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MTR wins Macau light rail contract

MTR Corporation Ltd (MTRCL) will operate and manage Macau’s first light rail system, worth about HK$5.71 billion, as reported by The Standard.

The corporation’s wholly owned subsidiary, MTR Operacoes Ferroviarias (Macau) Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, or MTR (Macau), was awarded the contract, which covers an 80-month period. The scope will include the testing and commissioning, operation of train services, and the maintenance of trains, signaling and infrastructure of the Taipa line.

The 9.3-kilometre line will serve 11 stations, connecting the airport, the Cotai Frontier Port and the Taipa Ferry Terminal. Expected to begin service in 2019, the system will be fully automated and driverless, using rubber-tire vehicles.

“Building on our proven operational expertise in Hong Kong and international markets, we are confident in delivering quality services and contributing to Macau’s railway development,” said Lincoln Leong Kwok-kuen, MTRCL’s chief executive.

The corporation will only be responsible for the operational services of the light rail, while ticket prices will be decided by the government.

The light rail project, which has been plagued with cost overruns and delays, aims to improve transport options between the Macau Peninsula, Taipa and Cotai, and to relieve traffic congestion.

The first phase includes 21 stations—11 in Taipa and Cotai and 10 on the peninsula. — Construction+ Online