NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System Ltd., the government company responsible for construction of the Tel Aviv light rail, today published the tender for the operation and maintenance of the Red Line. The winner will operate the line for 10 years, with an option for six more years. The operator will receive proceeds from the sale of tickets.
Slated for commercial operation starting in late 2021, the Red Line is expected to carry 70 million passengers a year. The length of the Red Line, the first line on the Tel Aviv light rail, is 24 kilometers, including 12 kilometers in an underground tunnel. The line includes 24 above-ground stations, 10 underground stations, and an operations communications center (OCC).
NTA explains that the agreement with the operator will also include service targets defined in advance in four spheres: operating plan targets, the level of customer service, ticket validation, and systems availability. The agreement will also include an agreement for management and control of the various maintenance contractors, and writing and implementing procedures for operation and maintenance, including coordination with authorities and agencies in an emergency and handling of emergencies.
Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz said, "The light rail project is progressing at full speed. By 2021, we will have an underground light rail project that will carry 70 million people in the first year, and will be a transportation link between the Greater Tel Aviv area and the modern and advanced world.
"By the end of next year, the Green Line and the Purple Line will also begin to make their way from Rishon Lezion and Holon to Herzliya, and from the Yehud and Kiryat Ono area to Tel Aviv." NTA CEO Yehuda Bar-On added, "Publishing the tender is another significant element in fulfilling our duty to the Greater Tel Aviv residents in meeting the timetable, quality, and within the budget for the Red Line of the light rail."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 15, 2016
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