The Mexican government has cancelled a contract to build the country’s first high-speed railway just days after awarding.
In a statement, Mexico’s Secretariat of Communications and Transportation said it had annulled the 50.82 billion peso (€3 billion) contract with a consortium of Chinese, Mexican and French companies because of ‘doubts and concerns’ about the process.
A new tendering process will now be carried out ‘in order to give a wider time and facilitate the possible involvement of a greater number of train manufacturers, as well as to strengthen the absolute clarity, legitimacy and transparency…’
A consortium comprising China Railway Construction Corporation and CSR Corporation, Mexico’s Constructora y Edificadora, GIA, Prodemex, GHP Mexican Infrastructure and Construction TEYA, and SNCF subsidiary Systra had been appointed to deliver the high-speed rail scheme earlier this week.
The project includes a 210-kilometre route and a fleet of new eight-car high-speed trains.
Transparency is required in any project……
Knowing how bad corruption in Mexico is, I think it’s safe to assume that the bid was not won by the “preferred” bidder. It’s worth another go, isn’t it?