Chinese Firm Bids for Montreal Metro Contract

(CBC News)

Chinese train company Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Ltd. formally submitted a bid Monday for a large Montreal Metro subway car contract using steel wheels despite a bid requirement for rubber tires.

The company said its proposal valued at around $2 billion would create up to 1,000 local jobs.

Zhuzhou said its plan to use steel wheels rather than rubber tires would save taxpayers $1.5 billion and produce a smoother ride.

The Montreal transit authority has previously advised the firm that its plan to use steel wheels doesn’t meet its requirements and that it won’t change the product it has operate successfully for more than 40 years.

The Montreal Metro is Canada’s second-largest subway system with more than 71 kilometres of track. The Société de transport de Montreal said it wouldn’t comment ahead of the afternoon deadline for submissions. Read more here.