Han Ximin

ximhan@126.com

A CONSORTIUM consisting of Shenzhen Metro Group and two other firms has won the contract to operate the future Tel Aviv light metro Red Line in Israel.

The Red Line is the first section of the Tel Aviv Light Rail. The line, which will be put into operation in 2021, will run 23 kilometers from Bat Yam in the south to Petah Tikva in the northeast with a significant portion of it going underground. It will have 33 stations including 10 underground stations.

After completion, it will be the second underground rail service in Israel, after the Carmelit in Haifa. The line is expected to see an annual passenger flow of around 100 million.

Shenzhen Metro will set up a joint company, Sole Purpose Co., with other members of the consortium for the operation and maintenance of the rail under the contract, which is valid for 14 years, according to a release of Shenzhen Metro Group on Sunday.

“Shenzhen Metro will send professionals to provide safe and high-quality light-rail services, build a systematic, complete light-rail operation system and be responsible for mechanical maintenance,” said Xiao Shixiong, general manager with the Operation Headquarters of Shenzhen Metro Group.

The Red Line project is the third overseas contract that Shenzhen Metro Group has signed following the agreements to operate a light rail in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia and the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban rail transit system in Hanoi, Vietnam.

It is the first time that Shenzhen Metro will operate a light rail in a developed country, which indicates China’s rail technologies and service standards have been recognized in world markets.

The Tel Aviv Red Line requires higher technological standards because about half of the line runs above ground, making it a challenge to configure appropriate vehicle speeds, signals and control systems for the underground and above-ground sections.

“The Red Line project is a key project under Shenzhen Metro’s overseas strategy, which consists of actively expanding overseas by using its talent, technology, funds and equipment resources,” said Lin Maode, chairman with Shenzhen Metro Group.

The other members of the consortium are China Civil Engineering Construction Corp. (CCECC) and Israel’s Egged Bus Cooperative.