ISRAEL: The prequalification process for the US$10bn Infra 2 railway systems and rolling stock contract for the US$60bn Tel Aviv Metro programme has been launched by government-owned project promoter NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System.
Three line network
The planned network comprises three entirely underground lines totalling 150 route-km and 109 underground stations.
The 85 km Line M1 would run north to south with branches at each end and 62 stations. The 25 km Line M2 would run east to west with 22 stations, and the 39 km Line M3 would run tangentially from north to south through the eastern suburbs with 25 stations.
The metro is expected to carry 600 million passengers/year, and is in addition to the developing light rail network.
Contract scope
The Infra 2 package includes the design and delivery of station and tunnel fit-out works, track, electromechanical systems, signalling and train control, rolling stock, landscaping and depots, as well as the operation and maintenance of the network for an expected period of 15 to 20 years.
GoA4 unattended driverless operation is planned. The technical requirements have been developed in accordance with Israel’s national standards for safety, emergency preparedness and cybersecurity, and the winning bidders will work with local specialists.
Prequalification process
Applications to prequalify are required by January 18 2027.
NTA said the objective is to bring the most advanced standards and technologies from world-leading companies to Israel. It noted that it requires entities with professional experience and capabilities, because the project will be ‘challenging and complex, with unique characteristics, technical features, restrictions and execution restraints’.
Over the past year, NTA, the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Finance and the metro authority has held meetings with ‘dozens’ of leading international companies in Israel and around the world that have expressed interest in participating in the project.
The Infra 1 prequalification stage led to 20 groups comprising 33 infrastructure companies submitting applications for the civil works contracts covering tunnel excavation and station construction works worth US$25bn.
‘Following the tremendous success of the Infra 1 stage and the international interest it garnered, Israel is firmly on the map of global transportation projects, turning our Connecting Israel vision into a reality’, said Minister of Transportation & Road Safety Miri Regev on August 25.
Director General of the ministry Moshe Ben Zaken said ‘we are bringing the world’s most advanced railway systems and infrastructure to Israel in order to operate an innovative, safe and dependable metro network. It’s a project on a national scale that will transform the country’s transportation system, strengthen its economy, and serve the public for decades to come.’
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