MADRID, 21 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Urbas has bought the subsidiary in Bolivia of the Swiss-German company Molinari, with whom he was carrying out the construction of the Cochabamba train, the first electric train in the country, as reported by the Spanish company on Tuesday.
With this acquisition, Urbas becomes the sole constructor of this railway project, which was awarded to Joca, Urbas’ construction company and a 50% partner with Molinari in the Asociación Accidental Tunari consortium, with a budget of almost 450 million dollars (about 420 million euros).
This project will consist of a comprehensive network of 42 kilometers of electrified single track and 43 new stations, and 7 kilometers of additional track (auxiliaries, section and connections), plus the corresponding workshops and depots, as well as the supply of 12 trains .
The entire layout runs on the surface, also highlighting the construction of singular elements associated with the structures or bridges, 8 in total, the largest with 104 meters over the Viloma River.
The project includes design and construction, as well as support for the operation during the first three years of exploitation. The delivery of the first phase (Red and Green lines) took place last September and the yellow line that will border the Rocha river to Sacaba is still pending.
“This train is being a great opportunity not only for Cochabamba, but also for us, because it is allowing us to capitalize on our experience in the construction of large infrastructures that require great specialization and experience and the application of innovative and efficient processes. And all this with the satisfaction of contributing to the modernization of Bolivia and its socio-economic development”, highlighted Juan Antonio Acedo, president of URBAS.
Urbas has also reported that he is in “very advanced” talks to propose a ‘turnkey’ contract with financing for the construction of the new Santa Cruz metropolitan train, also in Bolivia, whose budget amounts to 1,000 million dollars (933 ,3 million euros).
As in the case of the Cochabamba train, the contract will include the design, construction and subsequent maintenance of this railway infrastructure, which will link the north with the capital of Santa Cruz.
