According to local press reports, the Chinese manufacturer's bid of $US 391.2m for supply of 342 metro cars was lower than its competitors in the tender, Korea's Hyundai Rotem and CAF, Spain. However, the tender commission will only issue the contract after reviewing the suitability of the offers.
Under the terms of the agreement, the selected supplier will be required to deliver the first 15 trains within 20 months of signing the agreement to coincide with the completion of the 16.6km Kizilay - Çayyolu and Sincan - Batikent M2 and M3 lines at the start of 2014. All of the trains will be delivered within 39 months.
Turkish manufacturers will supply 30% of the components for the first 75 vehicles, and 51% of the remaining cars in order to support the local economy.
Three new lines are on schedule to open in Ankara in 2014 after financial difficulties which halted construction of the projects were resolved. Like M2 and M3, the 10km line M4 from Tandoğan to Keçiören via Ulus will connect with the existing line M1 which links Kizilay and Batikent and opened in 1997. M4 is scheduled to open six months after M2 and M3 in mid-2014. Each of the new lines will have 10 stations.