In December 2014, SWRT awarded MobiLiège, a consortium of Alstom, BAM PPP PGGM and DG Infra, a design-finance-build-maintain (DFBM) contract for the 12.5km line from Standard Liège stadium in the west to Liège-Guillemins station and Coronmeuse in the city centre, with a short branch crossing the river Meuse to serve Bressoux station.
However, in early 2015 Eurostat raised concerns over the structure of the PPP concession and work on the project was suspended. Eurostat decreed that the €380m investment in the project should be classified as public funding and placed immediately on the government’s balance sheet. The Wallonian government rejected this and opted to retender the concession with a revised structure, cancelling its contract with MobiLiège.
Last October SRWT shortlisted MobiLiège alongside two other consortia: CAF-Colas-DIF, and Škoda-Vinci-CFE-Meridiam and the SRWT board approved the applications of all three bidders on February 8. SWRT expects to finalise the contract early next year.
Originally due for completion this year, the delays have pushed opening of the line back to spring 2022.
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