The Metropolitan Tel Aviv Light Rail's first line will begin operating in October 2021, promises NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System Ltd. manager Anthony Burchell, who is responsible for building the Red Line. He added that the Red Line's budget will be NIS 14.6 billion in 2012 prices.
Burchell has built light rail projects in Singapore, New Delhi, Hong Kong, and Dubai. "I have never joined a project in which such good and thorough preparations were made," he said.
On Monday, the Knesset Finance Committee discussed the findings of a "Globes" investigation into waste by NTA. To date, it has spent almost NIS 3 billion of the taxpayers' money, while its deadlines are behind schedule and cost overruns are far above the original budget.
NTA chairman Alex Wiznitzer told the Finance Committee, "This project is the most complex under construction in Israel today." He added that, in addition to building the Red Line, the company was moving forward on the planning of five additional light rail lines and three bus rapid transit lines.
NTA COO Udi Lerman told the committee that the company has completed 95% of the earthworks for the Red Line, at a cost of NIS 1.5 billion.
NTA CEO Yehuda Bar-On will take up his post in a few days, after the appointment was approved by Minister of Finance Yair Lapid and Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 8, 2014
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