot and stabling sidings. Bids for M&E installations closed in August (RG 9.99 p555).
Construction work is pushing ahead on the first stage of Line 5, which is to be completed by 2002. In the future, the line will be extended to Embuaçu on Line 2 via an interchange with Line 1 at Santa Cruz. The line is being built by suburban rail authority Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos but will be operated by Companhia do Metropolitano de São Paulo.
Serving six stations, the first stage will have 6·7 km elevated, 2 km on the surface and 0·7 km underground. It will be carried over the valley of the Pinheiros river by a dramatic cable-stayed bridge (right), which also includes Santo Amaro station. This will form the interchange between Line 5 and CPTM’s Linha Sul which is to be converted into metro Line 7.
The conversion of three CPTM suburban lines to metro standards was approved last year by the state’s Secretary of Metropolitan Transport. The western and eastern routes from Luz will be merged to form the 53 km Line 6 from Barra Funda to Guaianazes, relieving the existing Line 3 and incorporating the eastern extension from Itaquera to Guaianazes now under construction. Line 7 will run for 24 km from Osasco to Jurubatuba, and will be the first metro line to extend outside the São Paulo metropolitan area.
STM hopes to invite bids shortly for a build-operate-transfer concession under which private promoters will construct the 13·5 km Line 4 between Luz and Vila S
