5 Chinese giants enter Israeli tender for Tel Aviv light rail tunnels

Altogether five Chinese infrastructure and construction giants entered Israel's tender for a line included in Tel Aviv's light rail network, the Metropolitan Mass Transit System (NTA) reported on Monday.

Yisrael Katz, Israel's Minister of Transport, speaks as he stands next to Chinese Ambassador to Israel Zhan Yongxin and employees of China Railway Engineering Corporation, during an event marking the beginning of underground construction work of the light rail, using a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), in Tel Aviv, Israel February 19, 2017. [File photo: VCG/Baz Ratner]

The tender, published by NTA, relates to the second "green" line, out of four lines that will form the light rail network of the coastal city of Tel Aviv and its suburbs.

Two of the lines, "red" and "purple", are already in the construction phase, while the "brown" line is at early plans.

The "green" line, planned for 39 km long with 62 stations, will cross Tel Aviv from the northern suburb of Herzliya to the southern suburbs of Holon and Rishon LeZion. It is expected to be ready by July 2021.

The tender includes boring of the tunnels and construction of the underground stations of the "green" line.

NTA did not disclose the amounts of the bids, but the Israeli media said they were estimated at 1.5-2 billion new shekels each (419-559 million U.S. dollars), out of a total cost of 15 billion new shekels for the entire "green" line.

The Chinese companies already have activities in Israel. Two of them are taking part in the construction of Tel Aviv's "red" line tunnels.