Five firms express interest in North-South rail contract

AROUND five local and foreign companies have expressed interest in bidding for the operations and maintenance (O&M) contract of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said.

- Ashley Erika O. Jose

“The original schedule is either the last week of October or first week of November (for the bidding) as suggested by our transaction advisor, the ADB (Asian Development Bank). So far, I think there were four or five companies (interested),” Transportation Acting Secretary Giovanni Z. Lopez told reporters on the sidelines of a transport conference on Wednesday.

These companies are a mix of local and foreign firms, Mr. Lopez said, adding that the names of these firms cannot be disclosed before the auction officially starts.

In September, the agency said it was working double time to secure an operator for the NSCR project. It was targeting early October for the release of bid documents following the conclusion of its final roadshow, which drew interest from foreign firms.