CRRC was selected as subcontractor by the lowest bidder for the light rail construction contract.
The European Commission (EC) has informed Lisbon Metro that it will open an in-depth investigation into one of the bids submitted for the Violet Line design and construction contract, under Regulation (EU) 2022/2560 that prohibits foreign support that may distort the European internal market.
The investigation concerns the lowest bid submitted for the construction of the Purple Line, an 11.5-kilometre light rail line that will run from Varzia di Loris to the Beatrice Angelo Hospital. The bid, priced at €598.9 million, was made by a joint venture between Mota-Engil, Zagope and the Portuguese subsidiary of Spie Batignolles Internacional, which indicated that Portugal CRRC Tangshan Rolling Stock would be a future subcontractor.
In a statement, Lisbon Metro said that the bidding process for the contract was not itself the subject of the investigation, and that it was up to the European Commission to determine whether Portugal’s CRRC Tangshan Rolling Stock had benefited from government financial support from a third country that potentially distorted competition.
Lisbon Metro says it will fully cooperate with the investigation and will comply with applicable regulations. It notes that the regulations stipulate that all procedural stages of public procurement procedures may proceed, with the exception of contract award.
With a budget of €600 million, the tender for the design and build contract for the Violet Line was launched on 15 April and bids were opened on 15 July. Other bids were received from:
- Master Stylo (600 million euros)
- Teixeira Duarte/Casais/Tecnovia/Epos/Somavel/Jaime da Costa (716.1 million euros), and
- FCC Construcción/Contratas y Ventas/Comsa/Comsa Instalaciones y Sistemas Industriales/Fergrupo (€630 million).
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