Transit systems on the right track

Merseytravel, the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive, is understood to have selected four consortia to submit proposals for a new rapid transit system for Liverpool.

Three options are under consideration: an œ80 million tram system; a œ60 million guided transit system; and a œ50 million kerb guided bus system. The consortia selected are:

l Consortium Merseytrack - Ansaldo Trasporti, Breda Construzioni Ferroviare, Systra-Sofretu-Sofrerail, Banque National de Paris, Mainline Group, De Leuw Knight Piesold.

l Transform System - British Bus, ABB Daimler Benz Transportation, Maunsell Parsons Brinkerhoff, MVA Consultancy, Mott MacDonald, Enrst & Young, McGrigor Donald.

l Merseytrack - Bombardier Eurorail, Merseyside Trust Holdings, Hyder Consulting.

l Balfour Beatty, Pell Frisch-mann Consultants, Siemens Transportation, Deloittes Touche, IBM UK, DBF Consultancy, Firstbus.

A two-stage tender is proposed, whereby the successful consortium will form a joint venture company with the public sector promoters to develop the scheme through to the award of Transport and Works Act powers. The company would then invite tenders for civil, electrical and mechanical engineering packages on a competitive basis. A new company would be formed to operate and maintain the system.

The bidding consortia will have to show they can provide the services to design the system and its specifications, supply the vehicles, operate and maintain the system and raise finance. The aim is to have the chosen system up and running by 2001.