Palm monorail clicks into gear

05 August 2005
Fresh prices were submitted in mid-July for the turnkey contract to design, build and equip the proposed monorail system on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. The project was retendered after bids came in well above Nakheel'sbudget (MEED 18:2:05).
Fresh prices were submitted in mid-July for the turnkey contract to design, build and equip the proposed monorail system on Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. The project was retendered after bids came in well above Nakheel'sbudget (MEED 18:2:05).

Companies understood to have submitted revised prices include: Switzerland's Intamin; a Japanese/Singaporean joint venture of Mitsubishi Corporationand Sembcorp; Monorail Malaysia; and a Japanese consortium led by Hitachi Corporationand including Marubeni Corporation, Mitsui & Companyand Obayashi Corporation. The contract is expected to take about 33 months.

The retender incorporated a change in scope, including extending the length of the monorail to seven-eight kilometres. The monorail will run from the base of the palm up the spine to the crescent. Four major stations are planned: at the base; the proposed Palm Tower; the village centre; and the theme park to be built on the island's crescent. Two medium-sized stations will be built at the mid-point of the island's trunk and a small station is planned on the spine. Each train will have capacity for 200 passengers.

In addition to building the system, the successful bidder will provide rolling stock and maintain the system for five years.

The US' Wilbur Smith & Associates carried out the preliminary study.

The project, which was originally valued at about $150 million, was first tendered in late 2003 and two companies were subsequently shortlisted. The US' Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB), which is the project manager (PM) for overall infrastructure works on the palm, is also acting as PM for the monorail.

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