An international consortium led by Shikun & Binui Holdings Ltd. (TASE: SKBN) won the international tender to lay three train tracks, 100 kilometers in total. Shikun & Binui’s winning bid was NIS 800 million.
The joint tender for the three projects, to be built in parallel by Netivei Israel National Transport Infrastructures Company Ltd., is the largest of its sort to have taken place in Israel, to date. The consolidation of the tenders, initiated by Netivei Israel CEO Shai Baras, drew the attention of four international transport companies interested in participating in the growing development of transport infrastructures, led by the Ministry of Transport, through Netivei Israel.
Two of the four consortia that participated in the tender passed the pre-qualifying stage: a group consisting of Germany’s DB Bahnbau Gruppe, Israeli companies Shikun & Binui and Lesico, and a group consisting of French company TSO, Spain’s Indra, and Israeli company T.A.N. Earthmoving Works, Ltd. Shikun & Binui won the tender.
The tender was for the selection of a contractor to carry out work on the Valley Line, between Haifa and Beit She’an; the Akko-Carmiel line, which will connect the city of Akko to the Coastal Line; and a new line, to be laid between Kfar Saba and Herzliya, which will connect the Sharon Line to the Coastal Line.
The works include laying tracks, railroad ties and rails, as well as telecommunication work, fire detection systems in tunnels, and more. With the conclusion of the work, the tracks will be transferred to Israel Railways, which will operate the trains on the new tracks.
The Akko-Carmiel Line is a 22 kilometer, electric, double track, for passengers and freight, with two passenger stations. The line will connect Carmiel to the Coastal Line, and to Haifa.
The Valley Line is 60 kilometers long, and connects Beit She’an and Afula to Haifa. Five passenger stations are to be built along the line. The third line will connect Kfar Saba to Herzliya, and will improve access from Sharon region communities to central Tel Aviv, under project 531. The train line includes nine kilometers of electric, double tracks, along route 531, from Hod Hasharon’s Sokolov train station, to Herzliya, and 5 kilometers of electric, double-tracks along route 20. There will be two passenger stations along the line - Ra’anana South, and Ra’anana West.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 24, 2014
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